Wiki norton motorcycle

Mr Norton had stated that he expected three post-war models, the 3. It was also stated that he had been experimenting with aluminium pistons, and that Norton had produced a book of driving hints which also contained details of their Military and Empire models. In May , Norton stated in one of their adverts [23] that 'The ministry are taking the whole of our present output, but we have a waiting list'; this advert also uses the "Unapproachable Norton" phrase.

Norton resumed deliveries of civilian motorcycles in April with models aimed at motorcyclists who enjoyed the reliability and performance offered by long-stroke single-cylinder engines with separate gearboxes. Norton also resumed racing and in the Isle of Man Senior TT was the first win with a race average speed over 60 mph, rider Alec Bennett.

Norton won this event ten times until they withdrew from racing in Norton died in aged only 56, but he saw his motorcycles win the Senior and sidecar TTs in , [25] specifically with the cc Model 18, Norton's first overhead valve single.

Until Norton bought Sturmey-Archer gearboxes and clutches. When Sturmey discontinued production Norton bought the design rights and had them made by Burman , a manufacturer of proprietary gearboxes. Norton started making military motorcycles again in after a tender process in where a modified Norton 16H beat contenders. From in to in , Norton was ahead of the competition as war loomed, and there was good reason in terms of spares and maintenance for the military to keep to the same model.

Between and nearly a quarter over , of all British military motorcycles were Nortons, basically the WD 16H solo and WD Big Four outfit with driven sidecar wheel. After the Second World War, Norton reverted to civilian motorcycle production, gradually increasing its range. A major addition in was the twin cylinder Model 7, known as the Norton Dominator , a pushrod cc twin-cylinder machine designed by Bert Hopwood. Its chassis was derived from the ES2 single, with telescopic front and plunger rear suspension, and an updated version of the gearbox known as the "lay-down" box.

More shapely mudguards and tanks completed the more modern styling to Nortons new premium model twin. In the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season , the first year of the world championship, Norton made only fifth place and AJS won. Very quickly the featherbed frame, a design that allowed the construction of a motorcycle with good mass-stiffness distribution, [28] became a benchmark by which all other frames were judged. Motorcycle designers still use this method to fine-tune motorcycle handling.

In the Norton Dominator was made available to export markets as the Model 88 with the Featherbed frame. Later, as production of this frame increased, it became a regular production model, and was made in variants for other models, including the OHV single-cylinder machines.

Manx Nortons also played a significant role in the development of post war car racing. At the end of , the English national cc regulations were adopted as the new Formula 3. The JAP Speedway engine had dominated the category initially but the Manx was capable of producing significantly more power and became the engine of choice. Many complete motorcycles were bought in order to strip the engine for cc car racing, as Norton would not sell separate engines.

The racing successes were transferred to the street through cafe racers , some of which would use the featherbed 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 featherbed frame. Despite, or perhaps because of, the racing successes Norton was in financial difficulty. Reynolds could not make many of the highly desired Featherbed frames and customers lost interest in buying machines with the older frames.

Again, the major changes were for improved gear selection. In September a cc Dominator 99 was launched. The to Long Stroke Manx Norton was It used a dry sump cc single-cylinder motor, with two valves operated by bevel drive, shaft driven twin overhead camshafts.

Compression ratio was It had an Amal GP carburettor, and a Lucas racing magneto. In , a new version of the road-going Featherbed frame was developed in which the upper frame rails were bent inwards to reduce the width between the rider's knees for greater comfort.

The move was also to accommodate the shorter rider as the wide frame made it difficult to reach the ground. This frame is known as the "slimline" frame; the earlier frames then became known as the "wideline". The last Manx Nortons were sold in Even though Norton had pulled out of Grand Prix racing in , the race-shop at Bracebridge Street continued until , and the Manx became a mainstay of privateer racing, and even today are highly sought after, commanding high prices.

On 7 November the first new cc Norton Manxman was launched for the American market only. By 20 April for the American market as they demanded more power, [ clarification needed ] but the increases to the vertical twin engine's capacity caused a vibration problem at rpm. A cc vertical twin is smoother than a single-cylinder, but if the vertical twin's capacity is enlarged vibration increases. The Norton Atlas proved too expensive and costs could not be reduced. Financial problems gathered.

This bike was reputed to vibrate less than the Featherbed frame model. AMC singles were also sold with Norton badging in this era. Also during this period Norton developed a family of three similar smaller-capacity twin cylinder machines: first the Norton Jubilee and then the Navigator and the Electra , which had an electric starter. These models were Norton's first use of unit construction.

