Tales
from a Somerset Shed
all the LATEST NEWS
a sort of BLOG
or perhaps it is a BLAG
Please scroll down the page……… it is long, but packed full
of good stories!
"We
desire to emphasize, as we have done in the past, that Norton machines are not
built to a price. The finest possible materials procurable and the highest
quality workmanship are used throughout in the manufacture of theses".
A quote from the 1926 catalogue.
Click here for a couple of great BikerChicks_0.jpg
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Oldest Norton in the world
1902 Energette.
In 1898 James Lansdowne started his own business in
Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham. The Norton Manufacturing Company specialised in
making chains and other parts for the bicycle industry. Within his circle of
friends, ‘Jas. L.’; as he was initially known, and well before the ‘title’ of
‘Pa Norton’, became acquainted with a local business man, Charles Garrard in
1902. This latter gentleman was an entrepreneur who saw the new world of
motoring as an opportunity to make his fortune and he befriended Messr. Clement, who in turn was a skilled Frenchman,
producing small capacity single cylinder four stroke engines. Garrard imported
the Clement engines and instructed Norton to fit them into ‘beefed-up’ bicycle
frames and they were sold as ‘Clement-Garrard’ motorised bicycles. Apparently,
Clement-Garrard’s workshop was next door! Production was very limited and by
November of that year, Norton had infact made and sold his first ‘Norton’,
which was basically the same as the Clement-Garrard. It was called the
‘Energette’. The first advert appeared on the 19th
November 1902 in the Motor Cycling; why it was ‘ideal for a Doctor’ is any ones
guess! But since I am a Doctor, it is in the right ownership!
The Clement engine was 55 X 60mm bore and stroke ( about 140 cc) and
had an atmospherically controlled inlet valve and a mechanically operated side
exhaust valve. The crank, drive side main shaft and pin were all forged as one
piece out of tough steel and case hardened and ground dead true afterwards. The
aluminium crankcases were clamped to the inside of the front down tube and to
the right of centre. The drive side main-shaft held a 7 ¼ inch O.D. flywheel
which had either a sprocket or pulley bolted to the inside and consequently
balanced the motor within the frame; so the theory goes! The pulley (or
sprocket) then drove another pulley or sprocket, situated below, but in front
of the pedal crank, and this, in turn drove the rear wheel pulley by the period
leather belt. There were variations on this theme that sometimes included a
jockey wheel to maintain the rear belt tension. The rest of the machine was
basically a period bicycle and consequently pedals drove the rear wheel by the
usual sprocket arrangement including a free-wheelin’ rear hub. A small petrol
tank was suspended beneath the top frame rail, ignition was ‘electric with
positive “make” trembler’; and ‘A coil, giving a strong spark and accumulator
of 20ampere hours capacity’ (ref: Supplement to Motor Cycling 7.5.1902) The
whole machined weighed about 70 lb (32kg) and was probably not much faster than
a good athlete on a sports bicycle! I guess that there were very few made and
perhaps only a couple of survivors; the 1903 machine I rebuilt for the National
Motorcycle Museum, a few years ago and the 1902 model I have recently purchased
from a museum in Holland. This machine is fitted with a two speed gearbox of
unknown manufacture.
With just a day fettlin’ the little
machine in my shed, I poured in a pint of petrol through the tiny filler and
wheeled her out into the yard. Petrol tap on, tickle carb, fiddle with a few
levers, engage second of the two gears by pulling back on the large lever and
peddle away. Bop Bop Bop Bop. The engine fired up perfectly and I went for a
spin down the lane. About as fast as Raleigh ‘Runabout’, with very poor braking
and some LPA (light pedal assistance) required on the hills.
The grin factor was very high indeed and I am
pleased that I have a machine eligible for next years Pioneer run.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chassis
Click for great picture chassis.JPG
And two pictures from the dunhill drivers club at
2010 Goodwood FoS:
fos10a.JPG
fos10b.JPG
Dunhill have you new range of leather goods, bags,
wallets etc called the ‘Chassis’.
This is a high tech leather that looks like carbon
fibre and has water resistant and many other desirable qualities.
For many years dunhill have kindly asked me to
display my motorcycles for them at various venues and this year I was back at
the Goodwood FoS.
1936 Norton ‘diamond frame’, forks and gearbox
1948 500 OHV all alloy competition trials blue print
motor.
Tallon hubs, wheels and disc brakes.
Brembo claipers
Newby primary drive
And a lot of aluminium and trick parts. Weight
244lbs (standard was about 400)
To be displayed at the dunhill Drivers Club at
Goodwoood FoS 2010.
Already SOLD, a few more being built
2010 EVENTS ITINERY
September, Goodwood Revival; invitation to ride, possibly with Valentino Rossi,
but more likely with Stu Rogers.
October, Shepton Mallet Autjumble.
October, Stafford Show with 1902 Norton and a couple others.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WANTED
My
next book will be about Cammy Nortons from 1927 to 1963.
My book on Flat Tank Nortons was made possible because I
collected over 100 photographs, many articles and numerous stories, which were
all previously unpublished.
I am currently working on my new publication, called ‘Cammy Nortons’. All OHC machines from
1927 to 1963. I need unpublished
period photographs, stories and any relevant literature and information
pertaining to this subject. For material supplied, you will receive an
acknowledgement in the book and a complimentary copy. I will buy, beg, borrow
or steal. I would also like to talk to anyone who worked at Bracebridge Street,
to listen to their recollections and stories.
I want pictures like this one of Ted Sturgess on
an Inter at a dirt track meeting in the late forties.
Picture courtesy of Barry
Brown. ted.jpg
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two Nortons just finished
For the Vintage Motorcycle Club, a c1928 CS1 which
was kindly donated to the club by the spouse of a late member. It had been in
the Donnington Park museum for many years and requires careful re-commissioning; what ever that means!
