Looking for information on 193x Norton

Greetings.

A distant relative was just forced to sell his old Norton and my
mothers husband decided to buy it unseen, it's said to be a 1932 or
1934 600 single, Norton model 19 in good condition. I myself last saw
it about 20 years ago and don't really remember much about it.

We're going to pick it up Saturday, but I've been trying to find some
information about the bike before that, however I've come up with just
about nothing, lots of information around on the later models, but I
can't seem to find much about the pre-war singles.

Anyone got some specifications, hints, tips, links etc?

 

There seems to have been a model 19S, which was post-war and more
modern-looking.. pre-war one will be a 600 single OHV with a more or less
flat tank.

 

It was a saddle tank by then. Pre-1931, the model 19 was fairly basic:
diamond frame, 3-speed box, total-loss lubrication, front-mounted
magneto... engine is 588cc ohv. By '32 it had dry-sump lubrication and
the magneto had been moved round the back. That engine is 79mm x 120mm.
If it's a '34 mode it should have a 597cc engine, 82mm x 113mm, and a
4-speed box.

 

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/

You may find some more stuff at the above URL.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I've now managed to get an old photo of it: http://cze.dk/photos/norton.jpg

Seller does say 1932 and backed it up with an article posted to a
vintage magazine containing it's history since new, written by the
previous owner.

 

Brian --

That's a nice machine - not common at all. I have a '35 Model 30.
Own a mass of literature on Nortons from '30-ish on -- contemporary
spares books, instruction manuals etc. Also have many Motor Cycle
& Motor Cycling's of the period, plus all the usual more recent
Norton
marque histories -- most of which are very poor on pre-war stuff.

Quick squint at my bookshelves shows Bacon's "Norton Singles" is
better than most, & does list the Model 19 (but no pix). His specs
show that for '32 only the Mod 19 was 79x120, with a 5.0:1 CR.
Makes a Panther seem like a short stroke -- I assume it was targetted
at the very large sidecar market of the day. Bacon's "Illustrated
History
of Norton Motorcycles" shows a '34 Mod 19, & a '32 Mod 18 --
probably the best pix easily available.

Still easy to get Frank's & Haycraft's two service books on the
Norton -- available for a few pounds on eBay. Early editions of both
cover the '30's models. The most likely parts problems could be the
engine itself, as it was a one-off for '32, & the gearbox (which was
dropped for '33). The forks were also revised for '33. Many options
were available ex-factory when new, so don't be surprised to find
differences to spec -- & in best bit of 75 years many owners may
have made their own mods -- all part of a lived-in motorcycle ......

At least one eBay seller sells a '30's instruction manual for 0.99p
start price virtually every Saturday. Very generalised, but useful.
Suspect it will be thin on specifics for the Mod 19 -- my hard copy
is buried at the moment, so that's just a guess.

Contact me offline if you get stuck -- cammy-norton at yahoo
dot co dot uk.

Good luck,

Colin

 

Checked a bit deeper. The eBay Instruction Manual is for '37,
& is a poor copy - barely legible. Little specific on Mod 19.

The most appropriate maintenance manual is Haycraft's
"Book of the Norton". I have a few editions, & the 3rd, which
covers '32 to '37, is very helpful. Later editions become
overwhelmed by the later models, not surprisingly .... Later
editions of Frank's claim to cover from '32 on, but early
coverage is limited.

Norton's sales catalogue every year was called "The
Roadholder". I have '33 & '35 repros -- not perfect, but
useful. The '33 may well be useful to you as it does
have a good nearside view of the Mod 19. I can scan
that page if helpful.

Colin

 

Catalogue photos were usually heavily retouched, not sure how useful
that would be.

Ken Young

 

We picked it up this weekend, got a spare tank, bit different than the
one currently on it, might be made for a hand gear lever, 4 speed gear
box and various bits with it.

Photo here: http://cze.dk/photos/norton-m19.jpg

Oil hadn't been changed for 10 years, so that was the frist thing to
do, second was locating a 6v battery and after that it was no problem
starting it. It seems to run fine, but doesn't idle. Mixture screw
doesn't do anything to the idle speed so I'm suspecting it takes air
in somewhere. Besides that it seems to be in OK condition, the paint
is by hand and not too great when you get near it, it was done around
1980 and could use a repaint.

We got some sales brocures and books with it, as the owner doesn't
read English I'm starting to look through them and translating
sections for him. I'll get the instruction manual from ebay too.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Brian Larsen

*Lovely*

I've always had a yen to have a go on something like that.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Yesterday I was an old chap on a Velo (not sure which was the older) and
another riding a Sunbeam. Not being an expert on these two marques I'd
hazard at them both being 1940/50 vintage.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Tim

"Tonight, Matthew..."

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Isn't that lovely: the pillion seat looks rather precarious, mind.

 

oh ****

 

or there's shite in the idle circuit. if it has such, I presume it's an old
Amal carb? On the BMW slide carbs the idle mixture screw has a pointy end
to allow more or less fuel through.

 

that does look rather sound. one or two pictures on here

http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike Directories/Norton Bikes/Norton Index.htm

which show earlier models (1920s) which may have a different tank. Could be
tank of another or a later model.

 

If you're down this way again you're welcome to have a go on this:

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/8512/a4363jpgoy9.jpg

I have a feeling your knees may be under your chin though....

Steve

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Steve

Ooh! Really?

Heh. It'd be worth it.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

You're right, it is an old Amal, we did give it a quick drain and
clean to get old of the gunk after standing for 10 years but plan to
dismantle it this weekend and give it a good clean.

I'm still trying to figure out what is original and what isn't on it.
So far the seller found an old photo from around 1950 and it looks
pretty much as it does now on that one.

Around £1900 was asked and paid for the bike, does anyone know if that
was a fair price? The new owner is surely happy with it, but as we
havn't been able to find another one for sale it's difficult knowing
if that was low or high.

--

// brian

Honda CB400F
Suzuki SV1000S

 

I've absolutely no idea if it's a fair price or not, but equating it to
(say) roughly double what I got for my Z650, I'd say you got a bargain.