No mention of the 350cc Navigator twin which I had in 1961/2, good looking bike, lot of noise but not much speed (I could only just keep up with 250cc Ariel Arrow! In 1963 I bought a 650ss (£343!!), loved that bike, spent hours fettling and polishing inlet & exhaust ports. Unable to cure oil leaks though! Also the tappets required frequent adjustment, my local dealers couldn’t solve the problem but Norton agreed to take a look so I rode it to their HQ in Bracebridge Street Birmingham - they fitted a complete new cylinder head (refused to tell my what the problem was….i don’t think they new!). After a few years off biking I bought my first Honda, an NTV which had 60k on it, sold it with 100k; ZERO problems with it. I’m now riding a 2002 Honda VFR V-tech…..fantastic, totally reliable, comfortable and lovely sounding machine. I’ll never forget my 650ss though, I’m pretty sure my first ‘real girlfriend’ was impressed by the bike….or maybe me?
Excellent documentary covering the famous British marque. 55000-60000 Commandos were made and spares are still available. There will always be British Nortons…and Triumphs, Royal Enfields, BSAs.
I had a Norton Dommie 600cc in the early 60's. Yes it would do 100mph plus and quite often ! I changed the straight handle bars to drop ones . I only got caught for speeding once when I was only doing 40mph. Happy memories .
Many years ago l had a bright red twin-carb Norton 99. It was like riding a pneumatic road drill, the vibration made more than my teeth chatter. I was glad to get rid of it, always dripping oil, l eventually put it in for a Triumph 650 TR6, which was a much smoother trouble free ride, that was the love of my life. Happy days.
What about the Atlas? Also, the ES-2. I rode an ES-2 all over LA and San Bernardino County in the early 70’s. I also learned about British bikes while working on that thumper.
I owned a ‘65 Atlas 500cc and a new ‘72 Commander, 750. Norton went to 850ccs in the mid 70s. Toured the US on my ‘73 with no problems. Chose to sell it in ‘75 for spending money. Regret that decision. Lots of great memories on that bike. Light, fast, and manuverable.
A bit annoying with videos where bikes shown don't match text. Common in this one. The International name was introduced after wins on the continent. A practice used by other manufacturers for models named Bonneville, Daytona and Thruxton. Last Internationals was made in -58 not -53.
The bike shown was not the original 99 but a subsequent re-vamp brought out in about 1962 (or earlier). and not as good looking as the original 99, 600cc (or 88 500cc) but was a better all round bike.
OK, I'm confused. As far as I remember Norton made a couple of Desmo headed prototypes about 1958 and then decided that they didn't have the cash & time to develop them. And that was it. Might be wrong though, often am.
@Men and motors the ohc Norton CS1 came out in 1927 won many races and was the original precursor to the Manx but you completely failed to mention it, instead citing the later international as the start of the ohc machines. You also cite the adoption of a single camshaft on the twins as an improvement over other manufacturers designs! This is twice wrong. Ariel and BSA already produced twins with single camshafts and the separate inlet and exhaust cams of the triumph engine was universally seen as an advantage both for optimising valve train layout but also for the enormous flexibility of tuning. These advantages of the Triumph engine are proved by the many tritons that were built that utilised the best handling frame from the Norton (usually because the engine had blown up) and the strongest/fastest easiest to tune engine the 650pre unit triumph because the frames were awful and had probably been bent.
Norton bikes is so realiable and great if it is manufactured in britain.....l don't think so if it is made by another company under the licence british motor company...
So many ridiculous errors and omissions. I had a late featherbed inter, yes it leaked oil, but not much. It only let me down once when the centre stand return spring broke producing a 20 foot long shower of sparks. The frame was a proper featherbed 531 tubing braised not welded. I sold it when posted to Kenya with the RAF, worst thing l ever did. On return to uk l purchased a 99. What disaster, vibrated so badly you could hardly see the road. It eventually broke the drive side Conrad. I rebuilt it and sold it as quickly as l could, absolute rubbish bike, sad end to a fantastic line of bikes.
Unlike yourself I can't speak to all British motorcycles but it's not my experience at all. In 1972 I purchased my first new Norton Combat. I still own it and it never leaked oil. Me: multiple Commando/Combat owner that has an oil free shop floor and Nortons with plenty of oil in their tanks. But I will admit it's easier to complain about a problem than to fix it.
No mention of the 350cc Navigator twin which I had in 1961/2, good looking bike, lot of noise but not much speed (I could only just keep up with 250cc Ariel Arrow!
In 1963 I bought a 650ss (£343!!), loved that bike, spent hours fettling and polishing inlet & exhaust ports. Unable to cure oil leaks though! Also the tappets required frequent adjustment, my local dealers couldn’t solve the problem but Norton agreed to take a look so I rode it to their HQ in Bracebridge Street Birmingham - they fitted a complete new cylinder head (refused to tell my what the problem was….i don’t think they new!).
After a few years off biking I bought my first Honda, an NTV which had 60k on it, sold it with 100k; ZERO problems with it. I’m now riding a 2002 Honda VFR V-tech…..fantastic, totally reliable, comfortable and lovely sounding machine.
