Hi fellow riders. The bike on the attached photo has a 1959 Dominator 88 engine, but the V5 states it is a 1967 500cc Norton. Apart from the engine, we don't know much about the rest of the bike (someone tampered with the frame).
Just by looking at the photo (engine aside), would someone be able to help and guess what model it could have been when it left the factory? I know this is prone to 100 different answers/guesses, but I wanted to give it a go, maybe there is some sort of consensus.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Isaak
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bike-jpg
another photo attached Att…
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Looks like a slimline 1959…
Looks like a slimline 1959 to 1967 with a wideline motor. Looks a nice tidy well thought out bike with lots of good parts. would look better with a later head but the barrel finning may not match then.And the pipes might not fit either.
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Agree with Robert. A very…
Agree with Robert. A very nice bike. A later head would look good on it but the advantage of the one that's on it is it gives a slightly lower compression ratio than than later ones - no bad thing with today's dismal petrol.
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If the frame number has be…
If the frame number has been tampered with, (LH gusset ) there is another way. If you remove the tank, the numbers have been stamped in small letters on the top bracket on the inside of the head stock.
Most likely a 750 Atlas frame if 1967 is right but it need not be.
Nice bike BTW.
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The crankcase is likely fr…
The crankcase is likely from a slimline alternator bike , the head from a dynamo wideline.
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Cylinder head is very earl…
Cylinder head is very early T2225 alloy...So after 1954 and before 1957. The barrel looks to be also early dynamo version.
The frame is a late Slimline....so probably after 1964 but pre- Mercury.
Headlamp is pre-1967
Primary chaincase has large grommet so that chunk is pre-1965.
This Norton seems to be a combo of parts....a bit like all of mine.
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Previously Isaak wrote: Hi…
Previously Isaak wrote:
Hi fellow riders. The bike on the attached photo has a 1959 Dominator 88 engine, but the V5 states it is a 1967 500cc Norton. Apart from the engine, we don't know much about the rest of the bike (someone tampered with the frame).
Just by looking at the photo (engine aside), would someone be able to help and guess what model it could have been when it left the factory? I know this is prone to 100 different answers/guesses, but I wanted to give it a go, maybe there is some sort of consensus.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Isaak
Well it looks the part and a nice looking bike but like lot of Norton twins there mix of parts from different years but do not beat your self up over it, parts are not easy to get hold of any more , like that once was, the thing is your number on the gusset pate left hand side if this been over stamped you can get them X rayed this will bring up the old number then there a number on the back of the headstock lug to the head-steady this will give you a year of manufacture, and I see some one as timed the bike up wrong with the right hand plug lead on the drive side and drive side plug lead on the side on right hand side . this is common to see this. Yours anna J
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Thanks all for the details…
Thanks all for the details and compliments! Confusing but very interesting! I am not too bothered about restoring to factory specs... More interested in really knowing what bike it is, to better understand its history, and also since it helps inmensely when I am buying spares...
I've removed the tank numerous times, and have not noticed the numbers "stamped in small letters on the top bracket on the inside of the head stock". Definitely something I will check!
Have also read about the acid test (hydrochloric acid), but I have not made much research in that front...
Thanks again for any further comments.
Ps: another pic attached.
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dsc_0222-jpg
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Just enjoy riding it. Anna…
Just enjoy riding it.
Anna states 'and I see some one as timed the bike up wrong with the right hand plug lead on the drive side and drive side plug lead on the side on right hand side . this is common to see this'
Wrong? Really?
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I must admit that I can no…
I must admit that I can not see this as making much difference on a standard road bike. If you fit electronic ignition most of the kits fire up both plugs simultaneously.
The only possible measurable difference is the length of the plug leads. So with a magneto, the lead at the gearbox side pickup might need to be longer in one configuration. Possibly delaying the firing point. Would this make any difference on Lucas electrics where getting ignition timing exactly the same on both cylinders is next to impossible anyway?
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Previously phil_hannam wro…
Previously phil_hannam wrote:
I must admit that I can not see this as making much difference on a standard road bike. If you fit electronic ignition most of the kits fire up both plugs simultaneously.
The only possible measurable difference is the length of the plug leads. So with a magneto, the lead at the gearbox side pickup might need to be longer in one configuration. Possibly delaying the firing point. Would this make any difference on Lucas electrics where getting ignition timing exactly the same on both cylinders is next to impossible anyway?
well Phil not many people think this make any difference , But in the maintenance manual this state in there to time the machine up with the plug lead for the drive side with the plug lead nearest the Battery box as the cam in the magneto will be on the bottom of the cam ring, and the points looking up, so then you know your on the drive side or left hand-side, and this dose make a difference if you know your magnetos, the only electronics ignitions system I would be interested in would one that is self generating and inderpendant of any battery, and some Electronic ignition system gives a wasted spark but a wasted spark can get problems at high revs , Yours Anna J
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another photo attached
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bike2-jpg