Couple of old Nortons from my past. [Archive]

98tls

22nd July 2010, 16:16

Rainy day off work today and went through some pld pics,found this one from when i was 14 :blink:(long time ago) and an 850 and 650SS,the 850 the old man bought of a Bikie with money problems and got the thing for a very sweet price whilst the 650 was rebuilt in the lounge :yes:after being bought in a very sad state.Would dearly love to have either one in my garage today.

eelracing

22nd July 2010, 17:24

There's just something so right about twins.

Still plenty of Commando's around at reasonable coin...don't wait around tho.

toycollector10

22nd July 2010, 18:02

You forgot to mention the nice Shaggin' Wagon in the background. Too cool on many levels.

98tls

22nd July 2010, 18:09

You forgot to mention the nice Shaggin' Wagon in the background. Too cool on many levels.

Indeed it was mate,bought in 73 from deceased estate,he put a 351 Cleveland in it with GT dash etc etc,in 76 when the pic was taken it was a well sweet ute,more so now.The thing was sweet enough for at one stage a builder with an XWGT wanted him to swap the ute for it,the old boy consided it but the XW had been used as a bit of a work hack (my eyes are leaking) and a bit rough so he turned the bloke down.

Motu

22nd July 2010, 18:27

98tls

22nd July 2010, 18:37

Another couple of Nortons.The first bike is my wife's T100,it's nothing of the sort of course,but it's on the cases.Then my '61 600 SS,a '54 T100,and a Mercury.The owner of the blue Tiger 100 still has this blown up and framed on his wall.

Great pic M,from memory the old mans had a front guard similar when he bought it but was to beat up to use.Cheers for posting the pic,awesome.Edit,as were the mufflers hence the old Bates (i think from memory) ones.

sinfull

22nd July 2010, 18:50

Another couple of Nortons.The first bike is my wife's T100,it's nothing of the sort of course,but it's on the cases.Then my '61 600 SS,a '54 T100,and a Mercury.The owner of the blue Tiger 100 still has this blown up and framed on his wall.

> Wall ? Novel idea ! Mine's still hangin from the ceiling ! (shamefull I know !)

98tls

22nd July 2010, 18:54

Wall ? Novel idea ! Mine's still hangin from the ceiling ! (shamefull I know !)

Lovely,least shes coming to no harm up there,question for ya,can you tell me from the pic of the old mans 850 if they were the original bars or otherwise?

sinfull

22nd July 2010, 19:06

Lovely,least shes coming to no harm up there,question for ya,can you tell me from the pic of the old mans 850 if they were the original bars or otherwise?

Sorry mate, aint clued up enough to answer that one but have put the question out, should have a guest checking the pic out any second !

98tls

22nd July 2010, 19:07

Sorry mate, aint clued up enough to answer that one but have put the question out, should have a guest checking the pic out any second !

Cheers fella.

hayd3n

22nd July 2010, 19:12

nortons have come long way
iKqpvriKZuA

98tls

22nd July 2010, 19:17

nortons have come long way
]

Nice find fella,cheers.

sinfull

22nd July 2010, 19:29

Lovely,least shes coming to no harm up there,question for ya,can you tell me from the pic of the old mans 850 if they were the original bars or otherwise?

Council's still out on that one 98, answer was, mk3 bars are higher, but that one looks like a 74, not sure whats up there !

98tls

22nd July 2010, 19:32

Council's still out on that one 98, answer was, mk3 bars are higher, but that one looks like a 74, not sure whats up there !

Cheers mate.To be honest i was 14 at the time and i cant for the life of me remember if it was a mk3 or 4,would if i had to say 4 but wouldnt bet my life on it,pic was taken in 76.

Paul in NZ

22nd July 2010, 19:33

Lovely,least shes coming to no harm up there,question for ya,can you tell me from the pic of the old mans 850 if they were the original bars or otherwise?

The answer is - it depends.. Looks like a roadster so - probably not...

