Mystery Norton part 2

A few blogs ago we discussed Rob's recent purchase, a Norton that had a few surprising features such as a two-stay frame combined with an Enfield rear hub and a 500cc Carroll cammy engine that seems to have an additional oil return line from the cambox fitted. Untill now no-one could shed light on it's history but Rob himself found a picture of a bike that shares some of the features. The pic comes from the 1930 issue of The Motorcycle. Though there are many differences, frame, tanks and the engine look remarkably similar.

Interestingly, the photo depicts the works bike on which Stanley Woods had won the 1930 Ulster Grand Prix. To be used on the road it had been kitted with outdated gaslights, which were probably easier to fit than a magdyno in place of the racing magneto. Arthur Bourne, better known as "Torrens", in his function as the editor of The Motorcycle was then allowed to test the factory bike and promptly crashed it into a delivery van!

Not suggesting that Rob's bike is the actual bike on which Woods won the GP, it may have been built to the same specification; and looking at the condition of Rob's bike I would not be surprised if it also crashed into something heavy at one time!