 Norton is a British motorcycle marque from Birmingham and founded in 1898. By 1902 they had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908 a Norton built engine was added to the range. This began a long series of production of single cylinder motorcycles. They were one of the great names of the British motorcycle industry, producing machines which for decades dominated racing with highly tuned single cylinder engines under the Race Shop supremo Joe Craig. Postwar a twin cylinder model was added to the range for 1949, and this evolved into the 1970s through 500cc to 600cc to 650cc to 750cc to 850cc models with the Dominator, 650, Atlas and Commando, all highly regarded road motorcycles of their time. Norton tank badge PD File links The following pages link to this file: Norton (motorcycle) ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x990, 336 KB)Norton 850 Commando Retro-classic Pegomas-Tanneron 2005 I (User:Ericd) took this picture myself with a Minolta SR-T 100X on Kodak Tri-X. The picture was scanned from negative. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x990, 336 KB)Norton 850 Commando Retro-classic Pegomas-Tanneron 2005 I (User:Ericd) took this picture myself with a Minolta SR-T 100X on Kodak Tri-X. The picture was scanned from negative. ...
A 125 cc motorcycle, the Italian-manufactured Cagiva Planet. ...
A marque (French for brand and pronounced as mark) is a brand name, most commonly used for automobile brands. ...
The city from above Centenary Square. ...
History
Beginnings The original company was formed by James Norton in Birmingham in 1898. In 1902 Norton began building motorcycles with French and Swiss engines. In 1907 Norton won the twin-cylinder class in the first Isle of Man TT race, beginning a sporting tradition that went on until the 1960s - The Isle of Man Senior TT, the most prestigious of events, was won by Nortons ten times between the wars and then every year from 1947 to 1954 J.L. Norton died in 1925 aged only 56, but he saw his motorcycles win the Senior and sidecar TTs in 1924 James Lansdowne Norton 1869-1925. ...
The city from above Centenary Square. ...
1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
The late Joey Dunlop riding down from Kates Cottage towards Creg ny Baa. ...
The late Joey Dunlop riding down from Kates Cottage towards Creg ny Baa. ...
1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...
1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The CamShaft One (CS1) engine appeared in 1927, with a redesign in 1930, and that decade spawned the Norton racing legend. Of the nine Isle of Man Senior TTs (500cc) between 1931 and 1939 Norton won seven.
Nortons also appealed to ordinary motorcyclists who enjoyed the reliability and performance offered by single-cylinder engines with separate gearboxes. The marque withdrew their teams from racing in 1938, but between 1937 and 1945 nearly one quarter of all (ca 400,000) British military motorcycles were Nortons, basically the WD 16H (solo) and WD Big Four outfit (with driven sidecar wheel). 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...
Post war Post war, Norton struggled to reclaim its pre-WWII dominance, but the single cylinder machine was facing fierce competition from the multi-cylinder Italians, and AJS at home. In 1949, the first year of the world championship, Norton only made fifth place, and AJS won. That was before the Norton Featherbed frame appeared, gifted to Norton by the McCandless brothers of Belfast in January, 1950, used in the legendary Manx Norton, and raced by riders including Geoff Duke, John Surtees and Derek Minter . Overnight the featherbed frame was the benchmark by which all other frames were judged. Nortons were winners again. The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season is the first competitive motorcycle season races, with six Grand Prix and 4 classes, 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. ...
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England company A. J. Stevens Ltd. ...
Geoff Duke OBE (born March 29, 1923 in St. ...
John Surtees (Ferrari) at the British Grand Prix 1964 John Surtees MBE (born February 11, 1934) is an English World Champion motorcycle racer and race car driver. ...
These racing succeses were transferred to the street through Cafe racers, who would use the feather bed frame with an engine from another manufacturer to make a hybrid machine with the best of both worlds. The most famous of these were Tritons - Triumph twin engines in a Norton feather-bed frame. Originally used in the Manx model, Norton produced variations of the frame for other models. Summary Cafe Racers are a type of motorcycle as well as a type of motorcyclist and have their roots in the 1960s British counterculture group the Rockers or Ton-up Boys; although were also common in Italy, amongst Italian motorcycle manufacturers and other European countries. ...
In 1952 the Norton Dominator 88 500cc gained a Featherbed frame.
AMC Despite the racing successes, Norton was in financial difficulty, and in 1953, Norton was sold to Associated Motorcycles (AMC), who also owned the brands AJS, Matchless, Francis-Barnett and James. The Birmingham factory was closed in 1962 and production was moved to AMC's Woolwich factory in Southeast London. 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ...
Associated Motorcycles (AMC) was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded as a parent company for the Matchless and AJS motorcycle companies. ...
