1929 Model 18 Norton

Sent by Roger

This 1929 Model 18 is owned by one of the volunteers at Brooklands and he has brought it to the museum so that its restoration can finally be completed.  I am not sure of its history except that it was owned by the present owner's father for at least 50 years.

Old School Flames

Headin to the Wallmart

I love the cow bell in place of a spirit bell.

Tucker wins the 1929 200 mile sidecar race

By Roger

I have found the attached picture of Tucker immediately after the win in the 1929 200 mile race - the numbers are the same.  The engine is clearly an ES2 but the frame is earlier and the forks are certainly side spring braced Druids. A noticeable change is the loss of the tank lining or perhaps a new tank was put on for the publicity pictures!

Like other Brooklands riders of the period, George Tucker would have kept using his machines until they were no longer serviceable.  The mid to late 1920s were a period of severe shortages with a general strike in 1926 and the depression beginning to bite in 1929 - Pat was still using his 1925 TT machine in 1929 and possibly later.  Tucker's frame is likely to have been made around 1927 and the forks could even be the 1925 TT ones - the 1925 machines used the four speed cross over gearbox so it is not that one.  The rear brakes remained the V-block type until the end of the flat tankers at Brooklands presumably because they were lighter.

The frame would be a Model 19 to take the taller engine which also has the ES2 head with the angled exhaust port.  I suspect that Norton supplied the engine - or parts - for racing as Simon has told me that the Model 19 crank won't fit the ES2 cases and I don't think that Norton sold a bigger ES2.  Tucker probably would not have had the resources to make his crankshaft and that this would therefore have been done by the works as he was a tuner rather than an engineer much like Driscoll who had others do the engineering. George was a Norton main dealer in Bristol so he would have access to factory components even if he was not officially supported by the works by that time.  He did win a Grand Pix with Walter Moore in the chair in 1923/4.

The race report says that all three Nortons were 588cc which is what I would expect.  Tucker didn't use long (8 1/2") conrods in his 490cc engines (JdK: which makes the 490cc engines appear as 588cc models) as these were only used by the Spring/Driscoll team from what I have seen.  O'Donovan did try a long rod around 1926 but he used an 8" rod from the 588 as did Pat around the same time.

Simon: "There were a few 588 ES2 engines made/sold by Nortons.  It is only the differing main shaft diameters which means that standard 588 flywheels can't be used in ES2s."

Andrew's 1910 Big Four Norton

Sent by Andrew in Australia

This is my 1910 Big 4 Norton with a ROC 2 speed rear hub. I haven’t found any others of this model anywhere. The hub is the genuine Nortoroc, not just a generic Roc hub. It is missing the parts that work the hub but I am slowly making the bits. It is quite a bit different to hubs that were used by humber and Rex. I would dearly like a frame for a 1910 single speeder or even bits of a frame but I guess that is a long hope.

I have some crankcases that I cast if anyone needs some inclusive the timing chest cover and the chain case for the mag chain.

CS1 flat tank Norton

I've seen pictures of this Norton before and recently it surfaced in the Czech Republik. Walter Moore designed both this engine and the famous three stay cradle frame; both made their public appearance in the summer of 1927 and it's very unlikely the factory would have fitted the new engine in a frame that was outdated at the end of the 1920s. Who knows more about the history of this particular machine?

Several people (Simon and Richard) have suggested it was put together by the late Wilf Green in the 1960s.

Here is the answer to: When is the Minnesota . Wisconsin Spring and Fall Flood runs.

It's basically the same every year, but the dates fluctuate.

The Spring Flood Run is always on the 3rd Saturday of April, unless that weekend happens to be the one with an Easter Sunday. In that case the run goes to the following weekend on Saturday.

The Fall Flood Run is always on the 3rd Saturday in September.

The run starting point is at the Beach Club Bar in Lake St. Croix Beach.

The ride usually starts gathering around 10:00 A.M. or so and departs in groups around noon or so. The times are pretty flexible and open.

The answer to when is the Defrost Your Nuts Run and Frost Your Nuts Run

Question:

When is the Minnesota - Wisconsin Defrost Your Nuts Run and Frost Your Nuts Run?

Answer:

It's the same every year, although the dates change.

Defrost Your Nuts Run is always the 2nd Saturday in April and the Frost Your Nuts Run is always the 2nd Saturday in October.

Question:
Where is the Minnesota - Wisconsin Defrost Your Nuts Run and Frost Your nuts Run Starting Point?

Answer:
The runs always gather in the morning. People start showing up to hang around pretty early; roughly 10:00 A.M. or earlier. The run leaves the Mallalieu Bar in staggard groups randomly as early as 10:30 A.M. t0 noon.