It goes very well and has a 4 speed box. The other machine is a same year ES2, which
shares the 3 stay frame with its ‘Cammy’ sibling. It took almost 200 hours of
work to turn it from a wreck to a beauty. After its second test ride, I thought
this to be the smoothest running OHV motor I have ever ridden.
Click on the jpgs
for pictures, the third one shows my New 1934 Inter and the ES2
CS1 VMCC.JPG
CS1 VMCCa.JPG
Inter ES2.JPG
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
New Manx
Norton wins again
Glenda’ and the Works Norton
back on top at Brands Hatch 7/8th August 2010
Round 6 of the Bonhams British Historic GP Championship saw the Works-Norton team return to Brands to support the ever popular BSB. However, such was the quality of the two classic races; it looked a little as though it was the BSB races that were the support.
The success of the Works Norton 30M this year has certainly upset the establishment and consequently the opposition wheeled out their big guns, in the form of super-quick riders Luke Notton and Steve Tombes, for what is probably the premier round of the season. Race 1 started in damp conditions, but Glen ‘Glenda’ English cruised the early stages holding 2nd place while the track dried. He was cannily saving himself for the inevitable last lap show down, and what a show down it was. Tombes showed his hand on lap 5 of the 6 and allowed English to get the measure of his bike. Lap 6 saw the pair in a full on dog fight with absolutely no quarter given. As they entered the final corner, Tombes was a couple of bike lengths ahead and looked to have it in the bag, but English used the shear grunt of the Works engine to drive straight past and win by 0.011 seconds at the line!
Overnight tweaking, with the team’s super new King Dick equipped paddock workshop, ensured the Works-Norton was ready for more of the same in Sunday’s race 2. And that is exactly what it got, only this time it was a 4 or even 5 bike race long scrap. The final lap was an epic of Rossi/Gibernau proportions, with English and Tombes fitting for every inch of track, pushing their super-sticky Avons to the limit. Again the pair entered Clearways with Tombes ahead, and again Glen and the Works-Norton simply powered past to win by 0.093 seconds this time.
At the Easter meeting (4/4/2010) at Brands Hatch,
Glen English won both races of the opening round
of the British Historic Championship aboard the New
Manx. And two weeks later at Oulton Park, another two wins. 4 out of 4, not bad
eh! Pictures and further details soon.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
New Manx Norton at Mallory Park
Today,
March 24th 20010 saw the first track outing for the New Manx Norton.
After many months of intensive testing on the engine bench and dynamometer,
Patrick Walker, the design engineer and builder of the new motor, and world
renowned engine tuner Fred Walmsley are happy their new baby is ready for cut
and thrust of the race track.
Ridden
by current Lansdowne Champion, Glen English, the new machine took to the tarmac
of Mallory Park today. Built to much the same specification of the last batch
of ‘square’ bore and stroke Manx engine to leave the Birmingham factory in
1963, these new units incorporate the advantages of 21st century
engineering, CNC design and machining, and of course great advances in
metallurgy. There are subtle changes in the oil pump, oil system and a few more
top secret places. With plenty of British Horses on tap, Mr. Walmsley keeps the
Norton tradition of never giving his power figures. James Lansdowne, himself,
always used to say: “The speed is the difference and the difference is the speed”
With
the engine warmed up to the correct temperature, English took to the track, but
after just 2 laps an incontinent petrol tank curtailed the initial session.
After a few more teething problems with the clutch and carburation, the machine
began to really fly and within 10 laps the new Manx Norton was just as fast as
other machines from rival camps. In the post practice de-brief, English confirmed
that the super smooth engine gave plenty
of power and with a few more ‘tweaks’ from the grease monkeys, should see the
machine a winner in the near future.
The
first round of this year’s Lansdowne race series, now renamed as the ‘British
Historic Championship’, takes place at Brands Hatch on Easter weekend, as part
of the British Super Bike meeting. I bet Mr. English will only be a few seconds
slower per lap than Ji Sung Takamati on his 4 cylinder Kawasukiondahaha!
For
further details on how to order one of these new machines or just an engine:
Please contact Patrick Walker at worksracing@hotmail.com
The
jpeg pictures show:
a. English and Walker with the Works
development machine; Mallory 2010a.JPG
b. The first new ‘customer’ engine, ready for
delivery; Mallory 2010b.JPG
c. Walker’s tatty van with the bike, the
customer engine and a new cylinder head, ready for the Walmsley ‘magic wand’. Mallory 2010c.JPG
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A couple of machines I have just finished; a 1937 TT
Model 40, ex-Bryant and
a 1953 Manx with Beart barrel and Jackson con-rod
Bryant.JPG
manx 53.JPG
Brasier Car
bra 1.jpg bra 2.jpg bra 3.jpg bra 4.jpg bra 5.jpg bra 6.jpg bra 7.jpg
THIS MOTOR CAR IS:
1908 Brasier Voiture de
Course
• An impressive
recreation of one of the three 1904 and 1905 Gordon Bennett
Trophy cars.
• Built around the
chassis and substantial remains of a 1908 50hp Brasier.
• Powered by a freshly
rebuilt thundering Hispano Suiza 220 hp V8 Aero engine.
• Currently geared for
around 105mph with a set of longer cogs purporting to
propel you to 140mph.
Charles-Henri Brasier was
an ambitious ingenious and cultivated man. A brilliant scholar
he graduated second in his
year at the elite École des Arts et Metiers, at Chalons. His first
brief employment was with
Pannard et Levassor and then the Paris-Orleans Railway
before securing permanent
employment as a designer for the Mors Company in 1886.
Already successful in the
developing electrical industry Mors were seeking to exploit
other new technologies and
commissioned Brasier to design a small steam tricycle.