I’ll never forget my 650ss though, I’m pretty sure my first ‘real girlfriend’ was impressed by the bike….or maybe me?
Excellent documentary covering the famous British marque. 55000-60000 Commandos were made and spares are still available. There will always be British Nortons…and Triumphs, Royal Enfields, BSAs.
I had a Norton Dommie 600cc in the early 60's. Yes it would do 100mph plus and quite often ! I changed the straight handle bars to drop ones . I only got caught for speeding once when I was only doing 40mph. Happy memories .
Many years ago l had a bright red twin-carb Norton 99. It was like riding a pneumatic road drill, the vibration made more than my teeth chatter. I was glad to get rid of it, always dripping oil, l eventually put it in for a Triumph 650 TR6, which was a much smoother trouble free ride, that was the love of my life. Happy days.
The sax killed it for me 🙉 ...loved the bikes though..❤
Thanks
What about the Atlas? Also, the ES-2. I rode an ES-2 all over LA and San Bernardino County in the early 70’s. I also learned about British bikes while working on that thumper.
I owned a ‘65 Atlas 500cc and a new ‘72 Commander, 750. Norton went to 850ccs in the mid 70s. Toured the US on my ‘73 with no problems. Chose to sell it in ‘75 for spending money. Regret that decision. Lots of great memories on that bike. Light, fast, and manuverable.
The atlas was a 745cc engine.
A bit annoying with videos where bikes shown don't match text. Common in this one.
The International name was introduced after wins on the continent. A practice used by other manufacturers for models named Bonneville, Daytona and Thruxton.
Last Internationals was made in -58 not -53.
"An engineer called Bert Hopwood" - hardly a fitting tribute to one of the greatest m/c designers of all time !!
16H: Dolls head box, then upright, Not sure about lay down. If so then very late and very very rare.
I used their antivirus once.
Their safest model.
Oh that music is bloody annoying,spoilt a very interesting documentary
The bike shown was not the original 99 but a subsequent re-vamp brought out in about 1962 (or earlier). and not as good looking as the original 99, 600cc (or 88 500cc) but was a better all round bike.
As the proud owner of a 57 Dommie I was just about to point his out. Well spotted.
Wonderfully narrated ...music quickly becomes annoying.... 10:02
Sorry but the background music is irritating and too loud. Actually it would be better without music! Otherwise interesting story!
OK, I'm confused. As far as I remember Norton made a couple of Desmo headed prototypes about 1958 and then decided that they didn't have the cash & time to develop them. And that was it. Might be wrong though, often am.
@Men and motors the ohc Norton CS1 came out in 1927 won many races and was the original precursor to the Manx but you completely failed to mention it, instead citing the later international as the start of the ohc machines.
You also cite the adoption of a single camshaft on the twins as an improvement over other manufacturers designs! This is twice wrong. Ariel and BSA already produced twins with single camshafts and the separate inlet and exhaust cams of the triumph engine was universally seen as an advantage both for optimising valve train layout but also for the enormous flexibility of tuning.
These advantages of the Triumph engine are proved by the many tritons that were built that utilised the best handling frame from the Norton (usually because the engine had blown up) and the strongest/fastest easiest to tune engine the 650pre unit triumph because the frames were awful and had probably been bent.
Norton bikes is so realiable and great if it is manufactured in britain.....l don't think so if it is made by another company under the licence british motor company...
These docu's really have an AI feel to it, don't they?
How did it happen?
Almost a total lack of technology and priced greater then the 4 cylinder competition.
The 88 is just so elegant, i`d have one now if
money was not an object... (the soundtrack ..
is incredibly distracting )just remove it!!
We want to hear the bikes, not music!
So many ridiculous errors and omissions. I had a late featherbed inter, yes it leaked oil, but not much. It only let me down once when the centre stand return spring broke producing a 20 foot long shower of sparks. The frame was a proper featherbed 531 tubing braised not welded. I sold it when posted to Kenya with the RAF, worst thing l ever did. On return to uk l purchased a 99. What disaster, vibrated so badly you could hardly see the road. It eventually broke the drive side Conrad. I rebuilt it and sold it as quickly as l could, absolute rubbish bike, sad end to a fantastic line of bikes.
Another great video destroyed by idiotic music. Loose the music.
Music sucks and narrator sounds like a game-show-host on E dave nz
Trying to find something positive to say about this drivelfest. Failing.
Sounds like your problems could be solved by turning the sound off. The photography is quite good.
Oil leaks
If the Brit bike don’t leak oil better check that it has oil.
Unlike yourself I can't speak to all British motorcycles but it's not my experience at all. In 1972 I purchased my first new Norton Combat. I still own it and it never leaked oil. Me: multiple Commando/Combat owner that has an oil free shop floor and Nortons with plenty of oil in their tanks. But I will admit it's easier to complain about a problem than to fix it.
@@robertshepherd3832 On my (new)72, once eliminated the chain oiler not so much leaks.