This is the story of the Norton marque – from its foundations, through the early halcyon years, to the current breed of modern machine.
The Godfather of Norton, James Lansdowne Norton (affectionately known as ‘Pa’) was a toolmaker with very high standards. In 1988 he founded the Norton company as a manufacturer of fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade, based at 320 Bradford Street in Birmingham. The company vision was to service the booming bicycle scene by supplying parts to the various manufacturers around Birmingham.
The firm did well in its early years, and as the number of products expanded and experience in the factory matured, Pa Norton started to contemplate the idea of creating his very own motor-bike. In 1902, the first Norton motorcycle was unveiled.
An Energette Creation at Goodwood
The little machine was a combination of a robust Norton bicycle frame, and a 140cc French Clément engine – such was the simplicity of the early motorcycle! The Clément spun the rear wheel via a leather belt, tensioned by a pulley mounted on the frame downtube. It was named the ‘Energette’ and the first advert appeared in the November issue of Motor Cycling in 1902.
As the motorcycle fad continued to build traction, Pa Norton began to focus on his own marque of motorcycle, rather than build components for others. Norton had not yet developed his own engine, and therefore imported units from other manufacturers – this mirrored the process of many other motorcycle builders at the time. In 1906, Norton had a seven-model range that included direct belt-drive Peugeot singles and V-twins, a two-speed Peugeot-powered Forecar, and a 198cc Clement run-around.
A 1905 Norton-Peugeot at the Sammy Miller Museum
In 1907 Norton had their first crack of the whip at the first ever Isle of Man TT. Rem Fowler, accompanied by Pa Norton as a pit attendant, took a V Twin to the mountain circuit and entered it into the twin-cylinder class. The race was not without drama – there were endless stops to change plugs, repair punctures, wire on a broken mudguard stay and disentangle the front tyre after a burst, and a serious ‘off’ at a claimed 60mph. However, despite these barriers, Fowler burst through them and beat his nearest rival by more than 30 minutes and set the first TT lap record at 42.91mph. The win was a momentous mark in Norton history and set the stage moving forward.
Rem Fowler with his Norton. Photo credit at the permission of vintagenorton.com
In 1907/1908 Norton started to build an in-house motor. It was a 633cc side-valve single that was to be labelled the BIG 4. The BIG 4, or the Model 1, was not actually that big, and no, it did not even have four cylinders… so why the name you ask? The bike acquired the title from its power output, although there is no simple answer to that either… back in the day, taxation rates for automobiles were calculated by means of a taxable horsepower – a rating that was computed not from actual engine power, but by a mathematical formula based on cylinder dimensions. The Model 1 had a horsepower rating of 14hp, and a rated 4 tax horsepower once the calculation had been applied – hence the BIG 4. Simple eh?
In 1909 the new machine was ready for the world and exhibited at the Stanley Show. The BIG 4 was a substantial move for Norton. It demonstrated self-sufficiency and was a statement of intent as they stepped into the motorcycle world on their own two feet. Norton did not hang around either… the following year you could quite literally walk into Harrods and buy a brand-new Norton off the shelf. If only that was still the case!
Development of the Norton series continued and in November 1910 the Motor Cycle were the first publisher to announce the 490cc 3½ hp Norton. The new bike made is TT debut in 1911 with both Pa Norton and Percy Brewster at the helm of their own motorcycles. Neither machine finished, but Pa Norton, never one to give up, took it back to the drawing-board, worked his magic, and entered it into the 1912 Brooklands TT with Percy Brewster at the bars. Brewster stamped the Norton name on the Brooklands bank, where he set a new 351-500cc class record at 73.57mph.
Later that year, Hull-Norton dealer Jack Emerson, raced around Brooklands with the throttle lever held against the stop, and against a top-class field he won the 150-plus-mile Senior Brooklands TT (< 500cc class) at a record 63.88mph, setting both the 100 and 200 mile records before tyre problems scotched the 300 mile attempt. The 490cc 3½ hp (that would essentially become what is known as the 16H) had established its worth and was officially enlisted into the Norton line up alongside the BIG 4.