The engine was an entirely new design by Bert Hopwood and the frame and running gear were from the Francis-Barnett range, also owned by AMC. These machines had a reputation for poor reliability. By the late s, competition from Japanese manufacturers and a rapidly declining home market [ citation needed ] had driven the whole British motorcycle industry into decline. The Norton Atlas was noted for its vibration. Rather than change engines Norton decided to change the frame, and the isolastic-framed Norton Commando was the result.

In the Commando prototype was shown at the Earls Court Show in November, and introduced as a production model for Its styling, innovative isolastic frame and powerful engine made it an appealing package. The Commando easily outperformed contemporary Triumph and BSA twins and was the most powerful and best-handling British motorcycle of its day.

The isolastic frame made it much smoother than the Atlas. It used rubber bushings to isolate the engine and swing arm from the frame, forks, and rider.

However, as the steel-shims incorporated in the Isolastic bearings wore, often from rusting, the bike became prone to poor handling: fishtailing in high-speed turns. The "Combat" engine was released in January with a twin roller bearing crank, compression and developing 65 bhp 48 kW at 6, rpm. Reliability immediately suffered, with frequent and early crank-shaft main-bearing failures, sometimes leading to broken crankshafts.

Older engines had used one ball-bearing main bearing and one roller bearing main bearing but the Combat engine featured two roller bearings in a mistaken belief that this would strengthen the bottom-end to cope with the higher power-output. Instead the resultant crank-bending caused the rollers to "dig-in" to the races, causing rapid failure.

This fragility was particularly obvious when measured against the reliability of contemporary Japanese machines. This was superseded by a standard high capacity roller bearing early in The Commando was offered in several different styles: the standard street model, a pseudo-scrambler with upswept pipes and the Interstate, packaged as a tourer.

Electric start was introduced on the Mark III in Sales were respectable but the company declined financially and became insolvent in In BSA was also in financial trouble. In April an 8. These, featuring slightly barrel-shaped rollers, had been introduced on late model cc engines to cure the Combat engine's problems of crank-flex and the consequent digging-in to the bearing-surface of the initial cylindrical bearing rollers.

This model produced 51 bhp 38 kW at 6, rpm but the stated power does not give a true picture of the engine performance because increased torque seemed to make up for the reduced horsepower. Rationalisation of the factory sites to Wolverhampton and Birmingham BSA's Small Heath site caused industrial disputes at Triumph's Coventry site; Triumph would go on as a workers cooperative alone.

In the range was down to just two models: the Mark 3 Interstate and the Roadster, but then the UK 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 models still made was ended and supplies dwindled. However, as the Norton Villiers Triumph company was again in serious financial problems, development of the 'Wulf' was dropped in favour of the rotary Wankel type engine inherited from BSA. In the s the company went through several incarnations, mainly because the name was popular and now owned by several parties. MidWest acquired the rights for light aviation use and at Staverton Airport the MidWest AE series was an aero engine developed from the twin-rotor engine.

The brand was relaunched on an ambitious scale in Shenstone near Lichfield in The new models succeeded in racing, winning the Senior TT in , but they moved rather more slowly in the commercial market. The company had some success making the Wankel -engined Interpol 2 motorcycle for civilian and military police forces and the RAC.

This led to a civilian model in called the Classic. Subsequent Norton Wankels were water-cooled. The Commander was launched in and was followed by the Spondon-framed F1.

This model was a de-tuned replica of Norton's RCW factory racing machines which won many short distance races, but had many reliability issues requiring frequent servicing; i. The year saw a new team brought in to replace Brian Crighton's team, to try to improve the model and reduce some of its reliability issues.

The team, headed by ex Honda-team manager Barry Symmons, Honda engineer Chris Mehew and chassis specialist Ron Williams, were tasked with producing a chassis that could be produced cheaply and an engine which would have a long term reliability. However, in spite of many innovative solutions from Chris Mehew, the team's efforts to improve the reliability of the engine could not succeed to a commercially saleable level. Blair commented that the Japanese had abandoned development of the motorcycle variant of the Wankel engine on two main counts: 1.

As the team had realised, there was just too much heat to be confined in a motorcycle chassis. The pollution created by the engine burning both oil for lubrication and fuel for power was too great to meet the impending pollution regulations without a large and expensive exhaust scrubbing system.