98tls

22nd July 2010, 19:34

The answer is - it depends.. Looks like a roadster so - probably not...

Ta P............

T.W.R

22nd July 2010, 20:09

Here's a couple of Nortons, the oldman's and a mates Commando 750s. Did plenty of miles on the back of the old one as a kid and the 750s :shutup: what a piece of :sick: spent more time broken than in use. towed it back to ChCh from littleriver once using a leather belt between two bikes :innocent:

The oldman's will be a bit of a mystery and hard to pick what it is :yes:

Paul in NZ

22nd July 2010, 20:15

Paul in NZ

22nd July 2010, 20:17

Ta P............

You are welcome - US spec would have kinda semi westerns and a UK version might have more of an A10 bend.... lower etc...

98tls

22nd July 2010, 20:20

Fwiw a bit of useless info from long ago,think i can remember the old man saying the SS started life leased out as a cop bike from a bike shop in Ch-Ch,when time was up it was taken back and sold on.

T.W.R

22nd July 2010, 20:28

Whats hard about a mid 50s ES2?

nothing's hard about an ES2 if that's what it is but it isn't an ES2

try again :yes:

98tls

22nd July 2010, 20:35

nothing's hard about an ES2 if that's what it is but it isn't an ES2

try again :yes:

Got me a little stumped B,is it late 50s ie 58ish?

T.W.R

22nd July 2010, 20:41

Got me a little stumped B,is it late 50s ie 58ish?

Ha you're on the money with the year.

But the comparison to a ES2 by Paul was a fair bit off the mark as there are plenty of differences if you had the two bikes beside eachother

It's a rather rare Norton of 350cc capacity with a unusual name along the lines of the ES2 but different letters & numbers :yes:

98tls

22nd July 2010, 20:44

Ha you're on the money with the year.

But the comparison to a ES2 by Paul was a fair bit off the mark as there are plenty of differences if you had the two bikes were beside eachother

It's a rather rare Norton of 350cc capacity with a unusual name along the lines of the ES2 but different letters & numbers :yes:

:angry:Bugger ya,was going to reply with the 350 if i got the year right.Motor looks more akin to the 600 in size.

T.W.R

22nd July 2010, 20:52

:angry:Bugger ya,was going to reply with the 350 if i got the year right.Motor looks more akin to the 600 in size.

:bleh:

It was a bloody nice bike to ride :yes:
As a young fella I spent many a hour cleaning it & polishing the engine casings for my pocket money.
The old bugger sold it and brought 2 CZ250 scramblers in bits, a B31 & a BSA Bushman to replace it :slap:

It's a M50 Norton or Model50 if you're being a perfectionist.

HenryDorsetCase

22nd July 2010, 21:06

You guys should check out your local book and magazine emporium. the latest issue of Classic Bike Guide is a "Norton Special" Cover is the Dreer Norton 961 tested by Al Cathcart. (It isn't the Dreer Norton any more I know). Plus lots of techy info and stuff. Also an excerpt from Peter Williams' biography.

Well worth the $12 or so. Particularly for someone whos always admired them but never owned a british bike. (till now.... and mine came from Thailand.......)

Voltaire

22nd July 2010, 21:15

Wall ? Novel idea ! Mine's still hangin from the ceiling ! (shamefull I know !)

Is that yellow thing what they call isolastics...?:innocent:

sinfull

22nd July 2010, 21:19

Is that yellow thing what they call isolastics...?:innocent:

Suspension !

98tls

22nd July 2010, 21:25

Is that yellow thing what they call isolastics...?:innocent:

An early Ohlins prototype.

98tls

22nd July 2010, 22:11

Suspension !

