The Unapproachable Norton
The cover of 'Motor Cycling', August 1951.
Norton motorcycles had won a total of 26 TT’s by 1951, by the present day they have won 43. It all started with a win in the twin cylinder race at the first TT in 1907 for Rem Fowler. He averaged 36.2 mph around the St. John’s course with a fastest lap of 42.91mph. Their last TT win came in 1992 when Steve Hislop won the senior TT on the Abus Norton with an average speed of 121.28mph. Norton have always had close links with Northern Ireland; from the late twenties to the late fifties Norton’s technical director was Ulsterman Joe Craig. Many Ulstermen have ridden Nortons including in the 1930’s, my hero Walter Rusk, who entertained the crowds and finished third in the 1935 senior on a Norton, sadly he never returned from WW2. In the 1950’s, Rex and Cromie McCandless developed the legendary ‘featherbed’ frame for Norton which helped keep the single cylinder Nortons competitive with the multi cylinder Italian bikes. The 'featherbed' nickname being coined by rider Harold Daniell.
The Unapproachable Norton
The cover of 'Motor Cycling', August 1951.
Norton motorcycles had won a total of 26 TT’s by 1951, by the present day they have won 43. It all started with a win in the twin cylinder race at the first TT in 1907 for Rem Fowler. He averaged 36.2 mph around the St. John’s course with a fastest lap of 42.91mph. Their last TT win came in 1992 when Steve Hislop won the senior TT on the Abus Norton with an average speed of 121.28mph. Norton have always had close links with Northern Ireland; from the late twenties to the late fifties Norton’s technical director was Ulsterman Joe Craig. Many Ulstermen have ridden Nortons including in the 1930’s, my hero Walter Rusk, who entertained the crowds and finished third in the 1935 senior on a Norton, sadly he never returned from WW2. In the 1950’s, Rex and Cromie McCandless developed the legendary ‘featherbed’ frame for Norton which helped keep the single cylinder Nortons competitive with the multi cylinder Italian bikes. The 'featherbed' nickname being coined by rider Harold Daniell.