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England company A. J. Stevens Ltd. ...
Matchless is the name of a popular brand of motorcycles that were manufactured in Plumstead, the United Kingdom, between 1899 and 1966. ...
1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...
Woolwich is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ...
With the change to AMC came a better gearbox, which was used on Norton motorcycles from 1957.
In 1958 a 600cc Dominator 99 appeared.
The 1962 500cc Manx Nortons produced 47 bhp at 6500 rpm, weighed 142 kg, and had a top speed of 209 kph. It used a dry sump 499cc single cylinder motor, with two valves operated by bevel drive, shaft driven twin overhead camshafts. The Short Stroke model (1953-1962) had bore and stroke of 86 mm x 85.6 mm. The 1946-1953 Long Stroke was 79.6 x 100 mm. Compression ratio was 11:1. It had an Amal GP carburettor, and a Lucas racing magneto. The new price was 440 pounds.
The last Manx Nortons were sold in 1963. Even though Norton had pulled out of racing in 1954, the Manx had become the backbone of privateer racing, and even today are quite sought after.
In 1962 a Norton 650SS appeared, followed by the Norton Atlas 750 in 1963, still using featherbed frames, but the increases to the vertical twins engine capacity had caused a vibration problem. A 500cc vertical twin is smoother than a single cylinder, but if you enlarge the vertical twin's capacity, vibration increases. The 750 Norton Atlas, though a brilliant bike and a wicked handler, was noted for its vibration. Rather than change engines, Norton decided to change the frame, and the isolastic framed 1969 Norton Commando 750 was the result.
There was an export Norton 748cc N15 (also sold as an AJS Model 33, and as a Matchless G15) which used the Norton Atlas engine in an AMC Matchless/AJS frame, with Norton wheels and front forks. This bike was reputed to vibrate less than the featherbed frame model. AMC singles were also sold with Norton badging in this era.
Norton-Villiers By the late 1960s competition from Japan had driven the whole British motorcycle industry into a precipitous decline. In 1966 AMC collapsed and was reformed as Norton-Villiers part of Manganese Bronze. Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC is an engineering company based in Coventry, England (note Manganese Bronze is also one of many possible alloys called bronze). ...
In 1969 the Commando was introduced; its styling, innovative isolastic frame, and powerful engine made it an appealing package. Despite different variations and respectable sales, the company declined and would go into liquidation in 1975. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...
The "isolastic frame" used rubber bushings to keep the engine and swingarm from direct contact with the frame duplex, forks, and rider, thus damping contact between the rider and engine vibration. This worked as long as the bushings were kept set to tolerances, and were replaced before becoming hard or damaged. If kept maintained, the system worked.
The 'Combat' engine was released in January 1972, with a twin roller bearing crank, 10:1 compression and making 65 bhp at 6,500 rpm. Reliability immediately proved a problem. (Older engines had used one ball bearing main, and one roller bearing main.) This fragility did not show up well, especially when compared to the reliability of the Japanese bikes. BHP may refer to: Broken Hill Proprietary Company BHP Billiton BHP Steel Brake horsepower This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ...
Norton-Villiers-Triumph In 1972, the former giant of British motorcycle manufacturing BSA was also in trouble. It was given government help on the condition that it merged with Norton-Villiers, and in 1973 the new Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) was formed. The Triumph Motorcycles name came from BSA's Triumph subsidiary. The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) was a British manufacturer of vehicles, firearms, and military equipment, and still exists as an airgun sport manufacturer and distributor. ...
A slightly customized 1967 Triumph Tr6C 650 twin Triumph Motorcycles is a famous manufacturer of motorcycles based in Hinckley in England. ...
In April 1973 an 8.5:1 compression 828cc "850" engine was released with German SuperBlend bearings, which made 51 bhp at 6,250 rpm however the stated power does not give a true picture of the engine performance because increased torque seemed to make up for the lower horsepower.
In 1974, the outgoing government withdrew the subsidies, although the incoming government restored them after the election. Rationalisation of the factory sites to Wolverhampton and Birmingham (BSA's Small Heath site) only caused industrial disputes at Triumph's Coventry site; Triumph would go on as a workers cooperative alone. Binomial name Coenonympha pamphilus Linnaeus, 1758 Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is a butterfly species, widespread in Eurasia and northwestern Africa. ...
A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an association of persons who join together or co-operate, to carry on an economic activity of mutual benefit. ...
