Year indentification having difficulties

This is most likely to be a 1955 model, does it have a lay down gearbox or AMC type? Production date location is often on the headstock/ engine steady area.

Hi, the club holds most of the factory records. The frame number should be stamped on the lower gusset on the near side. The number you quote would be a 1950's bike. Dave Catton is our twin records officer, twinrecords@nortonownersclub.org is his email. Dave will not be able to deal with this for a couple of weeks

If you click on shop then records you will find the appropriate form.

Tim

Previously keith_patrick wrote:

Hello,

I am refurbishing a Norton motorcycle and need to establish the year of manufacture.

I have located the numbers for both the frame and the engine.

The number 122 indicate a model 88.

The letter to identity the year is absent, which is causing me difficulties.

The serial number is 64494.

Please can anyone assist in pinning down the exact year?

Regards,

Keith.

Should be a 1956 Model 88, according to the following website: http://www.bmh.com.au/norton/index.php?id=modelnum

Kevin

hello well all this as been talked about before now, and if you follow my threads on this website you find were the build dates ares stamped factory records only tell the dispatch data, and not the Build date, now

for 1955 year was stamped K-122 so if you get out a sharp blade and scrape paint off the top edge of the top Lug at the Back of the Frames Head stock you find a bunch of very small numbers and the odd letter like my 1954 Dominator model 88 it is stamped thus Ie ( D/4/54 ) now this indicates april 1954 build date Now My other Norton twin is stamped ( M/12/60) as this motorcycle is a very early 650cc Norton Manxman built for export only rare has hens teeth but there our there if you know what your looking at, all Norton,s are Rare in their own right, Has they only built less then 200 a week and in small batches in this country there are only 10 Norton Manxman 650s and I have them all listed in my data and all the other world wide and found the very first Norton Manxman 650 to be built on November 7th 1960 and found the first Atlas April 20th 1962 the First Model 99 was september 1955 the first Model 88 april 20th 1951 built for Dick Clayton for the ISDT of that year and this is just some of research over the years I have been a member of this club And to Add to this I have found the data with-in Roy Bacon books and Steve Wilson's Book on their dates of all Norton,s to be out by as much as 9 months as the real build date was some nine months earlier then stated in these books and the first Norton 650 build date was wrong even the engine number given was wrong as well , I am willing to under take the task of a more accurate data on all Norton,sand their build dates and produce a more helpful booklet for norton owners members only

yours anna J

Should be either K122 64494 for 1955 or maybe L122 64494 if late 1955 (1956 model year). Stamped on drive side rear suspension pivot frame gusset.

Previously keith_patrick wrote:

Hello,

Thankyou everyone for the very kind and helpful replies.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that I purchased this machine in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1975. I am currently resident in South Africa, where the bike is.

At present I am away from home in the UK, so will have to check some of the points raised on my return home.

While in the UK I am keen to purchase parts I need.

Do you think I would be safe to assume that I could get parts based on the 1955 estimate?

The parts in question are

cylinder block,

Pistons,

gasket set,

carborator,

magneto,

timing cover,

push rods,

tappets

I am still confused at the lack of the letter denoting year. If the machine is 1955 and letters were abandoned in 1960, this would seem to be an anomaly.

Thank you again for the help.

regards

keith

Hello have you any photos you can post on this site Now has for parts your asking are not that easy to find Cylinder barrel is just one you have job of getting along with set of Hepolite pistons magneto are now expensive and you will need the right year mags are date stamped if you know what you looking at You need a Lucas K2F with screw on end cover these cost around the 400 pound mark and as for tappets do you mean rocker arms or Cam follower or tapper adjusters witch the full gasket set you can get from the club you may find a barrel in the club adds or ebay as well as the pistons JP piston are some of the best from Thorntons of shrewsbury, carburetor you can by new from Amal 376/19 is for 1955 pushrods RGM Motors timing cover Ebay Norton parts yours Anna j

Previously keith_patrick wrote:

Hello,

Thankyou everyone for the very kind and helpful replies.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that I purchased this machine in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1975. I am currently resident in South Africa, where the bike is.

At present I am away from home in the UK, so will have to check some of the points raised on my return home.

While in the UK I am keen to purchase parts I need.