The Start of the 1911 IOM TT
The competition department at Norton was on an all-time high. Pa was not a well chap at this point in time due to an illness contracted on the Isle of Man, and was often absent for months at a time. Pa was a proper motorcycle enthusiast; this meant that on good days, he would focus his time and energy on race machine preparation, rather than building motorcycles for sale to the public. The result… the company fell to the auctioneers. The hammer was pointed in the direction of local business tycoon Bob Shelley who moved the factory to a new premises at Sampson Street in August 1912. Pa Norton was not cut out of the equation completely, and in a prudent move, Shelley made Pa a joint-MD of Norton Motors Ltd.
The other notable movement in the camp was the recruitment of experienced Brooklands racer and master tuner Dan “Wizard” O’Donovan, who went on to smash numerous records with his Norton sprinter, later dubbed the “Old Miracle”. The Brooklands Bank was an ideal platform to showcase race-winning machines to the public who craved exciting, fast, race-inspired bikes, and with that, Norton set to work on Brooklands flavoured Specials (inspired by machine such as the “Old Miracle”) which showed up in catalogues in 1913.
The Old Miracle at Goodwood
Norton were not included on the Governmental military list, but were still instrumental in supporting the war effort, producing military components and some motorcycles. In the background, development and refinement continued, and in the inter-war period, an all-chain drive configuration appeared for the first time on the BIG 4 and selected 490cc models. As the rumble of the war subsided and the racetracks started to simmer, Norton were in a poised place with a series of models to cater for all. In a tabloid from the Motor Cycle, Pa Norton hinted to the intended post-war line-up. These would be:
Model 1: chain-drive three-speed BIG 4
Model 7: Brooklands Special
Model 8: Brooklands Racing Special
Model 9: belt-drive single-speeder 490cc 3½ hp TT
Model 16: chain-drive three-speed 490cc 3½ hp TT
A Norton Model 9 at the Oude Klepper Parade
As the roadsters started to roll out of the factory gates once more, the tracks bellowed back into life. Alexander Lindsay kicked off with a gold in the 1919 ACU six-day trial on his Norton, and local Isle of Man competitor Duggie Brown took second in the 1920 Senior TT – the first of the races since the outbreak of the war. It was an upbeat start on the circuits, and in 1920 Norton moved to the landmark factory at Bracebridge Street in Birmingham.
It was in 1921 when the 16H model was first officially catalogued, featuring the tried-and-tested 490cc side-valve, mated to a three-speed Sturmey-Archer gearbox, with chain-driven transmission. The ‘H’ stood for ‘Home’ market, while the exported ‘Colonial’ bike became the 17C. The 16H had the spirit of the early racers, but was also very dependable and quick, resulting in strong sales.
A Norton 16h Sidecar Combo at Brooklands
Norton machines became more and more popular with the public as they continued to evolve, and became renowned for reliability and robustness. This was well demonstrated by James Pa Norton in the winter of 1921-1922, when he decided to take a trip to Durban, South Africa on his BIG 4 to visit his brother. The trusty Norton clocked up hundreds of miles in severe rain. The bike was really put to the test, as Pa had to navigate flooded and rutted roads, taking numerous detours due to bridges that had simply been picked up by the rivers in flood, and swept downstream. The condition of the roads and tracks would have been something to behold, but the dependable BIG 4 trudged forth and completed the journey to demonstrate the strength and spirit of the machine.
A Norton Big 4 at the Goodwood Revival
Meanwhile, back in Britain the rumour mill had it that Norton had developed an overhead-valve machine behind the factory doors, and in 1922 a prototype 490cc OHV model rolled across the cobbles and in the direction of the tracks. Pa Norton made it back from his trip in South Africa in time to witness Rex Judd scorch into the record books at Brooklands. Ralph Cawthorne then took the OHV Norton to the Isle of Man in 1922, but crashed out in style.
The OHV road-going Norton was officially unveiled at the 1922 Paris show and appeared in the brochure the following year, labelled the Model 18. The punchy machine soon established a reputation for being a dangerously quick bike and became a popular choice for amateur racers of the day who could quite easily take a standard Model 18 down to the local grass track or circuit, and obliterate the opposition.
A Norton Model 18 at the Where is Anna Run in Belgium
1923 was more of an upbeat year on the circuit scene for Norton. The OHV Norton returned to the Isle of Man Senior; Graeme Black finished a modest second place on a factory machine, closely followed by privateer Graham Walker in fourth place.
