assembled

 

Amal monobloc 389 - quite 'clean' internally - no choke fitted in this case.

 

 

...attempting to make the frontal area as small as possible...

 

..however the 'works' Nortons in the 1930's managed to keep area to a minimum.

 

 

 

Normally I, like many others, would rather take acold bath than open up the gearbox.

Needs must this time however as the kickstart was not catching.

the fault is obvious..a badly worn pawl.

 

...at the end of the day every barrel and/or piston wears to the point something has to be done. A new liner is called for with a standard piston .

Winter work on my Norton Model 50

 

The later alternator type crank on the Model 50 like mine or on an ES2 model is longer to hold the rotor. The retaining nut is also smaller than on the earlier type.

 

The standard Norton conrod for my machine is the lower one. I am experimenting with an alloy racing one which is also 6 1/2 " between centres. The problem of it fouling the cylinder wall is one which one has always to be carefully considered and the wall relieved.

 

Always worried the bike will come off the trailer when towing !! Hence the many tie-downs...I must find a more efficient way as it takes an age to up load and down load at a track.

 

last season ! a bent valve smashed piston on the left...what they should look like on the right !

 

Getting back to normal...it has been a long winter...timing side....

...the only bit of the original paintwork from the norton works in Bracebridge Street in Birmingham is on the

 

 inner primary chaincase and I am keeping it that way !

 

 

 

 

Using my old 'periscope' type dial gauge mainly as an aid to checking taper in the bore.

 

 

 

Lumpy racing cams- compare with below- make a transformational difference to performance.

 

Standard cams were designed for a compromise of smooth running; economy and noise.

 

I always taper the valve head end of valve guides as they seem to come parallel nowadays.

 

 

At last getting things back to normal

 

I note I am holding in the clutch so there must be a car or another bike ahead of me .

 

 

 

 

One of the problems with buying old spare parts online and hence unseen apart from a picture is that you find stuff that has not been well cared for. Some items I have purchased looked like they had been dredged from the bottom of the sea having been there for decades.

Often you are so desparate for a part you will spend the time salvaging it to be workable again.

 

 

An engine is made up of 'big lumps' and all the fasteners and nuts and bolts which hold it all together.

 

A pet hate is when someone sells you something and does not include the fasteners. Old motorcycles use a huge range of types of thread and it can be difficult to get hold of the correct ones...or even identifying what type they should be.

 

They say that two heads are better than one and when things can go pear shaped when you are demanding high revs from a half century old engine it is as well to have a spare.

I expect there have been many discussions in the old days about alloy plates versus plain steel engine plates.

 

These are alloy which I have taken the opportunity to fit as I am re-assembling the engine after a blow up, with a crankcase which is 1956 although my bike is actually a 1960 model. As it will only be used in sprints this is of no moment and all the other bits fit.

After the horror of a small end which 'let go' and the subsequent engine damage during the early 2012 season I am taking no chances and likely fitting a high quality steel or alloy conrod.These are very expensive nowadays but I am also experimenting with alternatives.

 

The worst feature of towing is when it starts raining and you have to find some place to stop and haul out the covers.

It is difficult to say if desmodromic valve gear would have significantly helped Norton so late in the day when multi-cylinder machines were prevailing.

 

The combination of  their flat Guzzi type cylinder arrangement combined with the experimental valve gear might have bought some time in certain circumstances but I doubt if for long.

 

 

Pushrod tubes of this type are fairly easy to make . The one on the right is original Norton. The left one is fabricated from a length of alloy tube belled with a ball pein hammer. the top part is made on a small lathe.

 

 

When  the small end of a conrod decides to break it can release hell !

 

 

Fortunately valves are still available but I find prices can vary .

On the Norton single both valves are the same which helps as the exhaust usually goes first.

 

 

Note I do not have a high comp piston. I follow the dictum of  that master P.E Irving.

 

In his bible " Tuning for Speed" he states..." and it must always be remembered that it is not the actual measured compression ratio which counts, but the pressure of the gas at the end of the compression stroke".

 

This simple fact is something many people forget.

 

 

 

 

Beveridge Park, Kirkaldy around 1968...group of riders about to go on to the track which was and  is no wider than most public park perimeter roads ! Racing is no longer allowed .

Very much a riders track it attracted many great names and was frequented by the great  Bob McIntyre .

 

 

The " A. Forbes" finishing second to Ronnie Mann was in fact Arthur Forbes and not Alex as the text shows.

 

 

 

My 350cc Norton on the trailer ready for the off. It is actually a boat trailer as I also have a small hydroplane.

 

 

 

...still some straps needed to hold it on....I confess I tend to have too many bits of webbing and rope to ensure it is secure. A bike coming off a trailer is the stuff of nightmares.When stopping off at  service station I always try and park within sight.If it means a lot to me...it will mean something to less upright people and nowadays security is always a concern.

 

 

 

 

In the late 1960's I was a  weekend race mechanic to a couple of chaps who raced as I had no money for such activity.

It was a constant wonder to me where they got that kind of money even though it was a very amateur affair.They do say however that if you wait until you can afford motorsport you will never start.

 

I recall helping the late Jock Findlay ( race number 33 at the above event) unload one of his Manx Nortons from his van.

 

 I thought it much heavier than expected and he gave a big grin when he saw me struggle. He was already fully kitted in leathers and helmet although it was early morning.

 

 I little knew that in a couple of months time he would take wins in both the Senior and Junior classes in the Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix races.

 

                                                                 John Findlay

 

 

Beveridge Park in Kirkaldy was very dangerous due to trees lining the road. It was and indeed still is a true public park and lovely to walk around.

 

It was a constant disappointment to me that they did not allow part of the course to be used as a hillclimb as it was fairly steep.

 

 

A pal was badly injured at the above sponsored event when he collided with a Bultaco.

 

We parked one year at Beveridge Park next to this Manx Norton ...the smell of Castrol R racing oil and newly cut grass......very evocative mixture and still brings back memories.

It was an era that has been revived by many riders in the past years.