Skip to main content
English French German Italian Spanish

Where are the "M"s on this 57 Inter?

Forums

Should the engine and frame numbers have "M"s stamped next to them?

 

Permalink

I've seen a number of Inters exported outside the U.K. and the year letter is often missing, but invariably appears on U.K. supplied bikes.  

Permalink

For the period 1953-58 Featherbed International machines were built specifically to order.  As mentioned above, UK machines had the letter date.  But foreign dealers preferred the bikes not to have the year identification because the machines were quite expensive and may on occasion stay in the shop for a number of years.  My first International, 563 UXP, was shipped to Denmark in 1955 and stayed in the dealer's shop for three years until it was registered in 1958.  At Bracebridge Street engines were built with a shop number stamped on the crankcases.  The engines were tested on the dyno and if they produced the specified amount of power they were fitted to the relevant frame and the matching number was added to the crankcase.  Your machine was obviously therefore an export model.

 



© 2024 Norton Owners Club Website by 2Toucans