Encouraged by the attention
this drew at the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris the Mors
brothers commissioned
Brasier to go on and design a V4 engine with contact breaker
ignition and a ‘vis-à-vis’
bodied car. These beginnings led to the decision by Mors to use
their cars in competition.
Brasier had finally found his real vocation as Mors rapidly
became one of the leading
sporting names of the early years of La Belle Époque.
Even with victories in the
1901 Gordon Bennett Trophy and prestigious 1105km Paris-
Berlin the treasury and
board of the Mors Company took a dim view of the huge costs of
preparing their racing cars
and decided to part with Brasier’s services.
Brasier was promptly
snapped up by the Société Georges Richard and in 1902 he
designed for them a range
of 8, 12, and 16hp cars with larger models being added the
following year. A team of
four 2.2-litre cars were entered into the 1903 Paris-Madrid
race.
They scored a 2nd, 4th and
16th in their class while the final car driven by George Richard
himself hit a tree while
trying to avoid a spectator near Angouléme badly injuring his leg.
His prolonged recovery
effectively left control of the company in the hands of Brasier.
Brasier seized this
opportunity to create a team for the next Gordon Bennett race. In 1904
Léon Théry drove one of the
new Richard-Brasier racing cars to victory in the French
Gordon Bennett eliminating
trial. Powered by a 9.8-litre four cylinder engine running
through a chain drive Théry
went on to convincingly win the event itself held in
Germany.
The impact of this
significant French victory in a huge international event meant that
Léon Théry and Henri
Brasier were treated to a magnificent reception by the president of
France and were feted on
the streets of Paris. Great friction had built up between Brasier
and George Richard causing
the latter to leave the company, later to set up the Unic
company. Brasier wasted no
time preparing for the 1905 Gordon Bennett race that was to
be held at the challenging
course in the Puy de Dôme region to the west of Clermont-
Ferrand. He entered a team
of three cars. Superficially the same as the year before but
with the engines enlarged
to 11 ¼-litres producing 90hp at 1200rpm. They took 1st and
2nd in the eliminator race
and Théry went on to beat the Fiats to victory in the main event,
which turned out to be the
last running of the Gordon Bennett Trophy meaning France
retained the title for
good.
Brasier continued to run
factory race entries through to 1910, in 1906 they finished 4th in
the first ever Grand Prix
held at Le Mans but due to increasingly harder times for the firm
they never recovered the
brilliance of their Gordon Bennett hay days.
The racers were eventually
sold into private hands with one being acquired by an
Englishman Clement Hobson
who with Bablot at the wheel took the car to Brooklands on
the 31st of October 1908
set the 60hp class record for 10 laps at 101.78mph, a record that
was to stand until 1913.
Brasier engines were sold for boats and planes taking the world
water speed record of 73kph
in 1910 Prince of Monaco Cup.
At the outbreak of the
Great War the factory was turned over to war work making light
trucks, small lories and
proving their engineering skills by making the complex and
costly Hispano Suiza V8
Aero engine that powered the fighters planes such as the SE5.
This car is a recreation of
one of the three Gordon Bennett team cars. In 2003 the
substantial, though
incomplete, remains of a 1908 50hp Brasier were found in Australia.
These customer cars were
very similar to the works 1904 racing cars, but with a smaller
six cylinder motor. The
parts included chassis, front axle, steering box, steering wheel,
gear and brake levers,
cross shafts, and pedals and other minor parts. In Switzerland a
suitable chain-drive
greabox/transaxle was sourced, in France an original radiator,
complete with its original
enamel badge, and a suitable rear beam axle, manufactured by
the Le Moine foundry, as
supplied to Automobiles Brasier. All that was missing was an
engine.
The original 90 hp engine
was 11 ¼-litres with four cylinders. None of those seem to
have survived, though they
were also used in boats, racing on the river Seine. As Brasier
was one of the companies
contracted to manufacture the Hispano Suiza 220 hp V8 Aero
engines during the First
World War. Remarkably one was found in the USA where it had
been used in competition in
a speedboat in the 1920s and 30s. Also of 12-litres this
seemed the perfect engine
for the car.
Mike Holt was the inspiration for the car, which was originally constructed by Oliver Way
and more recently Mike New has re- engineered many items including the fitting of Ross pistons.
I bought it because it will be an ideal
car for the school runs, trips to Tesco and maybe some
more prestigious motoring events. I am
driving it down to Classic Le Mans in July.
I still like and ride Norton
motorcycles!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To see a very funny video click on TheKnack.mpg
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ralph Cawthorne was the first man to ride an OHV Norton in the TT
in 1922.
His son Roger has kindly given me his father’s
photographic album which contains many great pictures;
They would have been a great addition to my book.
Anyway, one of the best is this shot of Ralph at
Cronky Mona (just after Hillberry)
Just LOOK at the road SURFACE!
rough
road.JPG
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
New 30M Manx Norton
Made by Patrick Walker, who was trained by the great
Doug Hele and
is now a superb engineer in his own right, for
Norton Motorcycles UK Ltd
A brand new Manx, click to picture
Best.jpg
More details will appear soon; see Machines for Sale
page
this is not a Molnar, not a Summerfield, but a genuine
NEW Works factory 30M Manx
Orders being
taken now; email me for
further details.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two pictures from the Stafford Show, April 2009
stafford-nortons025.jpg
stafford-nortons026.jpg
and a couple of pictures from the dunhill Drivers
Club at Goodwood FoS 2007
Goodwood-Dunhill-Flyer1.jpg
Goodwood-Dunhill-Flyer-2.jpg
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
‘Cam-Cam’
Made from a 1946
Es2 frame, 1930 front forks, 8 inch post war front brake, 350 International
motor, dolls head box, Newby clutch, BTH electronic sparks and many hours on the
lathe and milling machine; this is the result, built for my second daughter,
Camilla, this bike is named ‘Camilla’s Cammy’ or ‘Cam-Cam’ for
short....................click on the html jpeg links
for stunning pictures.
cam-cam1.JPG
cam-cam2.JPG
cam-cam3.jpg
cam-cam4.jpg
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sensational Somerset Shed Find
Lying in a Farm shed in Somerset for about 80 years, a
unique racing Norton motorcycle has been found. Thought to be ‘Nickel-Knob’,
this old Flat Tank Norton was once raced at Brooklands by Baroness Lil Bacey in
the late twenties and early thirties.
