How can one can tell 1927/28/29 CS1 from each other, the simple answer is 'with difficulty!' As far as I know no changes were recorded in the write-up of the show models but that does not mean they did not occur, especially internally! For instance the rocker arms were made thicker at some stage, the lower splined end of the vertical shaft was altered and - almost sure - the length of the vertical shaft changed too. Probably there were some detail changes in the finish. Cheers, Simon.
Update on 05 december 2009 when I was contacted by the owner:
Hi, I am the owner of this 1928 CS1 - registration TJ 22. The registration was it's original, dating from 1928 and was a Johannesburg number. I knew the bike from 1973 and always coveted it. The previous owner passed away as quite a young man and the bike was left to his 10 year-old son. It had failed on one of our major rallies and the son, with no mechanical knowledge, did not have the capability or training to fix it. It languished in their garage for 12 years when, in 2000, the widow contacted me and offered the partly stripped bike - which I grabbed! I had to sell a 300cc OK Supreme, fully restored, to buy the Norton but was convinced it was the right thing to do! I completely stripped it and refurbished all aspects and rode it in the Durban to Johannesburg rally the following year. It has completed a great many such rallies here in South Africa and is used frequently. It is officially dated by our Southern African Veteran & Vintage Association as 1928. Many of the castings have 1927 stamped or moulded internally. Regards, Tony.