Do you think I would be safe to assume that I could get parts based on the 1955 estimate?

The parts in question are

cylinder block,

Pistons,

gasket set,

carborator,

magneto,

timing cover,

push rods,

tappets

I am still confused at the lack of the letter denoting year. If the machine is 1955 and letters were abandoned in 1960, this would seem to be an anomaly.

Thank you again for the help.

regards

keith

Hello have you any photos you can post on this site Now has for parts your asking are not that easy to find Cylinder barrel is just one you have job of getting along with set of Hepolite pistons magneto are now expensive and you will need the right year mags are date stamped if you know what you looking at You need a Lucas K2F with screw on end cover these cost around the 400 pound mark and as for tappets do you mean rocker arms or Cam follower or tapper adjusters witch the full gasket set you can get from the club you may find a barrel in the club adds or ebay as well as the pistons JP piston are some of the best from Thorntons of shrewsbury, carburetor you can by new from Amal 376/19 is for 1955 pushrods RGM Motors timing cover Ebay Norton parts Ps after look on the clubs classified you maybe in luck as there is a number of 88 barrels on there one seller has three for sale anlong with a timing cover yours Anna j

Keith......the list below shows roughly the letters used to identify the year of production for most Dominatorbikes(& other models) . The right hand column corresponding to engine/frame numbers.

1945

1001

A

1946

2131

B

1947

7756

C

1948

13792

D

1949

20701

E

1950

27100

F

1951

35560

G

1952

42700

H

1953

48900

J

1954

55350

K

1955

60700

L

1956

66600

M

1957

71360

N

1958

77400

P

1959

80488

R

1960

87038

1961

94500

1962

101060

1963

105000

1964

108000

1965

111650

1966

115870

1967

119760

1968

124300

Previously philip_hannam wrote:

Keith......the list below shows roughly the letters used to identify the year of production for most Dominatorbikes(& other models) . The right hand column corresponding to engine/frame numbers.

1945

1001

A

1946

2131

B

1947

7756

C

1948

13792

D

1949

20701

E

1950

27100

F

1951

35560

G

1952

42700

H

1953

48900

J

1954

55350

K

1955

60700

L

1956

66600

M

1957

71360

N

1958

77400

P

1959

80488

R

1960

87038

1961

94500

1962

101060

1963

105000

1964

108000

1965

111650

1966

115870

1967

119760

1968

124300

most of these engine and frame number will built some nine months earlier to what listed here this lot is all old very old information and out of date to my calilation this machine was built around april to may 1955 Norton owners club needs a better dating system and every thing we have now all need up dating as it old and unreliable data yours anna j

I think Phil's list bears out your calilation, Anna

It is old information, it is true; between 50 and 73 years old, to be precise.

The year letter, i.e. K or L is only, I believe, on the frame not the engine.

The attachment shows a slightly earlier crankcase. The letter J being the year identifier. In this case 1954.

The second pic shows an early Model 88 probably from 1955 but also stamped with the letter J.

The point being that until 1960 there was generally a year identifying letter stamped on the side of the drive side crankcase.

hello well my Norton Dominator 1954 April of the year built engine and frame number j122- 57531 so by the next year april 1955 you be into 644xx number to confirm this try find the number stamped on the top edge of the top lub behind the head stock you mat need to scrap of some paint covering it, should look something like this on my bike ( D/4/54) D for Dominator 4 april year 54 so there you are yours anna j

Previously ian_cordes wrote:

I think Phil's list bears out your calilation, Anna

It is old information, it is true; between 50 and 73 years old, to be precise.

well I just bust this mithe just look at the numbers listed between 1960 and 1961 well my Norton Manxman 650 built early december 1960 engine and frame number 18-95069 top lug stamped M/12/60 this now blows out the 1961 date list number of 94500 out of the water now dose,t it!!! and I have the real list on of 650s built in 1960 and well before any lists or Roy Bacon's first 650 number 100200 when in fact the first production 650 was 93601 shop7 now being restored in the USA by it s new owner So this now tells me that not all the lists for Norton numbering data is fact and more needs to be done to put this correct data for Norton owners with in this club but the persons with these responsibilities with in the club seam to be doing absolutely nothing about this, scenario yours Anna J