Norton News

31st March, 2008

Norton Motors Ltd is now the official factory service point for the Commando models appointed by Andover Norton International Ltd. This will help all Commando owners, as difficulties arising with newly produced spare parts will now be detected immediately and can be seen to by the in-house chief buyer of Andover Norton.

29th February, 2008

Bob Reynolds retires and hands over his duties as Andover Nortons Chief Buyer to Norton Motors' Peter Morris.

1st November, 2007

Norton Motors Ltd now shares its office with Andover Norton International Ltd ("ANIL"), as Robert M.Reynolds, Chief Buyer of ANIL, moves his office, drawings, tooling, raw material and work in progress to Rugeley.

13th August, 2007

We announce the aquisition of Andover Norton International Ltd-
of the total stock of spare parts, drawings, tooling, and goodwill. The aquisition took place on 2nd April, but for various reasons it has not been possible to notify the public until now.
Through this aquisition, the whole motorcycle side of the now defunct Norton Group PLC is re-united in one ownership- Norton Motors Ltd, holding the ex-factory stock of spare parts, drawings, and tooling for the Norton Rotaries; Norton Motors GmbH, once a joint venture company founded as distributor for the German speaking regions of Europe; and Andover Norton International Ltd., holding the total Genuine Factory Spare Parts stock of Norton Dominator and Commando spares, the drawings and the tooling, with a continuous re-manufacturing operation running alongside.

(1968 Commando 750 Fastback from the Norton Motors Collection)

5th June, 2007

New manufacture of the classic 'Classic' brake disc incorporating an original Spondon anodised aluminium carrier and a diamond-ground stainless disc.

This 280mm disc will also replace the original, and now unavailable, Brembo discs fitted to the Interpol 2.
Retail Price : £155.40 + VAT each

23rd January, 2007

New on our homepage: the gallery. Showing some of the bikes that have passed through the works- often leaving very much changed- but open to our customers as well.
Also, we have 6 (!) Commanders to be converted to 17" wheel, upside-down forks, decent brakes, new rear swinging arms in the workshop this winter. Furthermore a P55B (F1 Sports) just came in from Germany, as well as a P43 "Classic" #LE004. As soon as these have passed through the workshop, they will be for sale. Watch the "Motorcycles for Sale" page!

19th December, 2006

We buy the total Norton Rotary parts stock of the Norton Owners Club. This, together with the stock already held, means we have even more previously scattered parts concentrated in Rugeley. A few of those parts were previously not available from us, though most just mean we got more of the same. Most of the N.O.C. stock was ex-Police and NATO. The Parts Price List will be amended shortly.

20th May,2006

At our Open Day, the Commander to end all Commanders is revealed- a bike incorporating all the features we think the production version was lacking to make it the best touring motorcycle of its time. See "Prototypes".

1st May, 2006

Some things have been changed on our "Prototypes" pages, and a new one for 2005 added. And another one may follow after Open Day- a 2006 one!

29th October, 2005

More News from Rugeley

We’ve added another couple of items to our range of options for the Commander.

Gaiter Kit, Front Forks.

The exposed chrome plated surface of the front fork tube eventually suffers from the effects of the weather, road salt and damage from flying debris. This results in the seal being damaged, oil leakage and loss of damping performance. Whilst looking unsightly, this also guarantees a failure at the annual Test.

If your forks are already leaking, we are able to offer exchange hard-chrome fork tubes or exchange fork leg assemblies incorporating hard-chromed tubes, new aluminium sliders and damper assemblies.

We now offer an easy-to-fit gaiter kit which will significantly prolong the life of your fork tubes and oil seals. The kit comprises of machined aluminium adapters for the top of the sliders, ventilated rubber bellows and nylon clips.

Of course, if your fork tubes are already corroded or damaged, and/or the seals leaking oil, this kit will most definitely not cure the problem!

Gaiter kit, Commander Part Number : 92-2492 Price : UK£46.00 + VAT

Fuel Reserve

Am I the only one to have noticed that rural petrol stations seem to have almost completely disappeared, presumably put out of business by the major outlets and supermarkets ?

We can supply an exchange steel fuel tank incorporating a solenoid tap to access the last three litres of fuel normally trapped on the left side of the tank tunnel. You can leave the main fuel tap in the ‘Reserve’ position and, at the flick of a dash-mounted switch, use the full capacity of the tank.

The tank is powder-coated and comes with all the parts necessary for the conversion, including wiring, switch, hoses and two new fuel filters.

