Tuesday 16 June 2020

c1927 Model 16H Norton


-SG- Our good friend Viktor has just sent the slightly edited message below - good to hear the bike's owner is not planning a major restoration. I don't have access at present to the despatch records to double check but it looks to date from late '27 or early '28.

"Today I visited my friend Paul (who is involved in a 17C project).  There was a big surprise waiting for me - he has bought an almost complete 16H project. Minor changes in its life are that the ignition system is now via a magdyno of French origin, mounted on a bracket for an ML magneto. The headlight is missing and the carburettor has been replaced by a Jikov type as used on some more recent Jawa models.  An interesting design is the fuel filler neck and filler cap - it seems from the intact painting that it is an original design with a thread. (My view is that the original Best  and Lloyd cap and neck have been replaced at some stage!! SG)

Paul is very happy with his new acquisition and intends to keep the machine in authentic condition. The machine will be disassembled and cleaned. The mudguards will have dents etc removed and and be sensitively repainted."

Martin has looked more carefully than I did at Viktor's photos and has sent us the message below.

"Hi guys, just a comment re the new discovery 16H which Viktor reports.  I agree with Simon: the petrol cap is a replacement, possibly off a farm implement, but definitely it didn't leave Norton's factory like that.  

And surely the barrel isn't 16H either, as the finning is all wrong, and it has a strange boss on the lower rear face of the cylinder with a large plug blocking a presumably threaded hole.  I have a similar 79mm bore sidevalve barrel which looks like this one and is definitely not Norton. I had suspected it was Raleigh but no-one has yet come up with a proper identification."