Question:
Where is the Mallalieu Bar?

Answer:
North Hudson, Wisconsin.
Google Map to the Mallalieu Bar, in North Hudson, Wisconsin
For those using GPS, wanting the actual Street Address of the Mallalieu Bar, it is:
414 Wisconsin St. N.
N. Hudson, Wisconsin
54016
Should you need to contact the bar, the Ph# is (715) 386-8165.

Both of these are typically referred to as one of the "Nuts run"(s).

Question: Have you ever seen a pair of nuts run?

Four your enjoyment.
Here ya go.



Now get yer arse out there and ride!

1925 Model 18 Norton

Sent by Peter in Canada

This lady on board the 1925 Model 18 Norton is my late mother in law (who was born 100 years ago, on the 17th of January). The name of the dog is not known but it looks like a real ankle biter to me! We still can't figure out exactly when the pics were taken but suspect that it was the early 1930s.

This picture shows Peter's late father in law on the Model 18. The Norton may have been a few years old when the pictures were taken. Electric lights and racy rear mudguard stays had been fitted, the front stand has been removed and what happened to the rear stand? Note the clip on his trouser's legs.

Sturmey Archer positive stop mechanisms

A few blogs ago Colin sent a few pics of a positive stop mechanism he had just bought, wondering whether it would fit his Sturmey Archer box. A few people have suggested that the positive stop he bought is actually Albion. Rob now sent a few pics of early 1930s Sturmey Archer positive stops that can be bolted to four speed boxes.

Too cold and too much gear on to pee???

Click on the image to embiggen it.

Peter's Model 19 Norton

Sent by Peter in Hungary

This is my Model 19 Norton. The motorcycle has been used for vintage racing and that's why quite a few parts are not original. I would like to rebuild it to original condition. I have the original Sturmey Archer gearbox but it has been damaged and is not complete

Jay Leno's Garage - Rocket II Trike

Click on the picture to see the video. This is pretty cool.

1929 Model 18 Norton

This tasty Model 18 was recently sold by Verralls. The plate would have been issued by London C.C. (currently London Central), in May or June 1929.

1927 Model 18 Norton

This Norton is for sale at British Only Austria; perhaps not 100% original but the essential bits and pieces seem to be all there and look correct; overall the bike looks good to me.

1927 Model 25 Norton replica

This Norton was sold several years ago by Yesterdays; who knows more about it? The engine is an early unit, note that the cam chest is still split in two at the height of the oilpump. A striking feature is the large sprint-type petrol tank; originally it may have been fitted with a flat tank fitted in between the upper frame tubes. It may have been a racer, note the Sturmey Archer 'box without a kickstart.

Not that easy to explain is the left-hand crankcase half marked 79x120 which would identify the engine as a 588cc unit; did Norton ever make 588cc versions of the Model 25? Further, M25s usually had a framelug carrying the magneto support bracket that wraps fully around the frametube; this one looks like the Model 18 type to me.

A very nice bike that looks quite a bit like this 1926 TT racer; is it an original or was it pieced together from parts laying around; and does it matter?

Simon: "Almost certainly built up by Stefan Knittell several years ago.  The tanks are replica 1926 TT pannier tanks" 

Roger: "It has the wrong oil tank mounts, for the M25 they should be brazed rather than clamped to the downtube. Pat Driscoll's 1925 TT 588cc engine had the integral oil pump"

Nortons win the 1929 Brooklands sidecar race

Sent by Wim

A very nice 1929 poster celebrating Norton victories. Tucker seems to be riding a dry sump Norton in the 600cc class.

Do dogs go to Heaven?

Absolutely hysterical that this happened.
These two churches face each other across the street from one another.

c1910 Model 3 1/2 Norton

Joan from Barcelona sent these pics. I'm not sure about the year or model, perhaps one of the readers knows more about this motorcycle?

Howard: "As soon as I spotted this Norton I knew what it was, or to be precise what it is not. And it's not a Norton! Take a good look at the frame lugs.....its a lash-up. This bike is a replica built up by the late Bill Fruin. Bill has been dead for many years and this bike was sold at auction along with all of Bill's other bikes (many Nortons as well), and it sold for reasonable money so someone was taken in at the time. I cannot find my copy of Bill Fruin's auction catalogue but I am sure it is the same bike. I know it did the rounds for a while."

John from the UK: "I think this was a ‘fake’ stuck together by Bill Fruin and sold in the Auction of his machines in the 1980’s. I seem to remember Titch Allen covering it’s somewhat dubious history in the VMCC magazines at the time."

Simon: "Not sure if this is the Fruin fake or not - his fake was a 350cc machine not a 3 1/2 hp (ie 500cc) bike."