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c1939 Model ES2 Norton

August 30, 2016, 1:29 pm
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-JdK- Ian in the UK sent this photo of his dad and his bike.

Ian: "Thought you might like a picture of my Dad’s Norton, I was told it was a 1930s model, he owned it after the war and did most of the courting with my Mum on the back. She tells us how she would often fall asleep whilst they rode."

The Norton is a late-1930s Model ES2
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More on Len Stewart and the 1927 TT ...

September 2, 2016, 1:50 pm
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-SG- I am very grateful to Roger who has provided some useful input on this subject, discussed in our posting of 5th June 2016. He has done valuable research into the run-up to the event and has sent me excerpts from 'Motor Cycle' of 27/6/27, which are attached above.  One of these states clearly that Stewart and Ernie Searle would be riding bikes with the new type of frame but fitted with the previous year's engine. So, as far as Stewart is concerned, not one of the OHC machines atall!  As Roger somewhat drily commented, had he been the first to ride an OHC Norton in the TT he would also have been the first to fall off one!

However, from the technical standpoint, it does not seem quite as 'cut and dried' as Motor Cycle's report implies. The 1926 engines, fitted to flat tank frames, had the magneto out the front, driven from the exhaust cam spindle, and the engine fitted to Stewart's bike has it in the 'behind the engine' position,  driven from the supplementary sprocket threaded on to the engine mainshaft,  behind the primary drive sprocket. This alone means the drive side mainshaft would have had to be of the 1927 TT type and rather than  changing the mainshaft (a tiresome job as I discovered for myself some years back). I would think it far more likely that the entire flywheel assembly would have been of the 1927 TT type. Then there's the timing cover - this is not of the '26 type but in appearance is the same as that fitted to the other 1927 works OHV TT bike  (Shaw's) of which I have a photo. In view of these points I suggest the 'bottom half' of the engine in Stewart's machine was more likely to have been the same as that used in Shaw's bike. What is of course indeterminate is whether these engines were fitted with the regular long dwell racing cams used in 1926 or the small base circle ones used on production ES2s when they came along in the Autumn of '27. These cams and followers are not interchangeable and will only fit timing chests designed to take them. Perhaps Shaw's engine had the later type and Stewart's/Searle's the earlier variety.  Who knows!

I specifically referred to the 'bottom half' of Stewart's engine above but what of the 'top half?' From what I can make out from the one and only photo I have come across, normal conical push-rod return springs are fitted and, going just by reflected light on the exhaust pipe, the head has a straight exhaust port - all as 1926.  The engine in Shaw's bike however has enclosed push rod return springs as fitted to production ES2s while the head/exhaust set-up is not shown in my photo so I do not know if the port was angled to the left (like the CS1s and production ES2s) or not.
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Nortons in the 1920 TT

September 3, 2016, 1:17 am
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-SG- Here's a rather fuzzy shot which seems to be taken at the 1920 TT in Norton's island garage. There were quite a few Norton riders in the event and the works entries did quite well.  Here's a table of the details I have been able to gather so far - any extra information or corrections welcome! The man with the tyre is Norton's work manager Bill Hassall.

13 entries - or perhaps 14 - as stated in Norton's 1921 literature.

Works entries / position / riding no.
N H Brown / 8th / 58
J W Shaw / 7th / 57
G W Walker / 13th / 59
D M Brown / 2nd / 56
F C North / 10th / 63

Private owners / position / riding no.
N. Black / 11th / 79
V E Horsman / Retd / ?
A J C Lindsay / Retd / 75
V Olsson / Retd / ?
H Petty / Retd / 61
N C Sclater / 4th / ?
T Simister / Retd / ?
J Thomas / 14th / 76
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Mario Cavedini, 1922 Model 16H Norton

September 4, 2016, 12:29 am
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-JdK- Tino in Italy sent this cover photo from the March 1922 issue of "Lo Sport Illustrato". The rider (on the left) is Mario Cavedini, the Norton is a model 16H. Note the position of the oiltank, on top of the fueltank
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Service Series Models 18 and ES2

