99SS seat colour

See Attachment........no guarantee that this is correct for export models. The records suggest that  generally a black seat was fitted with odd exceptions mentioned in the Notes. Have you got an engine/frame number to hand as not too many of this model were made?

With more information on the bike it may be possible to get closer to the spec.   A 1961 SS was tested in the day  with a two tone seat , medium grey sides and lighter check grey top . Just like the seat on my 99DL  .RK Leighton used to do a perfect replacement cover , I did hear he was out of stock of the check material and had no plans to re-stock.

Hi Bruce, I have a 99ss converted to a race bike by its previous owner (he bought it new) luckily he retained the original equipment,  it is number . The original seat is all  black on this one. Thanks Rob

Looking at a photo of a Bonhams 99SS  , I can see it has the lower part of the seat in the Grey of the two tone seat. The upper part appears to have been plastic coated a darker (blackish ) finish and the orriginal light grey showing through on the seat and white  piping  . Never seen this combo on an orriginal bike . Is this what you are describing ?.

I've owned my 1961 99SS since 1969. The seat colour was (and still is) a uniform black colour all over with white piping.

It was an export bike sent from Bracebridge St to Patterson-Simons in Singapore.

96511 is just a few bikes along from the official start of the production of the 99SS at Bracebridge. That Norton was quoted by Neville Hinton as E/N 96496.

The problem with the Factory Records is the lack of detail about the special models. Unless it is mentioned within the Shop Notes I cannot find any mention of 96496 being the first official 99SS. It is only when 97957 appears in the production list records that there is a 14SS suffix applied. What does appear, in nearly all cases, is a mention in the Notes of these bikes being S/Special. Which is generally understood to mean Sports Special.

The problem here being that often S/Special appears in previous years, including pre-1960 model 14s.  Generally these bikes were built with tuned engines and had twin carbs fitted. When the genuine 99SS bikes appeared they had 99SS stamped on the back crankcase and most of the tuned internals were also stamped with 'SS'..........but not all!!!

The discrepancies and  querks of  the records is what provides us with endless opportunities for  discussion and speculation, the late much missed Neville Hinton insisted that my 99 DL should be blue and Dove Grey , but of course it left the factory in the 88DL Red and Dove scheme , I did not dare to contradict him !!. It also left the factory with a chrome chain case that disappeared before delivery to the first owner !!   Add the fact that the DL’s engine / frame lettering in the log book never ever fully , matched those on the frame (confirmed by other DL owners) and never spotted by countless MOT examiners or the dvla All good fun and frustration for the rivet counters.

A beauty in Red and D/Grey with a two tone grey seat.  A beautifully assembled machine, and the  well crafted seat set it off very well. 

J

All too often you see a seat that has been rebuilt with the wrong shape foam or poor cover and it ruins an otherwise presentable bike, perhaps it’s rushed and the last thing to be done . a couple of tips.  I use a covering of cling film over the foam and a hot glue gun to give extra security to the fixings .

..in Don Morley's 1990 book simply titled "Norton" that shows what seems to be a 2-tone grey seat on p80. The bike itself is pale blue and white

"John Anderson's 100-per-cent original bike was stored for 11 years before being registered", hence it carries the number PTP 663J