Early Model 25 engine?

Another Norton that used to belong to Ko Konijn, and much more interesting than you may think at first glance.

Simon: "The crankcase is almost certainly Model 25 or Model 21 though there is a very slim chance it could be one of the earliest ES2s (before they were called ES2s) which had a two piece timing cover like the M25s. The timing cover now on the engine is actually Model 18/16H or whatever - you can see it does not meet the lower cover over the drysump oil pump housing. The Best and Lloyd pump is feeding the inlet union of the dry sump pump - but perhaps there was no actual pump in there and it was internally set up so that it fed the big end etc via the usual dry sump quill...Who knows!!"

Corey Miller

Corey Miller is a famous tattoo artist.

He is the owner of Six Feet Under tattoo shop, and currently on LA Ink as an ex-employee of Kat Von D's High Voltage Tattoo, and is working for Craig Jackman at American Electric.

Corey Miller's talent is friggin mind blowing. I love Tats, and I really love his artwork.

BTW. Corey rides a Custom. How fitting.

Van der Knoop's CS1 Norton

These pics were sent to me by Peter in the Netherlands; it's a Norton he has known for half a century. It used to belong to a chap called mr van der Knoop, an engineer who had his training in Germany and later ran a workshop in the Netherlands. Van der Knoop had his own ideas about what vehicles should look like; he chopped the roof off a Mercedes when he preferred to ride a convertible and replaced the straight-six petrol engine from his BMW car by a diesel engine to save fuel!

This Moore-engined CS1 is rather special too; the frame is a one-off, welded, without the use of lugs. Further, the engine has been seriously modified and most notably, it uses the drive side crankcase half of an early pushrod Model 18. The metal sleeve was required to fit the larger-diameter bearing as used in the CS1 engine. No coincidence either, the bike came with TWO engines modified in exactly the same way! Not sure whether van der Knoop or someone else made these modifications but the drawing at the beginning of this blog post came from van der Knoop's inheritance.

Peter acquired the Norton and parts in 1971, after van der Knoop had passed away. The Norton had already spent some decades in a garden then and suffered accordingly but Peter is confident it can all be fixed.

Marcel's 1934 M30 Norton

Sent by Marcel

This is Marcel's 1934 M30 International, another Norton that used to belong to Ko Konijn. Fresh paint was applied by Marcel, for the rest it had been properly rebuilt by Ko in the past. This was the first bike from Ko's collection that was started after decades in storage.

WTF I have NFC what this means.

Anybody have a clue?

Racing 1930 CS1 Nortons in Yorkshire

By Simon

I recently posted two photos of what might have been the same 1930 Racing Norton. One shows Jack Carr, successful MGP competitor and sand racer, and the other Frank Varey, well known Dirt Track rider.

The Varey photo also shows the registration number of WX5232 and I could not resist the temptation of finding out more information from West Yorkshire Archive Centre, where the original registration details and other relevant documents are held.

The photo copies just received show that WX5232 was registered on 28 August 1930 with Frank Varey as the first owner, the dealer – who reserved the number -  having been Alec Jackson of Keighley.  The papers do not show how long Frank retained the machine but by the late thirties, it had come south and numerous other owners in the Greater London area are shown in the Continuation Log Books and other documents held by the Centre. But after 1954, the ‘trail goes cold’ and I assume that perhaps the bike was scrapped or dismantled at around this time.

All of this seems to show that the machine on which Jack Carr is sitting is NOT the same one as WX5232 but another, albeit, identical bike, which he rode in the MGP in 1930 and 1931.

The WX5232 registration particulars gave engine and frame numbers and these in turn led me to the Despatch Records.  Here things seem to have gone awry and I can only assume that some clerical errors occurred in completing the records. The engine number for WX5232 is 49XXX and frame number 42XXX. But in the Despatch Records the machine with engine number 49XXX and the different frame 42YYY was shown as a TT spec. CS1 shipped to Belfast dealer Jimmy Shaw on 18 August 1930.  A further short search revealed that frame number 42XXX  belonged  to another TT spec. CS1 with the slightly earlier engine number 49ZZZ.  This bike is shown as having been despatched to Alec Jackson on 1 August 1930.  Also worth noting is that yet another TT spec. CS1 went to Alec Jackson on 28 August 1930 with engine number 49VVV and frame 42MMM. Exceptionally, no end user is shown for either of the Alec Jackson machines.