September 8, 2016, 1:47 pm
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Click this link for the full text

-SG- In the early fifties Motor Cycling ran a 'Service Series' and here's one covering the OHV engines of the period.  It's worth pointing out that the dimensions of the rocker box bushes and the upper push rod ends apply back to 1930.
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1935 Issue of 'The Roadholder'

September 9, 2016, 2:00 pm
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Click this link for the PDF

-JdK- Greg in Australia kindly provided this copy of the 1935 issue of 'The Roadholder' which is much appreciated.
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Vintage pistons ...

September 12, 2016, 1:20 pm
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-SG- ... with 5/8" dia. gudgeon pins, are now quite hard to find. Partially as a result of this and partially because there seems to be a belief that the early con. rods were feeble things, many restorers of pre '31 machines fit the later con. rods with 7/8" dia. pins so that there is a larger choice of pistons to choose from.


The standard piston for 490cc OHV engines in the twenties and 1930 was equivalent to Hepolite's type 2797 - see photo of  a New Old Stock one above - but these are hard to find and I don't know of any company making replicas. This one is for sale; contact us when interested and we'll forward your request to the seller.


However,a piston equivalent to the Hepolite piston 3478 (with 5/8" pin) was the standard wear for Moore CS1s/ES2s but can equally be used in pre-31 490cc OHV engines, albeit with the possible down-side of a higher compression ratio. So what you may say - just put a plate under the barrel but ... then you may encounter minor problems such as the push rods being a bit too short etc etc.

Photos are attached of a very worn example I still have of one of the 3478 Hepolite products and I heard recently that JP Pistons in Australia are making a replica of this type under their reference 0875.  Contact them direct for details, prices etc.
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1935 Model 50 Norton

September 13, 2016, 1:15 pm
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-SG- We don't have that many postings for the 350 OHV models on the site and a good reason for that is that they did not sell that well!  I was therefore pleased to see what seemed to be a very original example at the recent West Kent Run in UK and here are a few of my 'usual standard' photos of it. It was shipped out in October 1935 and went to a buyer in Cradley Heath. In view of the despatch date it may perhaps have been a 1936 model. The tank top panel is shown in the despatch book entry as an original fitting.
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CS type Sturmey Archer layshaft

September 18, 2016, 1:19 am
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-SG- Richard's 1929 Model 18 appeared recently on the site following a cam spindle breakage, happily now resolved. More recently, he reports that it has been jumping out of second gear and while it appears the second gear pair in use were not that good, Richard felt that the situation would be greatly improved by building up the worn area of the layshaft where the sliding gear contacts, using hard chrome. He advises - and we repeat this on the basis that we can't take responsibility if it doesn't work for you -.

-Richard- I didn't do any preparation of the "to be plated" area. But what is important is to carefully measure the ID on the sliding gear on the layshaft and the layshaft OD to make sure that not too much chrome is added. I added 0.002" to the surface (0.004" on the diameter) and this, at least in my case, was the limit. If too much is put on then it would be difficult to remove except by grinding. I needed to do some hand fettling afterwards using a small oilstone with the layshaft in the lathe, to clean up the extremities of the hard chrome, but the surface is otherwise being used without finish grinding. It is a good sliding and rotating fit without the "slop" that I had before.

I also fitted a pair of NOS second gears but  I think the layshaft hard chroming would have solved the "falling-out-of-gear" problem without new gears - I  only fitted those as I had a broken tooth on one. Anyway, it is now reinstalled in the bike and is working perfectly.
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The Lord Norton

September 25, 2016, 1:27 am
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Charles Bowyer Adderley, 1st Baron Norton
KCMG PC DL JP
(2 August 1814 – 28 March 1905)

-SG- Re-reading part of the late Mick Woollett's Norton History the other day, my eye caught on the vague suggestion made by an elderly member of the family that, perhaps, J L Norton's forebears were connected in some way with a member of the English nobility - whose title was Lord Norton.