Fuel Reserve Tank Part Number : DN0959 Price : UK£78.84 + VAT

15th October, 2005

It doesn’t seem long since the last ‘News’ but, looking at the date, time does fly when you’re enjoying yourself !

We completed the twin-seat F1 Sport rebuild (see 23rd May News for pictures) and then imported a German-specification Sport (badged as a ‘TT’) for a customer in Kent who already has an F1. More recently, we imported a Sport from Italy for another enthusiast in Essex. ‘Sports’ are becoming more difficult to obtain (only 66 were made) but we know of a low-mileage one in the UK which is in excellent condition and has very recently had a ‘moly’ engine rebuild and some cosmetic work.

Our Workshop has had a variety of bikes through this year, including an F1 ‘barn-find’ which has had a 100% mechanical & cosmetic rebuild, two F1’s for identical minor accident repairs (possibly the result of original 1990 tyres), an immaculate 1949 ES2 for clutch and gearbox overhaul and even a BMW K100LT for annual service (to change the oil filter, first take off the sump !).

Currently in progress is another NRS588 conversion, an F1 for close-ratio six speed conversion and major cosmetic work, an early Commander for conversion to Krauser specification and complete repaint and a Suzuki RE5 undergoing conversion to SU carburettor.

On the ‘Parts’ side, our new stock includes silencer heat shields, rear racks for the Commander, genuine Brembo rear stop switches for the Interpol & Classic and complete decal sets for the F1 and F1 Sport as well as many more of the run of the mill items.
All our quality-assured parts are manufactured to original drawings and specifications and, in many cases, by the original supplier using original tooling and can honestly be described as ‘Genuine Norton Spare Parts’.

Ignition Retard Unit

A new development is specifically for Interpol owners – no more idling at 1200rpm - a fully-waterproof ignition retard unit. This is a direct replacement for the original ‘Sparkrite’ part and fits under the original clip.

The circuit board is conformally coated, potted in a sealed aluminium box and the sub-harness connects via an IP68 waterproof plug & socket.

Part number : 92-1752 Price : UK£68.00 + VAT

Heat Shield, Interpol / Classic / Commander

Mirror-polished 316 stainless with clips spot-welded and silver soldered for extra security.

Part number : 92-0837 l/h and 92-0838 r/h Price : UK74.40 + VAT each

Rear Carrier, Commander P53 and P53K
Tubular steel, bronze welded and satin black powder coated. Supplied with new studs, washers and nuts.

Part Number : 92-2382 Price : UK£ 76.60 + VAT

Gel Batteries, F1 and F1 Sport / TT
With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, fitting the battery into the centre section of the frame was not the best decision made by the F1 design team! Access requires major dismantling and high local temperatures cause loss of charge and early failure of the battery.

We have developed a battery conversion which offers several benefits :-

A cooler location to improve charge retention
Easier access for inspection
Improved air flow over the engine
Maintenance-free, non-spill gel batteries
More reserve capacity – 16Ah versus original 14Ah
Higher starting current – 230A versus original 190A

Part Number : DN0958 Installed Price UK£240.00 + VAT

21st July, 2005

New products to improve your Norton Rotary!

1. At last- the Hydraulic Clutch Conversion! Suits all P41 (Interpol II) to P53K(Commander Krauser); primary covers are exchange, black ones are re-painted, shiny ones are re-polished; required master cylinder is 5/8 inch / 16mm bore; we can supply overhauled F1 - type master cylinders to match Commander and some Classic front brake. We cannot supply 'round-cap' Brembo to suit Interpol or early Classic. Advantages are smoother action, easier to get neutral when stationary, no risk of wire cable breaking,
etc.. Retail price is £295.00 + VAT & includes primary cover with slave cylinder fitted, stainless braided hydraulic hose, copper washers, O-ring seal for inspection cover, nylon washers, and lift screw locknuts.
An overhauled clutch master cylinder is available at £64.00 + VAT.

2. Newly manufactured Rear Disc for P55 (F1) and P55B (F1 Sport).
This rear disc is a direct replacement for the original stainless Brembo part, but being fine-grain cast iron, has a higher friction coefficient requiring less pedal pressure for the same braking effort. Retail price is £92.40 + VAT

3. Improved Gears for Interpol through Commander. Designed by Bob Rowley and Doug Hele but released too late to be incorporated into the production Commanders, this set comprises a wider fifth gear pair and an improved assembly of the layshaft, layshaft 4th and layshaft 5th gears. Mainshaft 4th gear benefits from stronger engagement dogs and all gears are now ground after heat treatment.Retail price is £380.00 + VAT. As many Interpol, Classic and Commander gearboxes have been modified over the years, please consult us for compatibility with your existing gear set.

