John's 1929 Model 19 Norton

John from Canada sent these photo's of a very nice M19 Norton: "This is my 1929 Model 19 Norton, owned previously by both my father and grandfather before him. The black and white pic shows my grandfather on the bike in circa 1946. The lower pic was taken when it arrived in Canada in 1984, in the middle of the winter.

The Norton has not been in running order for a while, looking at about 15 years at least. I am trying to find out as much history of this model along with any photos and manuals that give precise care instructions before I even think of starting; cleaning the years of dust is my first step."

The engine has enclosed pushrod tubes and an aluminium rocker cover and would have been produced very late in the 1929 season. Further, note the position of the oilpump on the timing chest (as opposed to on the magneto chain cover), typical for the 1929-1930 models. Looking at the CONTENTS list on the right, not that many Model 19s are around these days.

Jeff's 1929 Model 21 Norton

Sent by Reece, this is Jeff's 1929 Model 21. This motorcycle has a 490cc engine and 3-speed gearbox like the Model 18 but with a dry-sump lubrication. The reciprocating plunger oil pump was designed by Walter Moore and first used on Norton motorcycles in 1925. The external control on the lower timing case controls the pick-up level of the scavenge pump; set in the 'high' position the oil level in the crankcase rises and the engine becomes a semi-wet-sump.

c1929 Model JE Norton

By Simon

An unusual pic of a 1929-ish JE - note the Birmingham registration number, Webb forks (rather than ES Druids) etc.  Perhaps a works bike...

Martin: "The Birmingham OX registration series was first issued in July 1927, and it ran until July 1928 when the VP series started, which also ran for about a year. The JE is unlikely to have been registered much later than late 1927, as most registrations were made around the time of the motorcycle shows, and then again at the start of the better weather in March and April."

c1929 Model CS1 Norton

Sent by Allan in the UK

Allan sent this photo of his Granddad in the 1930's. The Norton is a c1929 Model CS1.

Martin: "The VB series of numbers was issued by Croydon Borough Council between 1927 and 1931, but the first VB number issued in 1929 was VB4575, so it is fair to assume that VB4845 was also issued in 1929."

1929 Model 16H engine - For sale

On Ebay; A 1929 16H engine.

A CJ in action in New Zealand

Sent by Simon

Leading New Zealand aerial photographer V C Browne on his Moore type CJ, possibly competing on the beach at New Brighton near Christchurch in about 1938. Only four of these models in standard form were imported into New Zealand plus one rather special version with chromed tanks and an engine described as 'to Ulster Grand Prix specification'. Photo kindly provided by V C Browne's grand-daughter Kathy Shaw-Urlich, Whatuwhiwhi, New Zealand.

1929 Model Big Four Norton - SOLD

Sent by Bob

This 1929 Big Four featured in an earlier blog. Bob:"I have now finished this Norton, a lovely machine; fitted new magneto, mains, fork bushes, wheel bearings, valves, piston and rebore, spokes, original registration and V5C, tyres, tubes, clock in tank, etc etc. Simon checked the numbers with the Works Records and it's the original frame to engine. But I have a problem, I can't hold her up or kick her over without doing more damage to a recent knee operation. I was going to put a chair on but the wife has a change of mind. I think I will have to sell. I'm looking for serious offers. Anyone interested should email John who will forward the emails to me."

1929 Model CS1 Norton - Sold

Currently for sale on eBay Germany; a 1929 CS1 Norton. Engine: CS 427XX. Frame: 349XX. Gearbox:  Sturmey Archer HW 142190 TT. According to the vendor the machine was shipped to Berlin in 1929 in racing trim. It looks like a nice specimen though the barrel could be from another model as it just doesn't fit the vertical shaft tube very well. Simon:" It looks quite good although fitted with an incorrect KD1 BTH mag and kickstart end cover on gearbox. Also the footrests look like short ex-WD ones and surely that's a 7 inch front brake?"

Sold for 24.659 euro.

Malcolm's 1929 Model 19 Norton

Found on the web; Malcolm C. from Melbourne, Australia and his 1929 Norton Model 19. In the Liverpool Docks about to load on the Isle of Man ferry and at Peel Castle.

1929 Model 18 Norton

This Norton is advertised on the internet on a website that specializes in Harley Davidsons, perhaps in Greece. It's described as a 1922 model but the frame looks 1929-1930 to me, the engine a bit older while forks and front wheel are WD16H. It looks awful but it could be rescued I guess.

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.

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."

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.

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.

My 1929 Model 18 Norton

I've owned this Norton for a few years now; it's not an original bike but it's interesting as the engine seems to have been tuned professionally. The ever attentive Simon found a picture in a 1970s BMS publication of a Norton that looks remarkably similar; it must be the same bike. So now we've found out that the previous owners were a mr Paul Sturgess, a mr Peter Kingsley, mr Eric Patterson, mr Mark Upham and then me ... that's since the 1970s and the list most probably is not complete! Does anyone else recognize the Model 18 or the people in the black and white pics ... and who did the tuning?

Kevin's 1929 Model19 Norton

Sent by Kevin 

This is my 1929 Model 19. It has engine number 42xxx and this engine left the factory part of a Model 24 on the 2nd May 1929 with frame number 37xxx. The number on this Norton's frame is 588 42xxx, so very likely the Model 24 engine ended up in the frame of Model 19 (or a Model 18 that was fitted with the taller frame, identified by the 588).

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.

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.

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.

For sale: 1929 Norton Model 16H

This tidy looking 1929 16H is for sale at eBay. It appears to be quite original except for few minor issues: wrong carburetter, no front stand, front brake arm plated (like many others!), later knee grips, wrong magneto and cover, wrong silencer and clutch cover on the primary chain guard. Tank gear change makes one think of 1930 but a few late '29 models may have had this on them. The saddle springs look enormous!