Allen Millyard Norton Nemesis rebuild

**HenryDorsetCase** · 26th August 2024, 18:44

I take it that we are all avidly watching this - I know I am.

Basically Allen Millyard is a mechanical genius and builds stuff like a V12 engine out of two KZ1300 motors, adds extra cylinders to various old Kwakas and built an amazing tribute to the Honda 250/6 (he calls it the RC374 I think). Unassuming, quietly spoken total god level skill set.

The National Motorcycle Museum said to him "Oi, can you please look at this one of one prototype 1500cc V8 that the remnants of Norton made". Allen is rebuilding it and this week we saw the motor go back together for good.

Youtube is my new TV.

https://www.youtube.com/@AllenMillyard

That link is to his Youtube channel

This is to the Nemesis playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBwM...F9PjZh71V_-Nlw

**R650R** · 26th August 2024, 20:38

He’s a legend alright. I like how he looked through various other manufacturers to find a similar size big end bearing shell then machined off however many thou to make the width correct.

The Honda gold wing rebuild is quite good too. Total nightmare to pull apart to get to anything.

All done in probably the world’s smallest shed.

His overhaul on the dodge v10 bike before he took it to another recent event mad meticulous also.

**Grumph** · 26th August 2024, 20:43

Just a short watch of part one made me shudder. Those discs retained by plain allen screws when they should be shoulder bolts.
And it was supposedly designed for 200mph.

One decent hard stop from that and I'd doubt you'd have a front brake.

And that's only an easy bit to pick on. Plenty more.

**F5 Dave** · 27th August 2024, 19:10

Thanks HDC, I'll watch that over a while. Just through 2nd episode

There's a special place in Hell for those people who use preinsulated terminals.

Located next to anodised fittings installers.
But they are already in the UK, so. . .

**pete376403** · 27th August 2024, 22:12

Many things on that Norton were second rate - the rear exhaust was appalling, or the water manifolds on the head. Seems Norton could have done a lot worse than doing a deal with Suzuki and making the V8 out of a couple of GSX-R 750s. Millyard is doing a very nice (he loves that word) job yet I question some of the things he does - cam cap bolts for example, I would have expected hardened steel washers under the screw heads to prevent the heads from digging in to the soft aluminium and possibly loosening in service. But it's not like it's going to be racking up any sort of mileage.

**Laava** · 28th August 2024, 16:03

All the castings look a bit "fifties" to me…

**jellywrestler** · 28th August 2024, 16:50

Originally Posted by Laava

All the castings look a bit "fifties" to me…

that's the british way, in 1938 they introduced the triumph speed twin, a pre unit engine of 500cc
They then banged it out to 650
they then made it unit construction
they then banged it out to 750cc
they then added a cylinder to make the trident
they then added a cylinder to that to make the quadrant,
they never started with a clean sheet of paper when designing crankcases along the way, always a rehash of a rehash.

take a look at an 888 ducati, there's provision on the side for a kick starter

In i think 1979 when they built the air cooled 2 valve belt driven pantah 500 they had a kick starter option,
those cases were rehashed to make the 600, then water cooling and four valves per cylinder all the way to 888
I think the first of the next generation crankcases was the 916, no wonder they would replace the WSBK engines almost every meeting.....

**husaberg** · 28th August 2024, 18:03

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

I think the first of the next generation crankcases was the 916, no wonder they would replace the WSBK engines almost every meeting.....

back in the Roche to foggy era it was 3 engines a meeting, one for each leg and another for practice qualifying

**F5 Dave** · 28th August 2024, 19:41

I was flagging when Roche's one had 'an electrical fault' (cloud) in front of our station, then carried back to the pits leaving an incriminating trail of black electricity behind him.

And you forgot to mention the fable of Irving's 500 blueprint/s to Vtwin story.

**husaberg** · 28th August 2024, 20:00

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

I was flagging when Roche's one had 'an electrical fault' (cloud) in front of our station, then carried back to the pits leaving an incriminating trail of black electricity behind him.

And you forgot to mention the fable of Irving's 500 blueprint/s to Vtwin story.

I watched it on the net the other day. not as great as being there and not as dramatic as I remember it from the telly on the day, He put on a master class in those few laps he decided to put on a show. it was probably the only time he gave it the full nuts all season, as they had to win as slowly as needed to avoid any rule change.
I could have mentioned the mains in the 888 were much like the super blend bearings in the Commando which started out as a 500 and ended up a 830

iT was amazing how tight his lines were...
also how long he oiled up the track.
what I never realised at the time was the Ducati it seems had a slipper clutch I know the ZXR and the RC30 had one, but it looks like the duke had one also...
The 888 was my fav 4T

**jellywrestler** · 28th August 2024, 20:34

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

And you forgot to mention the fable of Irving's 500 blueprint/s to Vtwin story.

not familiar with that one

**pete376403** · 28th August 2024, 22:49

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

not familiar with that one

Apparently he by chance overlaid two 500 engine layout prints on transparent paper and noticed it would be quite easy to make a v-twin utilising the same cam drives (or summat like that)

**pete376403** · 28th August 2024, 22:52

Originally Posted by husaberg

I watched it on the net the other day. not as great as being there and not as dramatic as I remember it from the telly on the day, He put on a master class in those few laps he decided to put on a show. it was probably the only time he gave it the full nuts all season, as they had to win as slowly as needed to avoid any rule change.
I could have mentioned the mains in the 888 were much like the super blend bearings in the Commando which started out as a 500 and ended up a 830

iT was amazing how tight his lines were...
also how long he oiled up the track.
what I never realised at the time was the Ducati it seems had a slipper clutch I know the ZXR and the RC30 had one, but it looks like the duke had one also...
The 888 was my fav 4T

Look at the size of the crowd (which I was part of)

**Grumph** · 28th August 2024, 22:54

I remember that weekend at Manfield quite well. Just prior to the second leg, Mark Taylor had won F3 on my Kawasaki. Interviewed and asked who was going to win leg 2 he said "Syph will walk it" Good prediction.
Rob Lewis riding a ZX7 which I'd built the engine for managed a finish inside the top10 Which was gratifying.

Does anyone else remember the very short but gorgeous bird the Diesel Jeans rep had with him ? Race day jeans painted on.....

**jellywrestler** · 29th August 2024, 00:03

Originally Posted by pete376403

Apparently he by chance overlaid two 500 engine layout prints on transparent paper and noticed it would be quite easy to make a v-twin utilising the same cam drives (or summat like that)

the cams are near closer to the heads than the crankshaft so it wouldn't have been hard at all to drive ten off the one drive i reckon?