The
all silver machine glistens with aluminium, and nickel plate and subtle touches
of black, brass and copper. The 500 cc OHV engine has special flywheels, a
later type conrod, hot cams, lumpy piston and tuned top end. A later 4 speed
gearbox and minimal weight give a top speed of over 100mph.
As with
all stories about pioneer vehicles and despite the evidence that this machine
is an old historic racer, there is a rumour that this motorcycle was built in
2008. From a collection of NOS (New Old Stock) Vintage Norton parts, newly
fabricated bits and bobs and a lot of hours in the shed, this machine could
have been built at Brooklands, but in fact was built by me in Somerset!
Click on
image to see the display at the dunhill drivers club at Goodwood 2008; the
painting is by Conrad Leach.(see links page for details)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
1952 Daytona Manx
My latest bike is one of the 3 Works bikes for the 1952
Daytona 200. I have been told it is Dick Klamfoth’s winning machine.
Features a double knocker motor and magnesium bits
everywhere, including a magnesium NTT1 magneto.
Full story to come sometime!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
1939
Norton 30M.
The ‘M’ denotes to “Full Manx
specification”. The differences from a “Standard” International are:
Paired
down lugs on frame.Full wrap round oil tank (this one is a new alloy
item).Larger petrol tank (this one is new alloy item, and slightly
smaller.Magnesium crankcases, cambox, timing chest etc
Different flywheel and
conrod.Hotter cams.Manx clutch.C.R. gearbox ratios.Conical front hub, with
magnesium brake plate. Megaphone exhaust. And probably a few more variations
which escape me at present.
This bike was bought by Wilfres
Caunce in 1939 to race at the MGP. The 2nd WW stopped all that, but
Caunce hid the bike, to avoid it being commissioned for the war effort. He rode
in the Senoir MGP in 1946 and came 34th and the following year hew
was 40th, but there was a much larger entry in ’47.
The machine ‘lost’ its original
engine, sometime in the past, and when I got it there was a standard 350 motor
fitted. I have replaced this with a 1950 motor which was used at Daytona that
year. I think it is a ‘works’ motor, although some were DOHC. More research
needed!
Click on images for bigger ones;
In colour the bike as it is now and in
black and white, Wilfred in the Isle of Man.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is a picture of me
posing with “Rem” in May “007 (photo
courtesy Paul Dickson)
and, this is a picture I took at Mallory Park on a very wet
day in July 2007.
Two Nortons separated by 100 years of development.
Brian Crighton’s fabulous rotary machine, funded by Roy
Richards and the National Motorcycle Museum,
this rocket has 170 BHP, carbon fibre wheels and other
bits, fly-by-wire everything and more gizmos and electronics than your average
space ship!
Unfortunately it pissed down all day (slicks on the 2007
bike and ‘sweet fanny adams’ on t’other mount) and when the sun finally came out
at tea time, not had the medical services buggered off but so had the famous
motorcycle riders who were present to test them!
Still, Alan Cathcart and his intrepid photographer, Naka
were present to conduct a photo shoot and the road test of both machines will
have to wait for a drier day!
Isle of Man TT
centenary.
3 pictures at the Centenary, click on images for better
ones.
First picture is courtesy of Ian Allen and is taken at the
Devil’s elbow.
Second is at the start at St.john’s
Third is finishing line; first machine home just as in
1907!
Celebrating 100 years of TT
racing in the Isle of Man.
On the 28th May 2007,
exactly one hundred years after Rem Fowler sat astride the V twin Norton,
waiting to start the first ever TT race, I was doing the same. Many of the
large crowd and the officials at St.John’s were dressed in Edwardian attire and
the atmosphere was electric. Everyone was excited and I was just a little
apprehensive. I had rebuilt the National Motorcycle Museum machine a few years
previously and had practiced around the narrow and very bumpy lanes of Somerset
over the previous six weeks. I knew the engine was strong and the brakes
useless, the handling a tad wobbly and the throttle response unpredictable, but
I was ready for the ‘Race’.
Next
to me on the start line was Mr. Chris Read with his 1907 Vindec, the very
machine which came second to Fowler in the original race and which was piloted
by the American, Billy Wells; he was 30 minutes adrift in 1907! The Vindec used
the same engine as the Norton; a 684cc Peugeot 45 degrees V-twin. Chris had
fitted a later two-speed hub and a clutch mechanism, and this meant he was able
to line up with a running motor. My direct drive mount was to be pushed into
life by Dave Roper (the only American to have ever won a TT race). Behind us,
were 98 other machines, spanning a period from 1908 to 1938; the last away was
to be Manxman, Milky Quale, a multiple TT winner, aboard his George Fornby
‘Shuttleworth Snap’. Pairs were sent off at 30 second intervals. My only
criticism of the whole event was that there were not more Edwardian machines in
keeping with the period of the original TT course (the mountain circuit was
first used in 1911).