The Despatch Records ‘Extra Fittings’ column for these machines shows some interesting information which gives confirmation that ‘over the counter’ TT spec. machines with Carroll engines were sold in the Autumn of 1930 to those with the money to pay for them.  Here it is:

Front (tyre) 27 x 3, Rear (tyre) 3.25 x 27. (modern equivalents are 300 x 21 and 3.25 x 20).  Oil box for primary chain. TT specification.  Specially tuned engine.  ML Magneto (probably the Square ML as used on some of the 1930 Works bikes). Petroflex pipes. Thin rubber twistgrip. G D (George Dance) knee grips, TT large tanks. Oil filler on left. TT foot change (positive stop).  Dunlop saddle. TT brake pedal and footrests.

Ravindra's 1928 Model 2 Norton

An email from Ravindra in India

I am a great lover of British bikes. Recently I visited my old parental house where in the barn I found the remains of a Norton flat tank motorcycle in very rusty condition; it used to be my grandfather's bike. The frame number is 331xx and the engine number is 404xx.

Simon: "It is a Model 2.  Engine and frame numbers match. Originally fitted with B and B carb., 26 x 3.25 tyres, Druid forks, and CS gearbox number 100232.  Despatched on 26/5/28.  The dealer's name is very hard to read but it was probably an export merchant dealing with India and it looks like Diodar. Note the clutch is from a later model and the crankshaft is missing."

Mirek's 1929 Model CS1 Norton

An email from Mirek

Please find above a picture of my bike taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

Max's 1934 Model ES2 Norton

Sent by Max in Argentina

I am sending a three pictures of my 1934 ES2. The photo above was taken on a trip to Mar del Plata. Appropriately I used a 1934 Leica camera for the photograph.

Marcel's 1930 TT spec CS1 Norton

By Marcel

My CS1 was used on the road in the Netherlands in the 1950s; my uncle Ko Konijn bought it at the end of that decade, probably in quite original condition though at one stage a buddyseat was fitted (the original rubber Dunlop saddle may have been hidden beneath the homemade seat). Ko must have been unhappy with the mechanical condition of the Norton as he completely rebuilt the engine and gearbox, at the same stage sourcing missing parts like the original type of magneto; which must have been a hassle as it took Ko ten years to finish the CS1. 

Ko's health prevented him from riding his bikes and when I became the owner of the CS1 after Ko had passed away it was covered in oil and grease to protect it from the damp conditions in his shed. After cleaning the bike the paint did not look that nice and the Norton was dismantled again and given a fresh paint job. Thereafter the CS1 sat in my living room for more than 10 years.

In the last months the CS1 has had a complete check-over again. New 20" tyres were fitted, the magneto was rewound and many original nuts and bolts sourced. Still not completely finished it started last week for the first time in 40 years!

Simon: "Frame number 422xx was a CS1 to 1930 TT specification. Gearbox number N103, Webb 650 Forks (i.e. CS1 sized). It was despatched on 17/6/30 to Piet van Wijngaarden.  No other details are given. The engine number is very strange and I think must have been added and the original deleted."

Bob from the UK: "I read this blog with great interest, as I have a 1930 CS1 engine which was despatched in June 1930 to van Wijngaarden, and thought for a moment that it might have come from this bike, particularly as Marcel mentions in his story about something being done to the engine number.  However, I have since checked my own records and mine was despatched to van Wijngaarden on 21 June 1930, or 4 days after Marcel's. My frame number was 423xx and the engine number is 49001. I've owned the engine for quite a few years, and its now being re-built to go into an International rolling chassis, as I've given up hope of ever finding a 1930 frame for the engine. These bikes were some of the very first of the Carroll engined machines to be sold to the public, and van Wijngaarden was clearly a favoured Agent to get the new bikes. Marcel, your bike looks as though it will provide you with some good riding opportunities, and hope you enjoy it in the way the maker intended!"