Without wishing to diminish in any way James Norton's many achievements in his relatively short life, this is in fact not feasible, as the family name of Lord Norton was Adderley. The first Baron, Charles Bowyer Adderley, was created in 1878 and he took his title from his property, Norton-on-Moors, Staffordshire.  He died in 1905, in his early nineties. And to be absolutely clear - he had nothing to do with our favourite brand of motorcycles.
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Vintage Norton parts For Sale

September 26, 2016, 10:39 am
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-JdK- Heiko has some vintage Norton parts for sale; a crankcase, timing case and front wheel from 1928/29, CS1 barrel from 1928, 16H frame from 1925, rearhub and barrel with head from 1924/25 and a petrol and oiltank from 1928. The parts are located is East Germany. Contact Heiko directly via
skerways@yahoo.de


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Maudes Trophy

September 30, 2016, 1:37 pm
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Find the PDF via this link

-SG- 'The Classic Motorcycle' recently printed an interesting article by regular contributor Richard Rosenthal dealing with Norton's Maudes Trophy achievements in the mid twenties. This reminded me that I have a small booklet published by the factory in, probably, early1926 which is entitled 'The Story of Two Unapproachables.' This details the 1925 activities which won the Trophy for the third year in succession.  The booklet in itself is not that much of a rarity but there is a background anecdote as to my copy:  it was given me by the late Dr Joe Bayley (author of 'The Vintage Years at Brooklands') and with it came a letter to him from a chap called Leigh Huilbrook, who later owned the Model 18 used in the 1925 tests. Leigh describes it as the best bike he ever had!
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One thing leads to another ...

October 4, 2016, 1:26 pm
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-SG- A while back (not sure how far as I don't keep records of such things) I sent a couple of sets of seals for Best and Lloyd filler caps to Paul. Recently he asked for a further pair for his 1928 CS1 - photos attached. The bike was restored back in the seventies by a previous owner - a bit of extraneous plating but not  a bad effort - and as a matter of personal interest I looked up the details in the records, which shows it as a standard CS1, still with matching numbers by the way, shipped out in March '28.

But my eye was taken by the entry on the line above for a rather special machine. It so happens that this section of the despatch records was completed by someone with fairly gruesome handwriting and quite a few of his entries are hard to decipher but there are some interesting details in the Extras column.  These appear to read as follows:

'Specially tuned for speed work; 10-1 ratio 2 ring piston; 1 3/32 Binks carb., jets for RD1 (ie Alcohol based fuel); 1 ea. sprockets 17 - 23.' 

What is not clear is who the customer for this bike was. The relevant column for the dealer's details appears just to show 'Simpsons' but there is no address given for the end user.  Unlikely to be anything to do with Jimmie Simpson as his association with Nortons did not begin until 1929 but perhaps an Export Merchant who shipped the bike to some overseas destination although I don't know to what extent RD1 or equivalent was available outside UK ... Be that as it may, it is interesting to note the basic 'Tuning for Speed' steps were taken by the works at this stage in the CS1's development.
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New Hepolite 2797 pistons

October 5, 2016, 1:32 pm
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-JdK- Viktor provided this very useful info for those looking for pistons for their vintage Norton.

"Here is a description and a few images of new pistons. Pistons with a 5/8" pin and fabricated according to the original 2797 Hepolite piston dimensions are being produced by a specialized manufacturer in the Slovak Republic - go to www.ceba.sk for more information. 

You will need to provide them with the exact cylinder bore. Pistons are supplied including three modern piston rings. Delivery time is around two months". 
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Club Life in the Twenties!

