Friday 19 February 2010

Martin's 1921 Model 9 Norton



Another email from Martin in Scotland:

"I've always wanted a belt drive Norton since reading about them in Titch Allen's First Vintage Roadtest Journal in the 1970s. Despite restoring and riding many belt drivers since then, owning one was something I never thought possible until I came across some very rusty and damaged remains of a 1921 Model 9 in Australia in the mid 1990s. It's taken me 'till now to get the bits together for it, by which time my health is not so good and I may not be able to do justice to it once its a runner. However I decided early on to use a 20 inch belt rim which affords a lower gearing than originally used, so it should be more tractable at low speeds at the expense of top speed, so as they say, you never know till you try...

...and as this Model 9 is obviously a basket case, my pic shows the basket too!!

Cheers,
Martin"