Despite mounting losses, 1974 saw the release of the ‘828 Roadster’, ‘Mark 2 Hi Rider’, ‘JPN Replica’ (John Player Norton) and ‘Mk.2a Interstate’. In 1975 this was down to just two models, the 'Mark 3 Interstate' and the 'Roadster', but then the Government asked for a repayment of its loan and refused export credits, further damaging the company's ability to sell abroad. Production of the two lone models still made was ended and supplies dwindled.
Wankel engine
 Ron Haslam on the rotary engined Norton In the 1980s, the company went through several incarnations - mainly because, both the name was popular, and now owned by several parties: in liquidation from NVT, the global rights were split between (at least) Norton UK, Germany, America and Rest of the World. Image File history File links Rhas. ...
Image File history File links Rhas. ...
The name was relaunched on an ambitious scale in Lichfield in 1988. The new models have succeeded on the race track - winning the Senior TT in 1992 - but they have moved rather more slowly in the commercial market. The british company had some success making the Wankel-engined Interpol 2 motorcycle for civilian and military police forces and the RAC. The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral, June 2005 Lichfield is a small city and civil parish in Staffordshire, 110 miles northwest of London and 14 miles north of Birmingham. ...
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...
First Wankel Engine NSU KKM 57P Autovision und Forum, Germany Wankel Engine in Deutsches Museum Munich, Germany The Wankel rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine, invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, which uses a rotor instead of reciprocating pistons. ...
Categories: Automobile stubs | Companies traded on the LSE ...
This led to a civilian model in 1987 called the Classic. Subsequent Norton Wankels were water-cooled. The Commander was launched in 1988 and was followed by the Spondon-framed F1. This model was a replica of Norton's RCW588 factory racing machines which won many races including the 1992 Isle of Man TT. The F1 was succeeded by the restyled and slightly less expensive F1 sport. With high prices and possibly some customer suspicious of the Wankel engine, the factory suffered from low sales, and production ceased in the early 1990's 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Norton Commander was a motorcycle made by Norton Motorcycles beginning in 1987 for police forces and 1988 for civilian use. ...
The late Joey Dunlop riding down from Kates Cottage towards Creg ny Baa. ...
First Wankel Engine NSU KKM 57P Autovision und Forum, Germany Wankel Engine in Deutsches Museum Munich, Germany The Wankel rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine, invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, which uses a rotor instead of reciprocating pistons. ...
This article is about the year. ...
Replica revival During the 1990's, Dreer of Oregon evolved from restoring and upgrading Commandos to producing whole machines. He modernised the design and in the early 2000's went into series production, but then suspended operations in April 2006. Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ...
This article is about the year 2000. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Trivia One famous rider of a Norton motorcycle was the medical student and future revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, who along with his friend Alberto Granado, famously toured South America on a 1939 Norton 500, nicknamed 'The Mighty One'. Unfortunately the bike did not complete the journey with them, as it was wrecked somewhere along the route. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or el Che, was an Argentine-born physician, Marxist, politician, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ...
1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Shawn Spencer, the fictional protagonist of the USA Network original series Psych, rides a Norton 750 Commando on the show. Shawn Spencer is a character on the American television dramedy Psych played by American actor James Roday. ...
Psych is an American one-hour dramedy series billed as a fake psychic, real detective series starring James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young police consultant whose eidetic memory leads people to believe that hes psychic. ...
Models -
This is a list of Norton branded motorcycles over all periods of the marque from 1908 to the present day. ...
Pre War (1908 - 1939) - Big Four (Model 1)
- 16H
- Model 18
- Model 19
- Model 20
- Model 22
- CS1
- ES2
- CJ
- Model 30
- Model 40
- Model 50 & 55
- International
War time (1937 - 1945)
Post War (1945 - 1970) - 16H
- Model 18
- Model 19
- Big Four
- Model 500T
- ES2
- International
- Manx
- Model 7
- Model 77
- Dominator 88
- Dominator 99
- 650ss
- Atlas
- Mercury
- P11
- N15C
- Jubilee
- Navigator
- Electra
Superbike era (1967 - 1978) Norton commando models used Isolastic suspension and had 745 cc ("750") engines up to 1973 when the 828 cc ("850") engine came into use. - Norton Commando Combat
- Commando Fastback (1967-1973) just called "Norton Commando" until 1969
- Commando Hi-rider (1971-1975) - targeted for American market
- Commando Interstate (1972-1975)
- Commando Roadster
- Commando Interpol (1970 -1976) - produced for police force use
- Commando Production Racer
Rotary period (1981 - 1992) - Interpol 2
- Classic
- Commander
- F1
- F1 Sport
- RC588
- RCW588
- NRS588
The Norton Commander was a motorcycle made by Norton Motorcycles beginning in 1987 for police forces and 1988 for civilian use. ...
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