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-SG- I recently bought a second hand motorcycle book from a helpful chap in Dunedin (New Zealand) and it arrived this morning. Imagine my perhaps childish pleasure when I found that several of the postage stamps depicted motorcycles and one in particular showed a 1927 CS1!
-SG- Back in April 2018 we had a brief posting about Don Morley's vintage CS1 - which he had said, slightly optimistically in my view, he thought was Stanley Woods' 1927 TT machine. He no longer had the machine at the time and was thus unable to provide useful detail like engine and frame numbers.
However, many thanks are due to Martin, who has recently done a bit of research for me into the bike's apparent registration number JO 8834. And what did he find? That this number was first allocated by Oxford County Council, on 24th April 1934, to a Mr J C Bowman living in Downham Market. And the machine it related to is shown as a Model 30 Norton International. So quite how JO 8834 finished up on a standard looking Moore CS1 is anyone's guess! A scan is attached of the entry in the Oxford records.
-SG- Posters were widely used by all businesses pre-war and Nortons were no exception. The Spring/Denly Hundred in the Hour achievement at Montlhery in June 1927 was just the sort of event for publicity of this type and Adam has recently sent me a photo of one of the posters issued - probably to Norton dealers throughout the country. Thanks!
-SG- James Robinson, editor of The Classic Motorcycle, is, I suspect, much more of a user than some of his predecessors. And recently added to his stable is Brian Johnson's Model 18, as Brian is unfortunately no longer able to ride. Here's a recent print of it in use in Ireland (Dun Urlann, Graigue).
-JdK- Andrew in the UK recently bought himself a 1927/28 Model 18 Norton and spent the evening giving it a good clean with paraffin and it is coming up very well.
Simon had a look at the despatch book records and the situation is basically that the bike started off with engine number 33xxx and frame 26xxx. It was despatched in March 1927 to a dealer called Ingle in Ripley and he delivered it to his customer Mr E Lomas of Sheffield on 25/3/27. It was fitted with a magdyno and the throttle/air control were of the type which opens inwards - usual fitment for Nortons at the time was for these levers to open outwards. The engine now in it 39xxx was originally fitted to a 1928 Model 18 with frame number 32xxx. It was despatched in April 1928 but the dealer's/customer's names are illegible.
Andrew thinks it has been used in competition due to things he have found and parts he collected with it. Some examples below:-
The bike was purchased on 21 March 1966 by Harry William Swingler, Manor House, Stathern, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. It then passed to his son Julian in 2/10/2008 who never had it running and has now died. Andrew bought it from the estate.
It would be great if more information might be gained of its history, please contact us when you know this bike.
-SG- Recently heard from Gilbert in Belgium who bought Reece's 1927 Model 18 basket case back in 2013. Glad to say the restored bike looks in good order and a worthy stable companion for Gilbert's unrestored 1924 Big Four.
Gilbert also tells us that he has had some oil pipe banjo unions made as well as sets of pre-'26 pushrod fittings (tubes not included). These are illustrated and are priced at Euros 40 for the banjo sets and Euros 50 for the pushrod fittings. Anyone interested can contact Gilbert direct at motogg13@yahoo.fr
-SG- The very first ES2s listed in the despatch records are shown as ESIIs and they include one despatched to H Matthews with engine 35580, who rode it in the 1927 Amateur. He was, I believe, involved in a collision with another rider and retired. His machine was restored by the late Wilf Green - see our earlier posting of 18 Nov 2009 - and over thirty years ago was sold to Arthur Skinner of Buntingford, with whom I was on good terms. Arthur died a couple of years back in his mid-nineties and the ESII now has a new owner. For reasons which are not clear the bike had been partly dismantled and the new owner tells me that the cast alloy primary chain case is missing and so is the gear-change assembly for the LS Sturmey Archer gear-box. If anyone can help with the supply of these items, please contact Derek direct at derek_fox@btinternet.com
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-SG- After forty years in pieces this 1927 Model 18 is back together and up and running. It seems the original engine had disappeared (perhaps irreparably damaged in a 'blow up') and for a while, a 1930 16H unit was pressed into service. This, in turn, was later modified by changes to the tappet guides etc. so that a pre-30 head and barrel could be fitted with, of course, open push rods and valve gear. I note from the short video I was sent that the rockers used are pre-25 but in cases of necessity, one uses what one can get!
Included are photos of unrestored/original features such as the front and rear brakes (no plating), the gearbox mounting with original nuts and adjuster, the engine timing side with modifications to make it OHV, and the Andre steering damper with much lightened anchor stay.
-JdK- Another pic via Barry; Clement again on a flattank Norton with added frame rails. The engine could be the Model 25 bottom end with a later barrel and head.
-JdK- Contributed by Barry, a photo that once belonged to Joe Craig. On the back it states "Garreau, Paris". The Norton is a Model 25, the rider is Clement Garreau and this Norton featured on the site before. Clement didn't like the flexible Norton frames, hence the extra framerails below the engine. Further note the 8" Enfield hub and what seems to be a rev-counter.
-JdK- Malte has a Model 18 SOLD; contact us when interested. The words below are his.
"Correct numbers for frame and engine as confirmed in the factory records. Also the correct Sturmey Archer CS gearbox with the correct number as confirmed in the factory records. The CS gearbox is close ratio, having a CR stamping on top of the gearbox shell. The engine number is also stamped on the cylinder flange.
Dispatched on the 3rd of March 1927 to dealers “Crow Brothers” in Surrey, UK. A rare, two letter/3 digit registration number as currently fitted to the Model 18 has been retained on the V5 accompanying the bike.
The Model 18 is very complete and in good unmolested condition. The bike has to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated, but it is remarkably solid. No threads are chewed, only light surface rust in places, no excessive play in the front fork, the Enfield rear brake and front brake are complete and functioning.
Engine and gearbox will need to be taken apart and gone over, but are in good condition. Cams/camwheels/camfollowers in very good condition, no teeth are chipped. Engine turns over smoothly. Gearbox feels tight. Sturmey Archer clutch is complete and in good condition.
Lots of new parts purchased, missing only piston and Best & Lloyd oil pump cover. With competent hands, this Norton flat tanker will be up and running again with little effort."
-JdK- This Norton was sold a while back by Bonhams as a project. It's a matching number machine, despatched to dealer O'Donovan in May 1927, and has now been rebuilt, fortunately conserving also the bits that may not be entirely original, and it looks great!
The current owner Jan in his quest for speed has been working on the valve timing and when opening the timing chest we found that the cams look different compared to standard Norton cams. They look wider than the standard W7 but have a different shape than the racing IT/TTG/1.25 cams; note that they are not symmetrical. These cams will open the valves very quickly and close them gently. Please let us know when you've seen cams like this before.