Geoff
Duke dropped the starting flag and we were away! The Vindec sped off in front
of me and I followed well behind. As the engine chimed in and I adjusted the
twin handlebar levers to give the carburettor its optimum setting, I slowly
caught the Vindec by Ballacraine corner, a 90 degree left on this course. I was
in front and round the sweeping bends of Laurel Bank and Glen Helen, the long
wheel base of the Norton provided me with a surprisingly stable ride. I soon
realised that the smooth road surface compared with my local Somerset lanes was
extremely significant and my initial apprehension was replaced by a growing
confidence. I approached the sweeping uphill left hander at the bottom of Creg
Whilys Hill with the thought that many of the pioneer riders had to resort to
‘LPA’, Light Pedal Assistance or dismount here and run along side their
machines to climb the steep gradient. Apparently Fowler had climbed the hill
easily, but this motorcycle was 100 years old. I need not have worried, because
I roared up past Sarah’s Cottage and onto the long Cronky Voddy straight , where I had time to play with the twin
levers to give me maximum performance. Approaching the end of the straight, I
looked over my shoulder to establish where the others were; not a soul in
sight!
Now was
the time to give the engine some oil; about 60 cc delivered by a petrol tank
mounted ‘syringe’ which needed to be slowly pushed in by the right hand. Along
the bumpy lanes of my practising in Somerset, I had either stopped or performed
this operation with my foot. Taking a hand off the handlebar was certainly not
an option because of the tendency for the machine to either violently wobble or
‘tank slap’. I tried removing my right hand away from the handlebar grip by an
inch, then two and finally well away and enough to give the spectators a wave.
I could ride this one handed! So there was plenty of time to plunge the plunger
and give the engine its ‘life blood’. I also recollected the story of how James
Lansdowne Norton, himself, had shown a board to Fowler at the end of the first lap with the word’ OIL’ scribbled on it. This
is the first report of the ubiquitous ‘pit signal.
Through
Handley’s Bend, the top of Barregow and down the fast hill to the bottom…….
Would I make it without throttling back and pulling on the valve lifter? My
mind was in perfect harmony with Rem, the machine running like a thoroughbred
and we sped through like a true racer. Tearing into Kirkmichael at well above
the 30 mph speed limit, I throttled back and pulled in the valve lifter for the
very sharp downhill left-hander. As I zoomed around the corner, I caught
glimpses of the crowd waving as we sped out of the village. Along the next
straight I was passed by a speeding Triumph Speed Twin; “who was that”, I
thought. With the rich blue sea to my
right and the grassy banks to my left, I tore along the narrow coast road
towards the ‘Devils Elbow’, a sharp left-right-left bend, akin to the numerous
chicanes on modern race circuits. With a reduced throttle, the left peddle in
the ‘UP’ position, I negotiated the first left hander, forgetting to rotate the
pedals by 180 degrees, meant that the right pedal grounded the tarmac as I made
the right but I was sailing again for the next left! Phew!
The adrenaline was coming on
strong now, my confidence in the machine and my riding technique growing, and
the sheer thrill of what was happening was close to nirvana. Into Peel, I came
down the hill to the acute left hander at the chip shop. The crowds were waving
manically and I caught the moment with a period foot down and banked slide to
round the corner in just the style they used to do it! Another right, then out
of the village and back towards the end of the lap and as I rounded the next
corner I could see a Marshal frantically waving a Red Flag. Fortunately I had
ample time to close the throttle, lift the valve decompressor and slide to a
halt with two large leather boots on the tarmac. Next to me was waiting, Guy
Martin (later to lap in the proper races at a 129mph average speed!); I had no
idea why we were being stopped.
With 100
riders leaving in pairs at 30 second intervals, this meant that it took 25
minutes to start the event and Guy and I were only a mile from the finish of the
16 mile course. For what seemed like an eternity, and with a couple of other
riders arriving at the stoppage point, I was eventually allowed to proceed.
With a slight uphill gradient, I demanded the assistance of a push from a
bewildered Marshall and I was away at full pace.
I swept
into St.John’s and with the huge crowd waving enthusiastically and the V-twin
engine spinning like a turbine, I crossed the line. First away and first home,
what a thrill, what a race…………… I was ready for the second lap, but to my
horror another red flag! With 50 mph on the go, no brakes and this crazy
Marshall waving his flag at me I
gesticulated for them to get out of the way. I eventually stopped some yards
past them to learn that our second circuit had been cancelled due to a
technicality relating to the closed roads permit.
It was
great fun and a privilege to be involved and I thank Roy Richards for lending
me his very precious motorcycle.
P.S.
Fowlers fastest lap in 1907 was 21 minutes; average speed of almost 43 mph. I
was about the same. In 1907 the roads were terrible, loose stones, horse shoe
nails everywhere and even acid sprayed on them to curb the dust!
George
Cohen. 12th June 2007
The c1903 Energette, Norton’s first
motorcycle.
Click on the thumbnails to see the latest restoration.
The story of this machine and others are to be found
in my book.
In the workshop,
I am setting up an engine dynamometer, which
means that all engines built from now will be
fully tuned and sorted before fitting to the bike……………hours to be spent being
deafened in the pursuit of those precious few horses! NOW
RUNNING!
click on images for a larger one.
See the Engineering page for more pictures and details…..
National Motorcycle
Museum Tragedy
Click
here to Download Video of the Rem Fowler Norton at the post-TT meeting at
Mallory Park in June 2005. I am in the leathers with no head and ex-sidecar
world champion, Stan Dibben, is helping.
Roy
click on the thumb nails
Progress at 22.4.2004:
My first impression, when
seeing these burnt wrecks was of sadness and despair; it looked as if nothing
could be saved. A few months down the road and my initial attitude has
dramatically changed. With the help of a few friends who are experts with
welding torches, hammers and dollies, wire brushes, polishing mops, and magic
wands, we have managed to salvage parts which looked as if they were only fit
for the scrap yard. All three frames are now straight and I reckon the Fowler
frame now has more straight tubes and perpendicular alignments than it ever
had!
