Model 50 1938 rims

Try Central Wheel Components Birmingham. They offer rims and spokes in chrome or stainless.

Colin

You can also buy rims and spokes from Hagon's. In Chrome and stainless. (Even Alloy if you want) I stopped using Central wheel because I had not one but two substandard rims sent to me. At about the time my second one went back due to a massive kick at the join, I found that Triumph had cancelled their wheel building contract with Central Wheel. I hope they are doing better now.

There is also the Devon rim company, rims made in the UK. I have had a stainless Devon rim on the back of my Commando for 25 years. I suggest WM1 for the front and WM2 on the rear for your Model 50. I have not had issues with Hagon's rims, either.

Wheels / rims on the Model 50 were shared with the larger OHV / SV models and were therefore WM2 front and rear. They will require piercing according to the hub flange diameter, crossover pattern and offset.

I visited Brickwood Wheels near Salisbury when a friend picked up some wheels a while back and he seemed enthusiastic about odd and older wheels. On the Norton detachable hubs, the rim has to be centered in the lugs, not between the flanges as the brake drum is outside.

That's interesting, Richard. I have a 50's Dominator front 19" rim that had a 3 inch tyre on it, the same as David's and WM1. My 16 H of a similar age to David's bike has both tyres of 3.25" (WM2)

The bacon book quotes the 33-39 Model 50 as also having 3.25" tyres front and rear, hence WM2. You are correct, Richard.

So David, Your original front tyre would have been 3.25" on a WM2 rim, not 3" BUT if you were wanting a 3" front tyre for more precise steering then WM1 it is.

Neil, I suspect that Norton's (and indeed the pre-war motorcyclist's) liking for interchangeable wheels was probably a factor. Both front and rear, and also the sidecar wheel on Norton chairs could be swapped around if the brake drum was removed.

Owners certainly fitted 3.50" or indeed 4.00" 'comp' tyres to the rear.

The 100% aspect ratio 3.25" on the front of my 16H is actually physically wider than than the 90/90 on my 850 !