Michael's 1929 Model CJ Norton

Michael in Austria sent these pics of his CJ Norton; Simon looked up the details in the Works records.

The engine number and frame number match. It was fitted with an Amal carburetter, 26 x 3 tyres and enclosed spring Druid forks (currently Webbs are fitted). The LS gear box number was 108475. It had a 500cc petroltank, narrow mudguards, twistgrip and an oiltank with the filler on  the left. It was supplied with a spare high compression piston. Despatched on 14/5/29 to Piet van Wijngaarden but the records also say that the bike was for a Mr Davids and was 'special by W Moore.'

Thus it was ordered by van Wijngaarden in racing trim; it's anyone's guess if it was for his customer, Mr Davids or for van Wijngaarden to use himself.

Luggage racks

An email from Geoff

I obtained an old and original rack for my 1925 Big Four...trouble is it doesnt fit! I think it is from a 16H but I don't know what year bike the rack came off. The arms on this rack are too close together and too short where they bolt onto the frame for my Big Four so I reckon on the Big Four rack the arms are slightly longer and angle slightly outwards at about 15 to 20 degrees so as to fit onto the studs on the outside of the rear downtubes which must be wider apart on the Big Four than the 16H. Another reason it doesnt fit could be that pre-1925 model racks have a different part number to 1925 onward models. If anyone can send me the dimensions of a 1925 to 1927 Big Four rack from the fixing bolt holes just above the spindle vertically to the topside of the platform where the luggage fixes and the length of the front arms I would be very grateful!

Mark's 1923 Model 16H Norton

An email from Mark

I am in  Cape Town South Africa and have a 1923 16H (above) and I am in need of a piston and if possible a barrel as well. Mine came with a bad score inside from the gudgeon pin and has an incorrect piston that somebody has machined the shoulder almost completely off; it does not appear to ever have run with this piston. Who has a spare barrel and piston available? The gudgeon pin is ¾” ( 18.87mm).

Simon: "My piston data shows that the gudgeon pin was 5/8" not 3/4" and the piston was cast iron, as one would expect. The Hepolite number for it is shown as 269 or, in aluminium (slightly later but still 5/8" pin) number 1509".

1930 Model 20 Norton - Sold

For sale at Bonhams and their description:

"This Model 20 has been in the vendor's family since it was delivered new in April 1930 and was used by his father - 'The Flying Vicar' - to travel around his parish. Little used after 1950, it was placed in storage before being re-commissioned and used by the vendor from 1960 to 1965. 'VK 1969' was then put into store again, remaining there until 1990 when it was re-commissioned. In regular use since then, it has benefited from a new seat (2005), new pannier boxes (2007) and new mudguards, exhaust pipes and silencers (2008). The machine is described as in generally very good condition and offered with current MoT/tax, NOC dating certificate and Swansea V5C registration document. It should be noted that the Sturmey Archer gearbox, although correctly ratioed, is not original to this machine. Registration no. VK 1969, Frame no. 41529. Engine no. 48139"

JdK: A pity they replaced so many parts as they don't fit really well; headlamp and magdyno come from a younger bike.

Simon: "It was indeed delivered 8/4/30 to the Revd. O McDonald of St John's Vicarage in Newcastle.  Not clear if this was Newcastle up North or Newcastle (under Lyme) in the Midlands - probably  up North.  Frame and engine number agree and it still has the speedo in the tank.  Also has the correct primary chain guard.  Missing the cast alloy magdyno cover (as well as the original magdyno) but not a bad lot. Note the half size oil tank - this was the usual arrangement on dynamo equipped Model 20s."


Note: sold for GBP 12.650