Norton Model 17C tank paintwork

-SG- A couple of years back I came across a replica Big Four tank at the VMCC Founder's Day event and eventually this was purchased by Juris for his ex-Russian Army 1927 Model 17C project.  He's now had it painted over here by Stuart and photos of it are attached. Looks pretty good to me! Anyone interested in getting such work done can contact Stuart direct on crumpstar@crump.co.uk.

c1926 Model 17C

-JdK- Contributed by Olav; this could be a 1926 Model 17C (as it has a drum rear brake).

1921 Model 17C

-SG- In our recent posting about the 17C we showed a photo of David's restored 1921 Model. Pleased to say, he has now sent us a couple more (above) including the Bonhams Catalogue illustration from 2012, showing what the rusted remains looked like when purchased.

Judging by the evidence, the bike was obviously 'updated' at some period in the twenties as one can see a steering damper, short sporty handlebars, later saddle and, of all things, the back plate for a George Dance knee grip! David was fortunate in that, the same weekend that he bought the bike, he managed to get a suitable rear wheel. Whether the  four spring Druids now on the bike were original or whether it started life with the rather lighter weight forks  - see printing block illustration and Leon's partially restored 17C in Australia (photo below) - it is impossible to say.

The completed machine is a credit to David's perseverance. He has retained the steering damper and as found handlebars - and in the interests of actually stopping when necessary has fitted a front hub from a Triumph Tiger Cub. He reports that it runs excellently and completed the VMCC Banbury Run with no problems.

The Model 17C Norton

A Model 17C

-SG- Early Norton literature does not mention the 17C until 1921 at which point the regular Model 16 became the 16H (H for Home market) and the 17C came into the range, being intended for the Colonial market. The recent printing block images show the 17C and it is clearly quite different to the 16H, having a tank akin to that of the Big Four (Model 1). In addition, it had increased ground clearance to make it more suitable for the rudimentary roads in many of Britain's colonies in the twenties. It did not however sell that well and entries for it in the records are few and far between. A basket case SV machine in a very rough condition and incomplete, from the early twenties, was sold by Bonhams a couple of years back and this has been re-built from stem to stern (photo below). It is considered to be a 17C, although one 'Doubting Thomas' of my acquaintance made the rather grudging comment that a 17C was only a factory-assembled 'Bitza' - a Big Four with a 16H engine! Incidentally the frame and engine numbers of this particular bike pre-date the records.

In point of fact, my friend made a very valid remark. The Big Four is catalogued as having 6" (15cm) ground clearance - the same as the 17C - and such essentials as tank, forks, gearbox and wheels all show in the parts lists of the early twenties as being the same on both of these models. However, it seems that the 17C frame differed in some small way to that of the Big Four until 1926, at which point the spares lists shows the same frame for both models. The main differences appear to have been in the mudguards, footrests (the 17C had footrests and the Big Four footboards) chain guards, and of course, the engine capacity.

There was, however, one massive order for the 17C model in 1927 when no less than 160 machines were supplied to the Soviet Trade Delegation for use by the Soviet Army. These were delivered in two lots in May and July 1927. They were fitted with B and B carburettors, 26 x 3 tyres and Druid forks of the type used on the Big Four. The 'Extras Column' for these machines in the records shows that they were all equipped with various non-standard bits and pieces - to whit: "Terry Saddle: Footboards (I assume like the Big Four): Front and Rear Powell and Hanmer Acetylene Lights and Generator: Bulb Horn: Tyre Repair Kit: Spring Link and Cranked Link: Valve Lifter (I assume this was a description for a valve spring compressor,as the 16H engines were fitted with a valve lifter as standard)."

I have never seen a notice of this large order in any of the periodicals current at the time. Neither have I seen it mentioned in any of the various Norton histories, although that is perhaps not surprising as, dare I say it, most of the authors thereof are not, or were not, specific Norton enthusiasts but just jobbing journalists. I suppose it is a possibility that the Norton management felt it was better not to publicise it as memories of the 1917 Revolution and murder of the Czar and his family might have been too fresh in the minds of the general motorcycling public. What is intriguing too, is that, shipped at about the same time, also to the Soviet Trade Delegation, was a solitary Model 25. Perhaps this was a 'sweetener' for the Soviet official responsible for negotiating and placing the 17C order! It is beyond the realms of probability that the Model 25 has survived but, perhaps not so surprising, in view of the numbers involved, that at least two of the Army 17Cs have. One - incomplete - is now back in UK and the other is owned by Juris in Latvia, who was responsible for finding both machines. This too is incomplete in that it is missing a fuel tank so if anyone who reads this has  a 1926/7 Big Four tank spare, Juris would be very pleased to hear from you!

Finally I am very grateful to Juris for the scan above dating from 1929, actually showing a worthy Soviet soldier with one of these machines ... all in all a small but important part of Norton history.

A Model 17C
Note it has been fitted with an internal expanding front brake
 in place of the original (dodgy!) bicycle type.

Blocks from down under ... 1921/22 Norton Models

-SG- 'Down under' as we say in the UK rather sweepingly to describe Australasia, many houses and commercial properties were - and for that matter still are - built of wood, on substantial wooden piles.  There are various reasons for this which no doubt informed residents of New Zealand and Australia could expound on but perhaps this would be of only passing interest to site visitors! However, a result of this trend is that there is often a large space beneath the ground floor which is an admirable place to store things which are too good to chuck out but no longer needed for day-to-day activities. Needless to say, complete bikes have been resurrected from below-floor storage areas and indeed, a friend of mine in Auckland has an ex-John Hempleman head on his early sixties Manx Norton which came from just such a resting place.

Peter Thompson (Thompson's Motor Cycle Museum, Palmerston North) is well known in the area but it came as a pleasant surprise when he was given some early twenties printing blocks depicting most of the Norton range of 1921 or 1922, by a builder who was working on a local commercial property. At one stage, this had apparently housed a printing firm but this had long since been replaced by other tenants. And the blocks - they were found, with a lot of other miscellaneous stuff, below the floor! Many thanks to Peter for the resultant images attached.

c1921 Model 17C Norton

Sold at Bonhams for £5,175 inc. premium.