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Red 16H: Introduction

Submitted by simon_amos on Sat, 16/05/2015
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Dear All,

I am a new member to this club and a new owner of a Norton motorycle! I have owned other vintage bikes but this is my first Norton, and i must say i am very excited but have ohh many questions!!! Any help/comment you may have would be greatly appreciated!!!

Couple weeks ago i purchased a RED 1947 norton 16H. The matching numbers are A2 2660 which would suggest that it is a 1946 civilian model and yet it has road holders not girders and has a stamped '1947' next to the engine number...Is this a 1946 or a 1947 model? Did 1946 models have road holders?

I had never seen a RED Norton before and figured it was repainted at one point in time...but scratching through the paint i only found the red colour, a pink primer and the bare metal... on the tank the double gold line seem to have been hand painted...So or they did a great job repainting the whole motorcycle or ???? Did norton make anything else other than a silver/black 16h motorcycle post war? If so i would love to see a picture of one as all my online reseach have turned up nothing...

Again, i am very excited to have joined this group and look forward in hearing your thoughts and comments!

Regards

F

Attachments red1c-jpg

Submitted by dan_field on Sat, 16/05/2015

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Hello and welcome, I've not long been a member and have just bought an ES2 in trials trim, but have to get my jubilee finished before I can start looking at it seriously! Your bike looks great I have no idea if the colour is original, but it doesn't matter to me, hardly any of the bikes that have survived this long haven't been modded in one way or another, in my book we should just enjoy them as they are!

Submitted by simon_amos on Mon, 18/05/2015

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Previously Dan Field wrote:

Hello and welcome, I've not long been a member and have just bought an ES2 in trials trim, but have to get my jubilee finished before I can start looking at it seriously! Your bike looks great I have no idea if the colour is original, but it doesn't matter to me, hardly any of the bikes that have survived this long haven't been modded in one way or another, in my book we should just enjoy them as they are!

Hi Dan, and thanks for your reply!

I agree, they are very nice bikes in any configuration and that a machine that old cannot be all original...but i am still curious to understand its history and how it left the factory...eitherway as you mentioned i will enjoy riding her once all fixed up:)

Submitted by john_shorter on Mon, 18/05/2015

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I agree with Dan, the bike looks very smart as it is. Perhaps, if you enquire, through the club records, you may find more details of its original specification.

Submitted by derek_ambler on Mon, 18/05/2015

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Hi Francois

If you look up under 'Models -Side -valve - 16H' you will see a picture of a 1947 16H which looks just like yours, except it is silver and black.

Best regards

Derek Ambler

Submitted by peter_stowe on Mon, 18/05/2015

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I don't know where I heard it, but after WW2 one of the big London dealers sold lots of ex WD BSA M20s painted red.- the idea being to look more cheerfully than ex WD stock or plain black. Maybe there were some 16Hs amongst them, although yours has a post war frame., and I doubt if that paint job would still as looking as good as yours is.

It is a very shiny bike and a lot of bikes that have been repatriated from India have that appearance.

Rik Payne would maybe be the man who maybe could throw some light on it.

Submitted by simon_amos on Wed, 20/05/2015

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Dear All,

I thank you for all your comments! I have applied for the clubs records and are working on getting some information on the bike...for now we have found that the motorcycle was sent to INDIA for ceremonial or civil duty which is very exciting as this corresponds with INDIAS Independence of 1947! So perhaps the colour is accurate?!? Eitherway i have started to restore the bike where it needs it...more to come!

F

Submitted by peter_stowe on Wed, 20/05/2015

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I am sure you will enjoy it. I had a 1946 16H similar to yours exept mine had girder forks.

The problem with rigid singles is that once you have had a taste of them you cant get enough. My Commando and modern bikes hardly gets a look in these days.

Unless you are confident the magneto is good best I think to get it overhauld. Tony Cooper in Kidderminster did 2 exelent jobs for me. New carbs are available also if yours is worn, as I find sidevalvers a bit sensitive to sloppy carbs. So with a new carb and recon mag the rest should be pretty easy. If it cuts out or is difficult to restart when hot mag overhaul is the first thing to think of.

 


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