October 7, 2016, 11:39 am
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-SG- Lee has sent in a couple of interesting period photos dating from end '25 (the group) and early '26 (the solo). They were taken outside the Kursaal Amusement Park in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.  The group photo shows a typical bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts at least two of whom are on Nortons. The solo shot is really very clear and allows  - I think - reasonably accurate identification of the Model 18 as a 1926 example  (full primary chain guard etc) so it can only have been a few weeks old at the time. Despite that, there's already various oily spatters on the rear tyre so that's not just something we have to put up with after several decades of use/misuse!l
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c1927 Model 18/21 Norton - For sale

October 13, 2016, 1:05 pm
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'Yesterdays' have a  1927 flat tank Norton on their site at the astonishing price of 38.500 euros. It is described as a Model 18 with a Model 21 engine - correct because Simon looked up the engine and frame number in the records a couple of weeks back for some who had expressed an interest in it. Thus it is not a matching numbers bike, has no interesting history and has various things wrong with it even as a tidily rebuilt basket case.

Here's a few of the more obvious anomalies: wrong gearbox, wrong magneto, crude magneto drive chain arrangement (not that difficult to repair the timing cover), wrong petrol filler cap (makes us wonder if the tank is repro. but if it is, it looks pretty good), ridiculous handlebars, wrong steering damper set up (should have a top mounted Andre damper), wrong carburettor (which we covet none the less!).

A motorcycle is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it; in our view there are more interesting bikes on Yesterdays' website for less than one third of the price of what this one would cost you.
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The first Triton?

October 19, 2016, 1:02 pm
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-JdK- Dennis sent these very interesting pics and the text below. There you have it, a Triton made in 1939. One of the first crappy Triumph frames and forks replaced by proper Norton items.

Dennis: "This are interesting pics from the Rex McCandless archive within the VMCC library in Burton on Trent ... Will put the cat amongst the pigeons I suspect. Rex made a Triton in 1939! Amazing considering the 5T 500cc twin Triumph was only new in 1938 from memory ..."
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The Mile Eater

October 23, 2016, 12:05 pm
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Looks like a c1922 Model 16H Norton

-JdK- Roland Grossbichler of the NOC Austria sent the following text, pics and link to a Youtube film. Roland: "I think I have a very interesting silent movie (produced 1923/24) for you. The name of the movie is "The Mile Eater“. The story is about a bet between the sportsman Ernest and his colleagues. Ernest, a sort of a modern Phileas Fogg on a Norton, has to do 6000 kilometers through five countries within 15 days – or some 80 minutes of screen time. The subtitels are in English and in Italian. You can obtain a copy of the DVD for 25€ at http://www.seeberfilm.com/"

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What goes around comes around ...

October 26, 2016, 12:43 pm
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About two years back we showed a posting about a late Bill Fruin's side valve outfit. We later found it had been auctioned as part of the Bill Fruin collection by Phillips in 1984. It was described as a '16H in racing trim'. It came with documents, but the frame and engine numbers on the registration did not match these of the bike and there is no mention of Brooklands history

Further investigation showed that engine 6195 (on this bike) comes from a 1923 Model 2 touring motorcycle. The gearbox, magneto, suspension damper, and Andre steering damper, footrests are all much later. It could therefore be described as an exercise in using up odds and sods to which someone, Bill Fruin perhaps, attached a Brooklands replica sidecar.

Was it ever raced at Brooklands? Bill Fruin probably rode (rode, not raced) it there in postwar years. There have been reunions there since the fifties, when a section of the banking was cleared by volunteers. The Brooklands Society was formed quite early on and Fruin was an early member.

Now it is for sale again on eBay.  The Australian advertiser has stated that he has been told the outfit 'was used many times at Brooklands' and has used the original Yesterdays text to describe the machine which ends with the line "It would be worthwhile to do further research  into the racing history of this outfit!". This description may suggest a bit more than would be true.

Honestly, this thing looks nice and like a lot of good fun to thrash around. Further, a Norton is worth whatever anyone is willing to pay but we would not put much value on the racing history or originality of this one.
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Norton incident at Cadwell Park 1946

November 3, 2016, 12:23 am
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-JdK- Sent by Dennis. The comment on the back of this photo is: "Cadwell Park, 08.06.1946, trouble at the hairpin. Rickie Goodman 348 Norton gets into difficulties, while another rider has trouble avoiding him"
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