ENGLISH HERITAGE AND MOTORCYCLES
That historic English island has proffered some noteworthy items over the years:
1) The Magna Carta, which was one of the first steps towards the idea of modern democracy.
2) William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist.
3) The British Invasion of the Beatles and other music acts that stormed America and the western world.
4) And most importantly: MOTORCYCLES.
THE RACING DOMINANCE OF NORTON MOTORCYCLES
Among the most celebrated of the great British motorcycles, Norton has its roots going back to 1898 as a manufacturer of bicycle chains. By 1902 they had begun manufacturing their own motorbikes using French and Swiss engines. And by 1908 Norton started building their own engines.
Norton’s reputation as a competitive machine resulted from its early racing successes. A Norton was the winner at the first Isle of Man TT race in 1907 for the twin-cylinder class.
The 1930s were the glory days for Norton’s high-performance dominance, winning the majority of TT races from 1931 and 1938.
The most popular Norton was the parallel-twin, 750cc Commando, released in 1968 and upgraded with electric start and 850cc in 1974. The last Commandos were the Mk3 built in 1977.
Norton is also known for their small number of bikes using Wankel rotary engines that were made from 1977 to 1987.
Control and ownership of the Norton name has changed hands many times over the years, and a new incarnation of the Norton heritage awaits….
To read up on Norton Motorcycles, click the following link.
