IOM documentary 1973

[Big T]

Here's one for Paul and other Norton fans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-SOXVVdIZ4

Warning ! 49 minutes, time kill

 

[850 Combat]

Yes, Thr Norton Monoque was the fastest in F750. Perter Willams on board, as I recall. I think he designed it too. That motor was designed by Bert Hopwood, and introduced in 1947 or 1949, and basically received boring bar engineering until the end in 1975. Best vertical twin of its kind, in my opinion. Thanks for the link. Gee, those Japanese two strokes nearly ran with it.

 

[Big T]

I like the part where he's muttering about the transmission "only a few thou off on the shafts"

It's like no one in Britain saw a new machine tool or micrometer since WW2

It'll be a great bike once we get the new transmission and the new motor

I think Norton's still saying that today!

 

[850 Combat]

AMC liked to give the shareholders money rather than invest in product and plant. A Commando was none the less a fun bike. That AMC gearbox shifts super well, but it was designed for a 20 hp single, and has trouble with much over twice that. The motor was from the forties. still, there were Kawasakis and Suzukis in that race too, they just didn't go as fast. The 110 mph average stood as a record for a while I think. That fairing was super aerodynamic and allowed the weak motor to make decent speed. If you look, it is quite different than other contemporary fairings. The Monocoque aluminum frame was light, strong, and compact. Those bikes handled and turned well, and were able out perform more modern machines with better engines and transmissions through innovative engineering and not much money. It was a credible effort with a good result at the IOM.

I think Peter Williams got hurt real bad on it at some point. He is still around I think. I recently read an interview with him in the Norton News.

I ran that Mexican Road race on mine in '87. half the bikes that averaged over 100 mph were Nortons, including the winner. All these Ducati guys thought that they had it in the bag with their F1 Montuich, Hailwood Replicas, and F1 Laguna Secas that were brand new. Except for mine, all The Commandos in that race beat all the bevel drive Ducatis in that race. Same year, Fred Eiker won the local Heaveyweight Twins championship on the same Commando he won the La Carrera race on. That was all Ducatis and Guzzis.

Nortons were very quick and good handling in their day.

Fred Eiker tied a record at Bonneville on this Norton of 155 mph im 2010.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/...lth Caffrey Norton/FredatBonneville201050.jpg

 

[Big T]

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/1973-John-Player-Norton-Monocoque.aspx

 

[850 Combat]

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=13775

This is the Cosworth motor that they should have had. It did win the Daytona twins race in '88. The thing in this article isn't really true. Norton wasn't failing in '73. They weren't rich, but the bikes were selling. The strike at Meriden which had something to do with relocating the production of triples, brought down Norton. Then the government gave the strikers money to make Bonnevilles there. The Cosworth was a two main bearing motor, which it should not have been, but they had lots of potential.

Knowing the history of Cosworth, and the Lotus connection, and the history of Norton, and having owned at least one Norton continuously since 1974, and having owned at least one Lotus (with cosworth built motor) continuously since 1987, I tend to like anything Norton, Lotus, or Cosworth.

I can loan you Bert Hopwood's book "Whatever Happened to the British Motorcycle Industry" if you like. He designed the Norton twin, and the A50/A65 series of BSA twins, among other things. (he wanted the A65 to have a bearing on the timing side of the crank instead of a bushing, but the bean counters wouldn't let him). Hopwood interned under Edward Turner at Triumph and Ariel as I recall. He didn't say much good about Ed Turner in the book.

Fred Eiker used a JPS fairing on his 850 Commando that beat all the Ducatis and eccetererini in ARRA twins, and La Carerra. He told me it would pull 140 mph on the long straights. He averaged 117 as I recall from San Filepe to Ensenada with that fairing. That was around 10 mph faster than any Ducati in the race averaged.

Even though La Carerra was a race for twins and triples, they did let a Honda CB750R in. It was beautiful. I don't know why it DNFed, but I was happy to see it at the side of the road when I went by on my Commando. Same with the Rennsport Guzzi.

Norton Monoque with the hood up. Yamaha invented the aluminum perimeter frame some twenty plus years later.

It looks cool with that antique motor and trans sticking out.

 

[bluewool]

That was great. Thanks for the link Big T - and Combat. for the addition to my reading list.
I wonder if the director is the same Paul Watson I am familiar with, if so it is great to see some of his early work.