Norvins

[bmetcalf]

Les, what did you use for inner & outer primary covers?

 

[Les Thomson]

Bruce have a look at my avatar. Nothing made for outer cover yet but I do have a Norton Commando cover to modify to fit
Was going to use what is in the photo but couldn't because I fitted an electric starter. Mounted ring gear on the back of clutch

 

[vibrac]

Would it be a fare comment to say that the main reason anyone wanted to build a bike like a Norvin was because of either the poor handling, or braking ability a standard Vincent .........?

No the two main reasons were
1. fashion
2. lack of information about how to set up a big twin to handle and stop.

I was lucky
For the first reason when I was a 'ton up' I had a 7R on the road (£50 from Dudley Ward) so the best Norvin was a pale attempt at caff racer fashion.
For the second reason I lived 10 miles away from Ron Kemp and when I said "I want to production race my Rapide" he said "join the VOC and I will sort you out", and by heck he did.

 

[ericg]

Ericg, your silencer fell off!

Yes, that's why I've got thumbs up from a couple of policemen the other day. Honest!

 

[roy the mechanic]

Ok next question.......Does anyone feel there would be much demand for newly made "Chopped type" crankcases. That is new engine cases minus the gearbox but perhaps with some added lugs cast into the rear of the engine to mount engine plates that run vertically up the rear of the casing..........?

Had such cases been available when I started my project I would have jumped at the offer. I don't have enough money to start again.

 

[davidd]

John Surtees:

David

 

[roy the mechanic]

I remember an interview with J S, he said he built the norvin as a "Geoff Duke beater". Before it was finished he rode for M-V, so it was not immediatly required. When asked how does it go, "it lollops along quite nicely". Judging by the haircut it's Mr Duke inspecting it.

 

[roy the mechanic]

Also, it's likely that the fuel tank is one of the first "lyta " units. John got together with B G Hichisson a highly skilled sheet metal worker to make a short circuit tank. They called it lyta because it was seriously lighter than the 5 gallon norton job.

 

[davidd]

Australian Rally 2015:

Here is an oldy from Ramsgate:

David

 

[passenger0_0]

You're coming up with some lovely Norvins David, particularly the 'Oldy' at Ramsgate.
About 20 years ago Tony Skipper kindly loaned me a Norvin to race at the Pukekohe Classic Festival. I rebuilt the Manx ratio gearbox, suspension, gave her an engine check and general freshen up as you can see in the photos attached. The road-based wide-line frame gave plenty of feedback - read it wobbled and weaved on the bumpy straights but gave plenty of control drifting around the corners. For the first two laps it would stick with the disc braked triples but after two good hairpin stops she had no brakes. The oil return pipes came adrift during the last race of the weekend and leading the pack for the first lap got fully crossed up as the back end tried to pass the front at high speed with oil on the tyre. I hung onto full throttle in 3rd gear as I was sure it would high-side but had to look to my side to see where I was going to crash as the bike had swung around 60+ degrees to the direction of travel (or so it felt). The pack behind scattered, expecting carnage, but divine intervention keep me upright and alive.

After the race, while I was emptying my leathers, one rider came up to me and said he had never seen so much white smoke coming off both tyres with the rider still in control! I was too much in shock to tell him the truth.