The Norton thread!

According to Joe and Bob, the only real Nortons are singles

And their other brother Bob too!

Peter Williams disagrees

This thread is hard for me to read! I owned a 1968 Commando that I rode in the early 1970's, then sold. I've always missed it and this thread almost brings me to tears. I hope to own one again someday if I can swing it.

Peter Williams didn't race a Norton Manx on the Beach at Daytona in 1948. Bob did, and Joe was his mechanic.

Team Norton at the recent 25th running of the "Numb-Bum" 24-hr ice race in Northern Alberta.

So that elevates the opinion beyond discussion?

I'm sure you know Williams raced Nortons at the Speedway (among many other venues) so his opinion might carry some weight. Oh, and he was his own mechanic

As seen on ebay recently...



it needs a couple of parts, and a wipe over

Is that a Drioun (sp?) supercharger?
Might need a extra disc there on the front...

I am a fan of the original Norton company that was on Bracebridge Street and what it produced. It was a passed down family business that put a bit more soul into it's products. In the early 50s the corporation AMC bought control and systematically destroyed it. First they axed the works racing team after 1954, and although Bracebridge Street was the most profitable thing they owned, they shuttered the works at the end of 1962 and layed off all but a handful of employees.
This worked great for AMC as they went bankrupt a few years later, just to show how much business sense they really did have. AMC's only contribution to the Norton marque was to take Dominator engines and slap them into anchor-heavy Matchless twin frames to market to ignorant Americans as 400+ pound "scramblers" Another corporation was formed from the ashes, Norton Villiers which had no common sense or soul either.

Norton Villiers axed the last thing Norton had that was worth anything, the featherbed frame, which all progressive and smart motorcycle compainies were copying(Honda Kawasaki,Yamaha, MV etc.) if not in design then in theory. Instead they kept the obsolete Domimator engine and rubber-mounted it in an inferior chassis, the Commando/Band-Aid.

If Ford bought out Mercedes and axed it's complete line of products except for keeping an engine, then they sold a Mustang with a Mercedes engine in it and called it a 300SL, I would not hit a dog in the ass with that either, or believe what the badges on the side of it said.

So,,,,,if it was not in the production lineup before the end of 1962, then I am not much interested in it. A 1967 featherbed Atlas is okay, because the first Atlas bikes were made at Bracebridge Street for instance.

My own bike last spring:




As it sits now, from last week, in for a little winter rebuild:

From the Save a Horse Ride a Norton rally this summer in Wyoming:

Barry Sheene's Molnar Manx Norton Racer.

Let me guess, you like tweed sport-jackets with leather elbow patches, and a station wagon should properly be called a shooting brake, right?

It's all good; I know people who feel the motorcycle design peaked with the Knucklehead.

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Some of Ya'll might know Jim.

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In my local Brit shop

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My down the street neighbors bike...

Is this Jim Comstock's bike? Belt drive and fuel injection (among many other things) gave it away!

Yes, Sir! Damn fine machine spotted at the Lake of the Pines Rally in East Texas. I do not think He would mind a pic posted.

Just recently? I know he was headed to that rally, but didn't know he had already gone...

He is very active on AccessNorton.com

I really value his knowledge and experience.