Good evening all! I'm new on the forum but was a member of the NOC over 20 years ago. I have built a fair few Norton's over the years and still have my old Atlas that I've owned for something like 35 years now. I built a cafe racer early Dommi / Wideline frame etc years ago, but sold it. Recently i had the good fortune to dig up another early Wideline frame. I'd like to get the frame identified but not sure if the NOC records department deals with components only. I just dropped in there and the site asks for pics of whole bikes etc, can anyone clarify this as I don't want to be wasting peoples time. I've attached a few pics below. It's a little curious as the frame number looks like 1954 Dommi 88 - 122 53490 (please ignore the marker pen number), but the top of the stay is stamped 553 which i assume is May 1953.
If anyone has some insights I'd be keen to hear.
Thanks
Bill
The best of the best featherbeds for me !
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Ok for an early standard 88…
Ok for an early standard 88 engine which is much the same as a Model 7. However if you're thinking of a cafe racer / roadburner, using an Atlas or 650SS donk, the bolt-up frame is not the best for stability. Also the oil tank is small. It would be better to use the welded up frame from '55 with an International 1 gallon tank, or the later-still wide-line with the paired oil tank and battery box. Good luck, Howard
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![20250505_191036[1]_0.JPG](https://www.nortonownersclub.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250505_191036%5B1%5D_0.JPG){kind=link}
Just a thought...
As I know it the top gusset number is a Reynolds number, manufacturers of the frames for Norton.
Frame build in May may well become a machine after Sept 53 which would make it a 54 model. This is at the very beginning of F bed production and only the 88 being produced. It's only 4 months and I guess there was no such control as FIFO. Model 7's we're still in plunger form till 53 and then only upgrade to swinging gate till 55. Featherbeds may not be as popular at your models time as they were not sidecar friendly. This may account for the slight delay. It will be a very desirable machine when built. :-)
Jon