Tach drive

hello Howard - Does it have the right-angled tacho drive gearbox at the timing cover in-line with the camshaft ?  A 55 Dommie would have had a dynamo at the front of the engine driven by the camshaft.  When the race-kit was added they may have removed the dynamo and used a modified timing cover.  This could have used a gearbox to drive an ATRC 2652 racing Smiths tacho or an RC 1303/00 Smiths chronometric tacho. Because the camshaft runs in the opposite direction to the crankshaft the tacho gearbox needs to be a reversing type.  Both of these instruments could be mounted to the top fork nut on a plate with rubber mounts. An image or two will help it your friend has any.  cheers, howard  

Interesting that your friend has a 1955 88 with a factory fitted race kit , I didn't know they offered that , can you supply details of what was included in the kit ?  Regarding the rev counter , very few ( if any) production 1955 88s were factory fitted with a rev counter and the Smiths Catalogue for 1954-8 doesn't show any rev counter for the 88 for 1954-8 , except for the Daytona 88 which was a rather special race bike destined for the Daytona Race in USA.  The Smiths Catalogue indicates that the Daytona for 1955 used a RC83 rev counter with a 70549 drive gearbox .  The Manx for the same year used a RC95 with a 70521/3 .   Could you publish some pics of your friends bike?   If it is a pukka Daytona bike it could be quite special.   

Hello again Gents - here is an image of a 1956 Race-kitted 88.  It looks like it's fitted with Manx wheels and probably forks so I'm assuming that it had a Smiths ATRC tacho in the nose fairing.  You can see how the tacho gearbox is fitted on the timing cover.   Tank, footrests and seat seem to be Manx or Inter but the oil-tank seems to be a special.   As Bob said it could have some history worth researching.   Good luck, howard

Thanks for the pic of a Daytona bike Howard , I don't think it's a race kitted standard 88 at all , but it isn't fitted with an ATRC rev counter , it's a Chronometric with an early style brass rev counter drive.  Probably same spec as my earlier post.  

The 70549 is a 1:1 drive , there are other versions with a 70549/01 number which is a 2:1 I believe.   The 70549 should be a good match for the RC83.  

   Looking forward to seeing the race kit brochure, never seen one before.  Thanks 
        Bob Chapman 

Many thanks for that Howard, I've never seen that brochure before and leaves no doubt that Norton did offer a comprehensive race kit for the early Dommies, I guess this brochure will be dated 1954 ? 

      The brochure makes no mention of a timing cover , twin carb manifolds, and I wonder if the larger oil tank was from a Manx or Inter ?  

       There is a 70549 1:1 gearbox currently on EBay , being sold by Steadfast Cycles , look at " Tach drive gear box Smiths cast brass 70549-1/1. ".   Seller is in USA , Washington.   

Thanks Howard , I would guess the oil tank is from an Inter as that is similar to an 88 but extended width wise.  The U.K. 1954 Norton brochure shows the same pic as the one in your brochure but no mention in the text of available race kits.  Perhaps the race kits were only offered on export bikes ?   

The recently published Dominator Model Directory has a chapter detailing the Racing Dominators. My understanding is that once AMC took charge in 1953, Bracebridge no longer had a Factory based racing team. Instead, a number of bikes were prepared to racing standard and donated to selected dealers who then sponsored individuals to race on their behalf.
To begin with, Joe Public was excluded from this arrangement but later could, at great cost, get a Norton Twin race prepared to whatever level he could afford.
The Factory Records mention a dozen or more bikes prepared to Daytona or Race Spec in the mid 50s. Later around 1958-on, both 88 and 99 Twins could be ordered in Special Spec or Sports Special trim.
The difference being that one version had lightened and balanced engine components and the other just 'Go-faster' chunks fitted.  
 

Thanks Howard for the improved copy of the brochure.   The pic in Roy Bacons book is that of Denis Parkinson as travelling Marshal at the 1954 Manx GP .   In 1953 Norton supplied two Daytona spec bikes for the Manx GP , to racer George Costain and travelling marshal , see Mick Walkers book " Norton Dominator ".  It also says that the early race spec Dominators were referred to by the factory as " ManxTwins" , that nickname probably didn't last very long .     I very much doubt if many , or any full race spec 88s were sold to the British public , but would love to be proved wrong , evidence needed please.