Norton had also introduced a new heavyweight to the pack – a 588cc model that was to be the perfect sidecar hauler. The team entered the bike into the first sidecar IOM TT event in 1923. Graham Walker (who had already took fourth spot in the Senior Race) took second place in the sidecar event, followed by the George Tucker and Walter Moore combo. The bike was to become the Model 19, a machine intended to appeal to the sidecar man with a yen for high performance.
George Tucker with crewmate Walter Moore after winning the 1923 Belgian Sidecar Grand Prix.
Norton were not quite finished for the 1923 season. A factory standard Model 18 was entered into the Maudes Trophy, its assembly monitored by an ACU official. Bert Denly, Nigel Spring and Wizard O’Donovan rode the bike in shifts to scoop 18 world records in 12 hours at the banked track of Brooklands. This was a remarkable triumph for the Norton factory, but the best was yet to come.
In 1924, the OHV Norton showed its muscle when Alec Bennett won the Senior TT with an average speed of 61.64 mph, while Tucker and Moore took top trophy in the sidecar event. There were victories at the Spanish, Belgian, Ulster and French GPs, plus many other National and International speed events, and Bert Denley captured the coveted British One Hour Record at 87.07 mph. A victorious year which put the rubber stamp on a motorcycle brand which had moved into the top tier of International racing teams. It was all down to Pa Norton, who lost his battle to cancer in 1925 – a quiet and reflective year for Norton.
Alec Bennett at the end of the 1925 Senior TT
In 1926 Norton were restructured as Norton Motors Ltd, and with troubles in the economy, the company were forced to finance their own HP scheme and drop model prices. Irishman Stanley Woods was recruited into the Norton force, who took the 490cc OHV Norton to the Senior TT, and won with an average speed of 67.54 mph.
The OHV competition bikes as raced by Woods featured a number of modifications including a dry sump, and these filtered through to the civilianised Model 25 which was marketed as a replica of the 1926 TT bikes. The 25 featured a dry sump, and a number of racing mods including a steel flywheel (replacing the cast-iron units), heavy duty Webb girder forks (to endure the rutted terrain of the TT circuit), sturdier brakes for improved stopping power, a quick-action fuel filling system, and an expanded capacity oil tank to save on the embarrassment of a seized engine.
A Model 25. Credit: Kir Otto
The OHV Norton had elevated the company since 1922, however a new breed of motorcycle was evolving – the potent camshaft machines. Norton’s chief design engineer Walter Moore had noted that the overhead camshaft engines proved more durable at racing speeds, especially over long distances. All he had to do was convince the Norton board! Moore was accorded the time to look at the concept in the winter of 1926/27, and in 1927 the Cam Shaft 1 (CS1) was ready for trial. Norton fielded a solid entry in the Senior TT, and dominated the race with Alec Bennett tearing past the waving chequered flag after Stanley Woods lost the lead towards the end of the race with a blown clutch.
The success of the CS1 in the TT set a precedent for Norton moving forwards, and in November the same year, the public were able to purchase a production version which was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show. The CS1 was an impressive machine, and it soon acquired the nickname the Cricket Bat – so called because of the vertical shaft and lower timing case that resembles the willow of the batsman.
A Norton CS1 Special at Brooklands
1927 was an upbeat year for Norton. In addition to the win at the TT, Stanley Woods took the Dutch, Swiss and Belgian Gran Prix titles. Meanwhile, Brooklands legend Bert Denly was breaking records on an OHV Norton – the first 500cc rider to achieve 100 miles in an hour (on a solo) at Montlhery in June 1927.
Denly continued to smash the record books on “LPD 1”, a Norton sidecar combo. The model name [LPD 1] stems from the engine – the first that L. P. Driscoll produced for the Norton Works team in 1927, and Denly went on to take 18 world long distance records with Jack King as passenger.
LPD 1 at the Brooklands Museum
The CS1 was accompanied by the ES2 in the Norton brochure, which featured a full-cradle frame, and at the heart throbbed a 490cc overhead-valve motor. The OHV engine had been used and developed in the Model 18 over a number of years and therefore presented a well-tested and solid foundation for the ES2.