23rd May, 2005

Norton Motors delivers the first ever F1Sports 2-seater to a customer. The bike was originally a re-import from Germany, totally dissembled, rebuilt and fitted with a steel subframe made in-house; fitted with pillion footrests and a special seat made up from a standart F1Sports seat with a "B"surface carrying the pillion seat pad, with an optional cover resembling a standart single seater when ridden solo. The new subframe was seen as a must, as the original aluminium subframe was never meant to carry weight that far back, let alone the weight of two people plus, in this case, a luggage rack!

Furthermore, a new, updated price list is put on the net.

10th April, 2005

The Open Day at Norton Motors sees the unveiling of the motorcycle we planned in 1992 but the chairman of Norton Motors at the time was against it, labouring under the misconception the public was interested in the stillborn "F2".
A drawing was commissioned by Norton Motors GmbH, showing what we then called the "IoM 588", i.e. a road legal replica of the race bike Steve Hislop won the TT on. Only 13 years and a few changes of ownership later we were finally in a position to convert the F1Sport of a customer in the way we wanted the P58 to be.
And what a beautiful machine it is! Not only the proud owner was stunned, but the reaction of the visitors showed this should have been done then, and still finds approval today. Similar conversions can be done on any F1Sports or, with a considerably greater effort, any F1.

6th December, 2004

As you may have noticed from our web-site, the last F1 Sport produced at Shenstone and rebuilt by us has been sold. It now resides with an enthusiast in Lancashire.

Our next project, another F1 Sport sometimes referred to as the ‘Goslett Norton’, is now stripped to the last nut & bolt and undergoing the same detailed rebuild. Completion is scheduled for late January – but a sale has already been agreed ‘subject to contract’. This machine will have a strengthened rear frame and a pillion seat.

The following project, for a change, has a piston and four valves. This is the Harris-framed ‘Hornet’ prototype built by Norman Hyde in 1996. It will be fully checked over and offered for sale with an age-related registration.

Another interesting machine in our workshop for the winter is the Battle of Twins racer, owned and sponsored by Norton Motors Deutschland, campaigned by Hartmut Mueller in the European series a few years ago. It started life as the first pre-production F1, P550001, but now has very little in common with a production bike. Twin-plug aero rotor housings with matching high compression rotors, twin under seat ejectors, six speed transmission, magnesium wheels, carbon mouldings, etc. and definitely not for sale (although extravagant arm-twisting may convince Joe otherwise !).

Krauser rear end conversion kits for Commander are being put together and should be available later this month. Mouldings are to the well-known ‘Mitchenall’ standard from the original moulds and the brackets are powder coated satin black. The kit will include the rear lamp and all the bolts, washers and nuts required to complete the job.

In 1988 Doug Hele designed a hydraulic clutch for the Commander which I recall road testing and being impressed with the light action and ease of neutral-finding. That prototype was, I think, fitted to ‘1010’ (‘Morning Reuben !) but didn’t make it into production after introduction of the F1. We have re-engineered it so that the slave cylinder fits under the standard inspection cover and have it on test (‘Morning Mike !). When we’re happy with it, we will offer it as a conversion kit. (Now available- see July 2005 News!)

Now for some of the new things in stock :

1. Replacement Ignition systems

As a joint venture with a UK design company, we have been developing an ignition to replace the Sparkrite and Boyer systems fitted to Norton rotaries. Development of installations to suit each of the models has been completed (thanks to assistance from Bob Gordon, Paul Johnstone and Mike Walker) and we offer a complete ‘plug and play’ package including illustrated fitting instructions.

The benefits of the system include improved starting, a consistent idle, and improved reliability. The ballast resistor, the most common failure of Boyer systems, is unnecessary with the ‘Digikit’ system and every effort has been made to improve the reliability of the electrical connectors.

The ignition controller employs digital technology to ensure consistent operation and is contained in an environmentally sealed aluminium case fitted with external plug and socket wiring connectors sealed to IP68 standard (= waterproof).

The ignition trigger is a Hall-effect sensor, mounted in the same position as the original trigger, with a cable and plug connecting it directly to the controller. Air gap to the flywheel is not critical and is set to approximately 2.00 mm. The sensor itself is an automotive item, made by a major manufacturer, and used by Mid-West/Diamond for their certified aircraft engines.