In his TV Series on British industry, Sir John Harvey-Jones commented that the company was governed more by heart than head and the racing team were the only ones worth saving. The F1 was succeeded by the restyled and slightly less expensive F1 Sport.

Chief Executive Phillippe LeRoux attempted to diversify the company to a group with interests in property and leisure, [37] meanwhile supply of Norton Classic was being delayed by supply problems with petrol tanks and headlight shells. At this point the Department of Trade and Industry started to investigate improprieties in the investments of financier Philippe LeRoux and his associates [38] following which LeRoux resigned his position as Chief Executive.

McDonald sold the company to the Canadian company Wildrose Ventures in for around half a million pounds. This proved controversial as the museums had assumed the loans had been made on a permanent basis, and former Chief Executive David MacDonald stated "Without doubt anything which existed before does not belong to the present company. The assets were simply not transferred" [43] [44]. Wildrose Ventures was ordered by the Alberta Stock Exchange to cease trading.

The Skalbania connection was reported as being severed by July of that year [45]. By the service side of the Shenstone site was closed and transferred to a small factory at Rugeley , Staffordshire. The focus of manufacture was moved to the manufacture of components for light aircraft engines based on the rotary design.

In a group of former Norton employees were reported to have built nine F1 Sport models from existing stocks of parts. During the late s, Kenny Dreer of Oregon , US evolved from restoring and upgrading Commandos to producing whole machines.

He modernised the design and in the early s intended to produce the Commando , but then suspended operations in April Garner established a new 15, sq ft 1, m 2 Norton factory at Donington Park to develop the Dreer-based machine. The new operation at Donington Park began limited production of a motorcycle based on the Kenny Dreer Commando. The new motorcycle only shared the outline of the Dreer bike; all aspects of the motorcycle were re-designed in order to move into production.

An updated and revised version of the rotary machine first produced in the s is also being developed. The company logo was altered by "doing away with the double crossing of the 't ' " , in use since , thereby "honouring the very first configuration of the identity, designed by [James] Norton and his daughter. Garner responded that this finance would allow Norton to double annual production from to 1, machines. The company went into administration in January This office and engineering facility is situated behind Donington Hall in a modern building complex, known as Hastings House.

The Donington Hall site includes 26 country acres surrounded by parkland and ancient deer park. Norton Motorcycles purchased Donington Hall formerly the headquarters of British Midland International from British Airways for an undisclosed sum, and will vacate the current Norton factory at Donington Park, which has about 40 employees.

Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between and A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to cc four-stroke twins. Matchless had a long history of racing success; a Matchless ridden by Charlie Collier won the first single-cylinder race in the first Isle of Man TT in Norton's were considered 'behind the times', still using belt drive by the dawn of the First World War but improved their technology soon after with a clutch, gearbox and chain drive.

In 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 road racing with highly tuned single cylinder engines under the Race Shop supremo Joe Craig. Norton had considerable success in racing including taking nine places in the top fourteen in the first Manx TT in although none of those nine places garnered a win.

Norton also boasted wins at Brooklands and many other races in Europe. Postwar a cc twin cylinder model called the Norton Dominator or Model 7 was added to the range for , and this evolved into the s through cc, to cc, to cc, to cc and to cc models with the Dominator, , Norton Atlas and Norton Commando , all highly regarded road motorcycles of their time. Norton had introduced their first parallel twin during with the introduction of the Model 7 Dominator cc.

This was joined in by a "featherbed" framed version typed the Model 88 which utilized the same cc twin cylinder overhead valve engine housed in Norton's race proven chassis. Early models featured a deeply valanced sprung front mudguard which did little for the models looks and was replaced by an altogether more attractive blade type mudguard in For the twin gained an alloy cylinder head and adopted an Amal Monobloc carburetor and for the battery was enclosed and the instrument location was revised, however of more significance was the introduction of the Model 99 cc twin.

Demands for a Norton twin with increased performance had been growing following the introduction of the Triumph Thunderbird and Tiger and the BSA A10 series machines which had left the Norton at a disadvantage. The new machine utilized the 88's cycle parts housing a revised engine with a swept volume of cc resulting from dimensions of 62 x 82 mm.

Regarded by many as being one of the finest motorcycles of the decade, the 99 was endowed with the best handling in its class although it did not have the outright performance of the Triumph. Norton was bought by motorcycle giant Associated Motor Cycles AJS, Matchless, James and Francis-Barnett in after it was evident that the company couldn't financially survive despite the success of the featherbed frame used in racing bikes as well as the Dominator in This take-over was not welcomed news to Norton aficionados.