The ES2 was intended as a fast tourer, albeit to anyone outside of the Norton factory gates it was still a very capable sporting machine. The key update over the Model 18 engine was protection to the push rod return springs which were enclosed in thimbles. Legend has it that this was the catalyst for the name assigned to the ES2… “Enclosed Springs”. The alternative mode of thought is that the E denoted “Extra Cost”, the S “Sports”, and the 2 to mark the second generation of the long-stroke engine… who TF knows!!
A Norton ES2 at the Where is Anna Run in Belgium
In 1928 Norton added another weapon to their arsenal. It was a mini version of the CS1, a 350cc camshaft, which was entered into the Junior TT, albeit without success. The snappy bike went on sale to the public in 1929 as the “Camshaft Junior” together with the overhead-valve “350cc JE”. The bikes never really caught on, most likely as a result of the Depression coupled with the fact that there were cheaper 350cc alternatives already on the market.
In 1929 there was a clashing of heads, and Norton were at the hands of a bit of a mix-up to personnel. Walter Moore left the company and was replaced by Joe Craig who became famous as the firm’s race director. There was mixed success in competition – nothing to write home about – the CS1 was an impressive machine, however the next couple of race seasons were futile, and Norton needed a rethink.
A Norton CS1 Racer at the Goodwood Revival
The rethink was handed over to the combined talents of Joe Craig and Arthur Carroll who pulled apart the CS1 and returned to Norton with something quite special. In fact, very little of the Cricket Bat (CS1) engine was retained, with the new unit being heavily influenced by the established and lucrative Velocettes. It took a year-or-so for the Craig-Carroll engine to bed in, and in 1931 Norton swept all before them at the Isle of Man TT, finishing 1st (Tim Hunt), 2nd (Jimmy Guthrie), & 3rd (Stanley Woods) in the Senior, and 1st (Tim Hunt) and 2nd (Jimmy Guthrie) in the Junior.
This was the start of a golden era for the company as they went on to dominate road racing for several years, both at home and on the Continent, and it was this domination far and wide that earned the new machine the name the “International”, or the “Inter” as it became fondly known. It was the flagship of the Norton line-up, and the avid boy racers soon assembled, with the new machine on sale in late-1931.
A Norton International at Kop Hill
In the 1930s, the forefront of any Norton conversation was mostly focussed around the buzz of the camshaft movement, however in the background the side-valve and pushrod machines retained a loyal fan base. The trusted bikes found themselves a new role as a popular every-day mode of transport, and the charm and popularity would ensure that the thumping Norton’s would remain in production through the next couple of decades. The once sporting side-valve 16H featured softer cams and was considered to have a workhorse role alongside the Big 4, while the OHV models led by the cradle framed ES2 and open framed Model 18 became the fast tourers for the rider with taste.
A Norton Model 18 at Brooklands
The 1930s were the halcyon days for Norton who dominated competition, both professional and amateur, on the track and off-road. Norton conquered the leader boards in the TT, every year until the outbreak of the war, at the hands of their fearless and devoted riders that included Stanley Woods, Jimmy Guthrie, Percy Hunt, Jimmy Simpson, Walter Rusk, John White and Freddie Frith. The International was a remarkable motorcycle, and one that took Norton through their golden years, all until the Second World War reared its ugly head and put an abrupt halt on racing and production.
A Norton International at Brooklands
Norton were in a better position than WW1, and Dennis Mansell negotiated terms for the sales of the military 16H and BIG 4 models to reinforce the war effort. The BIG 4 was the ideal candidate for sidecar work, and Norton set to work to produce a number of outfits that were designed to carry two or three men plus their equipment over rough terrain. The bikes were also used in reconnaissance missions and for moving ammunition forward to the front-line troops.
A Norton Big 4 at the Goodwood Revival
The 16H had been modified for the terrain of war, with suitable modifications for off-road work (extra ground clearance, and girder forks with buffer stops) and was denoted the WD16H. The military office gave Norton the thumbs up, and almost 5000 WD machines were rolled off the factory line at Bracebridge Street in Birmingham prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. The bikes were robust, reliable, and easy to maintain, and undoubtedly put a positive stamp on the war effort. In total, approximately 80,000 16H models were delivered throughout the war, and gained a unique reputation for being “unstoppable”. A large number were also supplied to the Canadian Army for despatch riding. It was not long before the Norton would acquire the reputation as the “Bike that not even the Canadians could break”!