When
the motorcycles arrived, they were covered in ash and the tool I used most
frequently in the first few days was the vacuum cleaner! Everything was
dismantled and methodically put into dozens of labelled boxes. So far I have
taken over 100 photographs, which has proved invaluable now that I have started
to re-assemble, and I have also made a research of the relevant literature at
the Beaulieu Museum Library.
One
of the most remarkable findings was related to the nickel plated parts. It
appears that the shiny nickel had ‘reflected’ the heat away and both the
underlying metal and the plate are preserved, although it has taken a lot of
‘elbow grease’ to return them to their former glory. I tried various methods of
cleaning; vapour blasting, with and without different types of ‘grit’,
different solvents, different cleaners, different polishing mops and their
complimentary ‘pastes’. Eventually the best result achieved was using a
combination of well used ‘scotch bright’, a small amount of ‘Solvol Autosol’
and a considerable amount of the afore mentioned elbow grease. Components such
as girder fork links which looked like barbecued ribs have not only come up
like new, but the old nickel has retained a beautiful patina of age; they look
superb.
The
Fowler machine, as most of you surely must know is powered by a Peugeot V twin
engine and is, fortunately, not too badly damaged. There are a couple of cracks
on the D/S flywheel and the T/S crank case half is also cracked. These faults
are not as a consequence of the fire, but are as a consequence of hard use in
the past. Rem gave this machine a jolly good thrashing, both in the 1907 TT
race and other competitive events in 1907 and 1908. The flywheels are very
heavy, the main shafts tiny in diameter (running in main bearings which are
just bronze bushes) and the crankcase walls are unbelievably thin. Remember
this is very early automotive engineering and they were yet to comprehend the
forces involved in anything rotating faster than a stationery engine!
Apparently Rem was revving this engine to 4,000 rpm! No wonder it is cracked. I
hope to repair both the cases and the flywheels, but if any ones knows of a
spare set then please let me or Roy know.
Some
parts on the Model 21 and Brooklands racer are well beyond repair, Best and
Lloyd oil pumps have melted away, alloy gearbox casings disappeared, and petrol
tanks vanished! I have been able to find some replacements at autojumbles, but
I am looking for some real ‘rocking horse manure’ in the form of dry sump crank
cases, gearbox shells and petrol tanks.
The Rem Fowler machine,
click on thumbnail for pictured at the post TT
meeting, Mallory Park, June 2005.
in background to the right is Stan Dibbens, world
side car champion with Eric Oliver in 1953
Update at on August 8th
FINISHED!! Made up some new
parts for the Brown & Barlow Carb and fitted it to the machine. To my utter
amazement not only did it fire up first pedal with this old carb on but it ran
more sweetly than with the Amal and even had a tick over!
This
machine is now back at the museum.
Update
at July 27th The
video clip, shows the engine running. There are air
leaks on the rear pot inlet manifold which means she alternates between a
single and a twin! I have now repaired
these and the bike runs superbly. Very fast and with no brakes it is quite a
challenge! To be returned to the museum on August 10th.
Update
at 7th May 2005 FIRED UP &
RUNNING TODAY!!!
I have temporally given up with trying to fix the circa 1907 Brown
& Barlow carb’ and have fitted an Amal 276……….
Primed
the crank cases with Castrol ‘R’ and with a help of a couple of friends to spin
the rear wheel………..dropped the valve lifter and the engine fired up immediately
and on both cylinders. Despite fitting a much larger crankcase breather the
pressure in the cases builds up and oil was spurting from everywhere! I need to
make a few adjustments. I took her for a small jaunt down the lane but the
engine was missing on the rear pot.
Update
at 8th April: the hardest
part, the engine is almost finished and with a bit of luck should be running by
the Stafford show. There was very little fire damage, but the engine was in bad
shape and John Griffiths never got it to run. If he had it would have gone with
a big bang! Both flywheels were cracked where the main shafts located and on
one side the big end pin location was also cracked. Consequently the main
shafts were well out of true. This meant that the crankcases were subjected to,
when it last ran, to massive stresses and were seriously cracked.
Although, my overall philosophy was to retain as much of the components
as possible, in accordance with ‘conservative repair’ ideal and the concept of
originality, I decided that I wanted to make the machine a runner. Hopefully,
if I can persuade a few bods, I will demonstrate the machine at the Post TT
Mallory Park meeting at the beginning of June.
New cases have been cast, using the originals as patterns and machine
by the Wizard of the Bridgeport mill, Denny Able, who has also made new
flywheels from En 8 billet and shafts from En24. We have replaced the phos’
bronze main bearings with new ball bearing races, made new big end bushes while
retaining the original pin, which was round, true and hard!a few other bits
have been machined to fit perfectly. The con-rods, pistons and barrels have not
been replaced.
More news soon.
Click
on the thumb nails….
This is what it looked like after the fire
…..and this is what it looks like now.
Not
Rem Fowler, but your scribe at the re-opening of the NMM…….
click on the thumb nails
I have learnt a considerable amount
about Edwardian Nortons in the last six months and I am now beginning to piece
the story together. This machine (with two other veterans) was discovered in
Rem’s
1907 TT machine is not entirely the motorcycle in my work shop, but what racing
machine retains its components? From 1907 to the current day, racing
motorcycles get crashed, thrashed and bashed. Engines blow up and are replaced
by updated units, frames break and are also replaced, leaky petrol tanks get
replaced by new ones and so on. Rem, himself , told John Griffiths in 1957
(reference: Motor Cycling 16.5.57) that the frames used to break on the 1907
models at the steering head, and were often replaced by the stronger 1908 types
which had extra bracing around the steering head. Rem recognised the engine as
being from his 1907 mount and both Griffiths and myself have spotted the “07”
on the fork crown lug.
