Sent by Reece, a nice collection of vintage Norton oil tanks. From left to right he suggests:
- 1924-25 Model 18; it has a left hand side 'V'-shaped filler neck.
- 1927 M18; right hand cranked neck
- 1928 M18 etc.; typical half round shape
- 1929-30 models full tank
- 1929-30 half tank to suit a dynamo set with battery box
...and Simon's ideas about this:
"I agree the extreme left hand one is 1924-25 but I think it was also used on a very few 1923 machines equipped with a separate oil tank (mainly for sporting purposes).
Number two in the rank is either 1926 or 1927. It is incorrect that the 1926 tanks all had a filler on the left. Some did, but in the main these were racing or pseudo racing machines.
Number three - I agree: 1928.
Number four - the full tank - the version shown is, I suggest 1929. The 1930 full tank, in my experience, had a neck much more like that on the half tank (number five).
Number five - half tank - I think this is a 1930 tank and believe it was primarily used on the Model 20. 1929 and 1930 Model 18s and the like, when fitted with a magdyno, had a battery carrier on the front down tube."