A Norton 16H at the Goodwood Revival
As the dust settled after the war, a number of machines remained in military service, while many others were converted back to civilian trim where there was a high demand for transport as manufacturers took time to find their feet again in the wake of the war. Competition kicked back into life and when the Isle of Man TT resumed, Norton were a force to be reckoned with, winning the Senior TT every year from 1947 to 1954, despite fierce competition from more powerful Italian machines.
A Norton Model 18 in civilian trim at the Where is Anna Run
The line-up of Nortons were back in business. The conventional and dependable girder forks were phased out for Roadholder telescopic forks on most models. The OHV Model 18 was quickly put back into production while the “International” found its place as a fast sporting roadster which had more road equipment on board than on the pre-war version, albeit they could be easily stripped for a “clubman’s” version if required. For the pukka racing fraternity the Manx models (350 and 500cc) were offered for sale – these being SOHC Internationals fully equipped for racing purposes. The ES2 had weathered WWII from the ringside, but when it returned, it was replaced with the telescopics and to the rear, a modern plunger suspension – a welcome comfort for la derrière. The side-valves continued in utilitarian style, but by 1954 the desire for the steadfast thumpers was no more, and production of the 16H and BIG 4 ceased.
Norton increased its series with the twin-cylinder Dominator in 1949 and the machine was conceived to directly compete with similar machines from Triumph, BSA and Ariel. Its chassis was derived from the ES2, with telescopic front and plunger rear suspension, and an updated version of the gearbox known as the “lay-down” box. For 1949 the Manx models were updated with a DOHC head as fitted to the works bikes, and the same year, Geoff Duke won the Senior Manx Grand Prix on a Norton. Norton dominated the leader board at the Senior TT, and the same year a Norton team of Duke, Oliver, and Artie Bell went to the Montlhéry track near Paris and annexed twenty-one world records in the 350cc and 500cc classes.
In 1950 the Manx entered a new chapter with an innovative featherbed frame. The Featherbed was given its nickname after Harold Daniell first tested it and quipped that it was like “riding on a featherbed”. The innovative frame provided the Manx bikes with a new lease of life, and Norton went on to record a double hat-trick at the Isle of Man TT, courtesy of John Surtees and Geoff Duke.
In 1953, Norton was sold to Associated Motorcycles (AMC), who also owned the AJS, Matchless, Francis-Barnett and James brands, and production was moved to London. Although motorcycle sales went through a recession in the 1950s, AMC invested in the development of Norton machines and sales flourished. A series of Dominator twins of 500cc, then 600cc, then 650cc were produced, and then came the 750cc Norton Atlas kept which kept sales buoyant, especially with exports to the United States.
The 1960s were not so lucrative, as the Japanese brands started to arrive on the scene. The Japanese bikes were cheaper, and often faster, and this had a profound impact on the British market, including AMC/ Norton who found themselves in dire straits as the decade moved forward. In 1966 AMC became insolvent and was reformed as Norton-Villiers.
The first big thing from the newly formed outfit was the 750cc Norton Commando. The superbike arrived in dealerships in 1968 and outperformed the contemporary Triumph and BSA twins, and was the most powerful and best-handling British motorcycle of its day. The Commando was a best seller, and voted #1 Motorcycle of the Year, year after year, and in 1973, a more torquier 850 Commando appeared.
In 1973 Norton merged with BSA and Triumph to create Norton-Villiers-Triumph, but the brand effectively went into hibernation two years later, when the UK government called in its loans to the ailing company. The rest of the 1970s and early 1980s were quiet times for Norton; the brand has had mild peaks and troughs since and has changed hands multiple times.
However unlike many of the early pioneers, the Norton marque has survived through the tough times and still continue to produce top draw motorcycles that blend its heritage with cutting-edge technology. The flagship V4SV superbike showcases the company’s high-performance ambitions, while the reborn Commando 961 appeals to riders who are after the classic touring touch. The grit and determination of Pa Norton have filtered through to the modern era, and we cannot wait to see what it up next.
an article by The Girder Club
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