I
have recently spoken with Titch Allen about the machine and he agrees with me
that there are very many stories about this famous machine: “it was run over by
a bus”, “it was sold to Australia”, “it was run over and then burnt”, “it was a
fake by Bill Fruin”, “it was broken up at the factory”, “it was a replica……..”.
Rem is no longer with us, but he told Titch and he has told me!
As I repair and fettle every single component in my workshop, research
the literature in the motoring libraries, and listen to more stories, I am
getting to know the ‘Rem Fowler Norton’ very well. I feel quite honoured to be
involved with its history and I am very excited about the fact that I will be riding it this year!
Fired up
the Brooklands machine three times now and all appears to be well; staccato,
staccato, staccato……blat-blat-blat…..and a good waft of Castrol ‘R’!!! Need to
do some carburettor/float tuning and then a test run this weekend. I have
returned the OHV machine and the Brooklands to the Museum.
click on the thumbnail
Testing the carb, float,
tap and piping for leaks prior to final fitting on the Brooklands bike. The
carb is a TT Amac and is entirely the one rescued from the fire. The solder had
melted from the float bowl, which was consequently in two pieces and the body
of the carb was bent, bashed and distorted. Inevitably the slide was well stuck
and the top ring threads on the piss! I have managed to repair it and the photo
shows the final test. I like to use ‘Old Virginia’ rather than petrol for this
operation. More often than not the system usually dribbles from somewhere and
instead of getting smelly petrol all over your hands, you can just lick those
fingers and slurp down the spills! In this case, I only needed to ‘lap in’
(using solvol autosol) the bottom of the float bowl union to ‘carb jet holder
bolt’.
click on the thumbnail
Close detail of the
Brooklands machine, compare with the ‘burnt out wreck’ photo lower down the
page.
click on the thumbnail
The engine fired up
after a good flooding on the float, but died after a few seconds; repeated the
scenario again, so I guess I need to look out the float height. This is now
sorted.
click on the thumbnail
OHV and SV at the recent
Stafford Show
click on the thumbnail
Brooklands machine being
bench tested
click on the thumbnail
Finished!!!!
All six wheels have now been completed and this has
been one of the hardest jobs. The rim supplier, a chap to drill the holes in
the correct place, to the nickel platers, to the paintman for striping, to the
wheelbuilder, to the tool maker, to the tyre man and back to me! I have
retained the original rim, belt rim and spokes from Rem’s rear and even
retained the spindle, cup and cones. Just some new balls, a splash of paint and
a true up! The other five have new rims, spokes, spindles and a update on the
bearings.
The
Brooklands machine will be the first finished. All the parts for the engine
have been done and it looks like new inside! A new big end from EN36, has been
machined, then sent for carburising, then thread cutting, then heat treatment,
then grinding………..all work is perfect (the heat treatment done thru’ the ‘back
door’ by the chaps who do Formular One cam shaft heat
treatment!!!!)..........only the best! Also a new small end, pin and piston.
This engine is to total Dan O’Donovan specification! and I will assemble it
soon. Next main job is to make/buy/borrow/steal all the various nuts, bolts,
washers, fasteners, do-das and little bits which I have been unable to retain
from the machines and send them off for nickel plating.
I have made it my philosophy to retain as much as I
can and have only replaced parts which were either worn out from previous use
or too badly fire damaged. I hope to
have this machine running at the Stafford Bike show in October.
The Model 21 has become a Model 18, because I was
unable to find a replacement for the dry sump cases. This was by far the most
fire damaged machine of the three and is consequently proving to be the most
difficult.
Please click on the thumbnails to see the
progress…………..sorry they takes so long to down load
Brooklands rod and new ends…..
Engine should be a flyer!!!!!!!
Just some of the Cammy engines
currently in my workshop. CJ. Model 30s and 40s. a 40M and a 30M. Every time I rebuild an engine I learn
something new. It is amazing how many variations appear on the common theme, a
consequence of both factory specifications changes and years of abuse from mechanics who know how to
bodge things!
Beware to those who are trying an
OHC rebuild for the first time……….. there are many traps!
The crash helmet is important
workshop safety equipment used to avoid injury from falling spare parts.
click on the thumb nail
Click on thumb nail to see
the fabulous “Easy Two” Special
on show at dunhill’s,
My long time friend, Dickeo Mileo de Raceo, ( alias Dick
Miles ) is featured on this page. Dick lives in Coatesville , PA. U.S.A.
click on thumb-nail to see how Dick takes
at the Isle of Man
on his 1932 Norton in 1998!!!
ULSTER
GRAND PRIX 2001 ( click thumb nail )
The three Nortons
in this picture:
No.26 is a 90
bore Molnar Manx, kindly loaned to us by Andy Molnar of "Stainless Eng.
Co."( see links page to get to his web site where
you can buy everything for a Manx Norton; from a single nut to a complete
machine ). This machine is the ultimate development of the Manx and was
ridden by my friend John Leigh-Pemberton. He was 3rd fastest in practice but
unfortunately the race was cancelled, for various reasons. No.30 is my
long-stroke Manx and I rode it in the parade laps. The third machine is the
Steve Spray championship winning rotary The chap in the hat is me!!!!
I was kindly invited, by Mike
Jackson (new president of the NOC), to the Louis Vitton classic on 3rd June
2000. This is me pretending to be Tazio Nulvolari with my 1926 TT Norton. Click
on image for larger picture!