Have a gander at this mate,almost made my eyes leak.http://vimeo.com/11285536

T.W.R

22nd July 2010, 22:28

Gus Khan is the name you want wrapped up with Commandos :yes:

I'll dig out a really piece of eye candy tomorrow for yous

jellywrestler

22nd July 2010, 22:29

You forgot to mention the nice Shaggin' Wagon in the background. Too cool on many levels. I had one similar the girlie used to call it the Shaggin' Wagon too, I used to refer to it as 'The Fuck Truck' though

Paul in NZ

22nd July 2010, 23:01

Oh god! Bloody norton singles had all disappeared by he time I was riding them, I have books on them around here but lets try and remember, 16H was a horrid flathead (which I'd like to have btw) big4 was a 600 flattie, so if its a 350 with the funny oil tank - what, 57 or 58 or so before the singles got the featherbedwhich was um, model 50 perhaps so that leaves... 19S??

Fucked if I know...

I had this...

pete376403

22nd July 2010, 23:47

Have a gander at this mate,almost made my eyes leak.http://vimeo.com/11285536

Lucky old bugger! Can't see my kids doing that for me (even if they could find a Matchless G9)

Motu

22nd July 2010, 23:59

I think those 350 Norton's had a bore and stroke of 71 x 88....I wonder if Val Page was anywhere around at the time?

T.W.R

23rd July 2010, 09:59

here's a few beauties :yes:

1) Voted best Norton in Aus: peoples choice award
2) A Norvin
3) 69 fastback
4) 68 fastback

T.W.R

23rd July 2010, 10:06

A couple more with a twist

1) When Yamaha tried to save them in the late 70s
2) 64 Atlas with EFI & Turbo; built by a Air New Zealand Technician at the ChCh workshop
3) Kiwi built Manx replica. 250cc, 12:1 comp, 30hp @ crank, revs to 9k, and capable of in excess of 100mph

Taz

23rd July 2010, 11:12

Have a gander at this mate,almost made my eyes leak.http://vimeo.com/11285536

That was awesome. The dad looked so much younger when he returned from that ride.

nutjob

23rd July 2010, 16:12

Go the Pommie twins! This is my brothers 71 Commando cafe racer

98tls

24th July 2010, 17:50

Go the Pommie twins! This is my brothers 71 Commando cafe racer

You can tell your brother i am jealous,shes a beauty.Plenty of wonderful pics in this thread cheers for posting them up.

nutjob

24th July 2010, 18:24

You can tell your brother i am jealous,shes a beauty.Plenty of wonderful pics in this thread cheers for posting them up.

If actually you saw HIM you wouldn't be jealous :D Yeah he has done a really nice job with it - I liked it so much I kinda modelled my Thruxton on it :niceone: 213916

98tls

24th July 2010, 18:31

If you saw him you wouldn't be jealous :D Yeah he has done a really nice job with it - I liked it so much I kinda modelled my Thruxton on it 213916

Nice work indeed,love it.Great to see someone else that loves to tinker.Ive long been cursed with an old TL1000 that refuses any attempts made by me to be rid of it so i just keep spending utterly ridiculous amounts of money on the thing.Love that Thruxton.

98tls

24th July 2010, 19:13

Re your pm nj heres a pic of those rims,:shit:heres me bastardizing a thread on old Nortons with pics of an oldish Jappa:shit:just as well its my thread to bastardize eh.:shifty:

nutjob

24th July 2010, 19:37

Re your pm nj heres a pic of those rims,:shit:heres me bastardizing a thread on old Nortons with pics of an oldish Jappa:shit:just as well its my thread to bastardize eh.:shifty:

Too right! It's your thread to do as you want :D And those rims are farkin awesome - I think I just dribbled on my keyboard :p

98tls

24th July 2010, 19:47

Too right! It's your thread to do as you want :D And those rims are farkin awesome - I think I just dribbled on my keyboard :p

Mate the shit i had to put up with to be allowed to buy em,i sometimes wonder if it was worth it,still got about 6 months of luxing/hanging out the washing duties to go yet,i even cleaned the shitter once:shit::shit:(yea i know but hey gotta do what you gotta do).