The kit is completed with a pair of PVL coils and a sub-harness to connect the controller to the coils, the temperature switch and to the power supply and ground.

When ordering, please specify on which model of rotary it is to be fitted so that the appropriate sub-harness is included in the kit.

Although fitting is straightforward, and we include full instructions, you may prefer that we fit it for you.

Part Number : 92-2485 Description : Digikit
Price : UK£325.00 + VAT

2. Air Filter Element for Interpol2 and Classic

We have recently received the foam filter elements from the original manufacturers.

Part Number: 92-1023
Description: Element, Air Filter, Air Cooled Models
Price: UK£ 2.80 + VAT.

9th September, 2004

The first new products to come from the Norton Works at Rugeley!

Better Braking for Commanders

Stainless braided brake hose kit for all variants of Commander; contains four flexible hoses with stainless braid and swaged fittings, eight stainless banjo bolts, sixteen copper washers, one litre of DOT4 brake fluid, and comprehensive fitting instructions

Part Number ; 92-2480 Description ; Brake Hose Kit
Price : UK£62.50 + VAT

Workshop Manual for Interpol 2

A quality re-print from the original fully-illustrated Police Operators manual for single and twin rotor idle models, now in a lay-flat spiral binder. Most of the information applies to the Classic and is a very useful guide for Commander Owners also.

Including illustrated sections on how to dismantle and re-assemble the engine and transmission, description of electrical systems and wiring diagrams, carburettors, fault diagnosis, etc., etc..

Part Number : 00-4228 Description : Workshop Manual
Price : UK£18.50

Note ; I saw an original one of these on e-Bay recently at £58.75 and rising !

The Norton that Never Was !

The first production rotary Norton was to be called the ‘Aurora’. Shenstone started to build 25 pre-production models in 1979 after many years of development. None of these were delivered to customers as independent testing showed the need for further engine and chassis development. With one exception, all were dismantled again and the parts quarantined. The one example, referred to as the ‘Cooke Nielsen’ after the US editor of ‘Cycle World’ who was to have been first to release a road test, remained as a test hack in the factory for several years and was to eventually end up in an enthusiast’s collection.

The ‘Classic’ of 1987 shares many components which were originally developed for the ‘Aurora’ and, not surprisingly, some of the other ‘Aurora’ parts found their way into private hands.

As a memento of this first rotary project, we offer an injection moulded wall plaque measuring 280mm x 135mm and a set of three black & white photo prints measuring 250mm x 200mm showing this unique motorcycle.

Part Number : 00-0506    Description : Aurora Set
Price : UK£9.00 + VAT

Commander Water Pump Assembly, Exchange

We now have Service Exchange water pumps in stock. These have the housing re-painted and new spindle, bearings, circlips and seals fitted. Each is pressure tested to 30 psi.

Exchange is subject to the returned housing being re-useable.

Part Number : AA1026 Description : SX Water Pump
Price : £78.85 + VAT

Engine Plate Set, Molybdenum Coated, Exchange

For a durable reclaim of your damaged end and centre plates, we now have sets of exchange plates in stock for all models. These have been sprayed with 99.99% pure molybdenum and ground to give an extremely hard, wear-resistant surface. This was originally developed by us in 1992 and now applies to all new production, including the aero engines of UAV Engines and Diamond Engines (ex Mid-West Engines).

Exchange is subject to the returned plates being re-useable.

Part Number : AA1000M Description : SX Engine Plate Set Price : UK£720.00 + VAT

And finally, we have an F1 Sport for sale !

Rebuilt by us regardless of cost - absolutely immaculate !

19th August, 2004

At last- the Parts Price list for Norton Rotary Spare Parts, long awaited by many enthusiasts, is put on the net.

23rd July, 2004

The Norton Motors Ltd homepage is on a new server; e-mail adresses are established and further work on updating the homepage is in progress.
Also new is the "Bikes for Sale" page, listing two of the seventy F1Sports ever built.

19th March, 2004

Norton Motors Ltd is established in the new premises and open for work and the sale of parts. The homepage (Mk1 version) is on the net.

12th February,2004

Norton Motors Ltd is moving out of the old factory in Shenstone into new premises, about 10 miles away. This move was made necessary as the owners of the old factory were not prepared to let part of the old building to Norton Motors Ltd. The new premises will be open from mid-March, 2004.

28th November, 2003

Norton Motors Limited of Lichfield announces that it has acquired the total stock of Genuine Norton Spare Parts, Technical Drawings, and Intellectual Property from Norton Rotary Engineering Limited of Lynn Lane, Shenstone.