BARRY
SHEENE MBE
1950 - 2003
Motorcycling has lost one of the all time great
British sporting heroes, with the passing of Barry Sheene MBE, on the 10th
of March 2003, following a 12 month illness of cancer of the stomach. Although,
associated with Suzukis during his all conquering years, Barry rode Manx
Norton’s for the past four seasons and he rode them very fast and with great
style. As a very young motorcyclist, Sheene was my hero and I used to read
about his early racing successes every Wednesday in the motorcycling papers. I
watched him during the seventies, when he had his epic battles with Kenny
Roberts in the world championship races and when he won most of the
transatlantic match races. As a track side Medical Officer, I would see him
flash by, just a few feet a way, and I recall our horror when he had his big
Silverstone crash in 1982. Barry was a frequent visitor to the orthopaedic
(bone-man) departments, at hospitals all over the world. He must have been
close to death on at least two occasions. Barry told me, last September, that
his body was so full of metal bits that that the diagnosis of cancer, should be
changed to ‘rust’!
About
five years ago, Barry returned to his ‘nadir’ and started competing in a few
Classic races on a Manx Norton, a type of machine he had never ridden before;
four stroke and one pot, vis a vis, two stroke and a lots of pots! Watching him
lean a Manx over on the approach to Woodcote, at Goodwood last year, was breath
taking. Barry won his last race on a Norton, just six months ago, at the famous
Sussex circuit. I knew he was ill and I guess Barry did as well, but nobody
would have guessed he was so close to death. He was laughing, joking, the very
personification of the ‘cheeky Cockney’, and signing autographs by the
thousand. Barry was the BIG attraction at a meeting which was swarming with
famous motor racing stars. Most famous people are distant; success and all its
trappings move them onto a different wave length from ‘Joe Public’. Barry
remained on the same ‘channel’ from his first motorcycling days to his last; he
entertained the crowds on the track and in the paddock.
A top
man in every way, Barry we will miss you very much.
Click on the thumbnails…
Barry and Me! At Goodwood 2002
My Engine in Barry’s bike.
TEAM NORTON MANX GRAND PRIX 1989
Guss
Buttler,Guss Cohen,Geo Cohen,Dick Miles,Flash Gordon
A
LINE UP OF CAMMY NORTONS AFTER THE 1997 TT IOM PARADE LAP; IT COULD ALMOST BE
FORTY YEARS AGO.......IF YOU WANT TO JOIN IN THE FUN THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
NOC
team of pre-war cammies win Moto Challenge of GB Classic trophy
Norton
Owners Club ‘pre-war cammy’ team win
Moto Challenge Trophy
Glorious weather
greeted the entrants to Nick Saunder’s ‘Moto Challenge of Great Britain’
arriving at Santa Pod Raceway, near Bedford, for a series of timed quarter mile
sprints. 61 modern ‘bikes’ and three REAL MOTORCYCLES.
Myself, 1937 Norton CS1; Simon
‘Kipper’ Fisher, 1933 Model 30 and Miles ‘Slapper’ Robinson, 1934 Model 30, had
entered this gruelling challenge aboard a trio of Bracebridge Streets finest
sporting mounts. These were basically the same machines which the likes of
Woods and Guthrie were winning all the TT and GP races of the era. Lovingly
prepared and after weeks of intensive practicing and training, the NOC team
repeatedly thrashed their machines down the black strip at the ‘Pod’. All the
modern bikes looked a lot faster, but we were the centre of interest. After the ‘racing’, we topped up the oil
and petrol tanks and consumed vast quantities of IPA and look forward to the
following day.
Up at the crack of dawn, we left the
Pod at 7am and 170 miles and four hours later we were at the Bryn Bach Parc
Hill Climb, near Merthyr Tydfil. We would have done it in three, but there were
numerous breaks to replenish Nicotine levels and my gear box change return spring
had to be replaced; fortunately we had a spare and the job took as long as
brewing up a cuppa! We then each made four runs up the hill and after lunch
took the machines back to the public roads. An outstanding route, with all
three ‘Cammies’ on full chat, took us through mid Wales to the Bwych-y-Groes
Pass, which is the highest road pass in Wales. With an average gradient of 1 in
7 and a maximum of 1 in 5, and 1 ½ miles in length, it remains a Challenge to
this day, just as it was to the competitors of the Maudes trophy and the
pioneer motorcyclists. A few runs up the pass, one of which was filmed by Mr.
Saunders, riding pillion ‘back to front’, the scenery was outstanding and our
machines ran perfectly. Over 300 road miles, and two events in one day was a
good challenge and we completed it without mishap. The three OHC Nortons were
well and truly thrashed and at the end of the day our efforts were rewarded by
winning the BIG trophy, presented by Holden’s! The 61 riders of modern machines
were amazed at both the speed and reliability of machines, which to the
majority of them were looked upon as museum pieces. We were noisy, we polluted
the air with Castrol ‘R’ fumes and we had a great time!
Dr. ‘Norton’ George
Cohen.
click on thumb nail to see
big picture of the winning team
Four
photographs of 1926 model 44, which was the OHV, 588cc, four speed mount used
to pull a chair; in this case a Norton Sports Special. The outfit is built as a
Tourist Trophy Replica and the action shots are taken during the VMCC closed
roads run at the Manx Grand Prix in 1994
George
Cohen with Sarah Pearce in the hot seat at Ballaugh Bridge and the approach to
Braddan Bridge.
This web-site has been fired up
since November 1997 and I have already made many new friends from all over the
globe.......and we share an enthusiasm for noisy, oily and old Nortons. They
are, quite simply, one of the best ways to have a good time. All the best
friends that I have made in the last thirty years have been via a motorcycle
connection...........howdy to you all!!!!
PLEASE can I remind you be specific
about your email enquiries; no more questions about Commandos (they have TWO
cylinders and my area of knowledge is about SINGLES).
It is also useful to know from what part of the universe you are calling from
and if you have the time, to let me know how you located my site. Thank you.
