Another 1928 M18, found on Photobucket. Both the round oiltank and engine number indicate that it is a 1928 model; as it uses the MkIV B&L oilpump, driven from the inlet cam and without the external oil lines it must have been built late in the 1928 season (compare this M18 to the early-1928 model in the previous blog).
It looks like a bike that may have been raced. The luggage rack was replaced by sporty looking flat strips to hold the rear mudguard.The petroltank may have been fitted to carry more petrol; or it may have been fitted in an attempt to give the bike a more modern appearance. Look carefully and you'll see it has the flat tank frame. I've seen saddletanks fitted to flat tank models before but this one looks much younger than the rest of the bike; very nicely made but it seems to employ the 'modern' type of fuel cap. The magdyno and headlight look a bit out of place. The overall condition is brilliant, let's hope it stays like this.
Follow this link and this link for slideshows on this Norton. (Thanks Martin!)
