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Norton wide-Line 99 Road test

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A road test on 6th February 1958, ...noted high oil consumption 1,200 to 1,500 Mpg!

Probably thrashed by the journalist's!

How much was burned and how much was leaked?

Also noted was the bike was  over-geared in Top.

 

 

John

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Probably only half run in . Gearing seemed too high ,probably the same reason.Properly run in and set up100 mph and could do over 90 mpg. An American Test in late 50's took one to a timed 113mph.Bit freakish that one. Bikes were not always geared for maximum speed , A safe limit and good MPG was what the customer needed in the 50's.All changed in the 60's .

As one actually riding in the 50's; what the customer needed was not necessarily what he wanted! Back in the days of National Service, what we wanted was to get home, at the maximum possible speed!   

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I missed the Golden Age! Now the roads are crap, towns are crap, with stupid rules and regulations everywhere, fines for nothing, "They" Politicians and Police criminalise, Law abiding citizens through in many areas needless excessive road surveillance. in the main part and yet drug dealers, deal 60 yards from my front door, unabashed!

 

Time for an Uprising! Looks like I will have to have some Chequered tape and Ace Cafe stickers from you Robert!

 

John

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The road test on 6th February 1958 Norton 99 Wide-line is I think Bob Currie, wearing a two-piece plastic suit and over-boots, so the weather was not good. Good, old Bob coming in at 14 stone plus with  gear, probably akin to Oil skins and having the resultant aerodynamics of a huge German sausage. I  am surprised they managed to get 96 mph out of it!

They were slow to learn from Geoff Duke!

Cheers

John

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Hi John, If I remember rightly, the magazines were not allowed a road test bike unless the tester wore his rose tinted glasses, and gave a good right-up. 1500 mpg in those days was good. My 1969 owners handbook says to run the engine for the first 5000 miles on old oil to take the rough edges off of the bores. Then run on Castrol GP50 oil. By the way they always did maximum speeds down a good hill, or with a good tail wind. Don't forget the special speedo, they never used proper lights on a drag strip. German sausage, or Zeppeline? Regards, Paul

 


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