In 1933, Check Spring Girder Forks This Clutch Was to Remain Virtually
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shock absorber found its way to the clutch. This clutch was to remain virtually unahered riil the last 650s rolled off the line in 1969. The iront brake's backing plate was moved to rhe right and, for the racing fraternit.v, a bronze sku1l allol'head became an option. For 1 93 5 \onon took over gear- box manufacturing rights irom Sturmey- Archer, the more reliable hairpin valve springs replaced coils and there was that beautiful 4Yz gallon petrol tank - such character. The follo*'ing )ear the frame was altered a little at the front and the steer- ing damper was moved to the steering head. And, in 1937 , a plunger rear end, identical to the previous year's TT-winning machine was offered. By now, 1938, the International could be bought by special order, to full race speci- fication - huge square head and allo1'bar- rel, conical front hub, elektron crankcases, wrap-around oil tank, megaphone and RN carb. No ordinary Inter this, an out and out GP bike and seriously different from a road 'a machine. A name change was listed for 1940. t Thence, the full race-kitted Inter, wouid be known as the Manx. However it would be seven long years before a Norton Inter- national would appear in the showrooms. By now strictly a sporting road bike, it shared its rolling chassis with the ES2 and, in 1949, the Model 7 twin. The engine, with pool petrol and all, returned to the iron age, but it still had those charismatic petrol and oil tanks. The-v do look so right! Telescopic forks replaced the out-moded girders and the old Inter could still run rings around any serious rival, so, unless you were lucky enough and wealthl' enough to acquire a Manx, what serious alternaiive was there? The 1950 bike featured is not unt.vpical of a late '40s early '50s club racer. Strong, reliable and low maintenance, there must have been scores of them at the big meets like Bathurst. I acquired it earil' 1989, from a Mel- bourne collector, in a pretty dilapidated I .:=-:.' state (the bike not the collector). He had some pretty tasty stuff and a non-original '* Inter with an unknown history wasn't high on his list, Hou'ever it was more or less *.j complete, and with many of its specially home-brewed racing fitments still attached. double win in l93l at 77.9mph and closed International immediately set the standard Missing, unfortunately, was a Manx in 1961 with Mike Hailwood's 500 win at for single-cylinder performance, by which conical front wheel, required for another l00.6mph and Phil Read's 350 win at 95.1. all others were judged, yet none could com- project. The inferior lVz" standard item Not a bad winning streak for a design pete. was also absent. Never mind, they're not cobbled together in the winter of 1929. In 1933, check spring girder forks hard to come by. More disconcerting was The first actual model International became standard as did a down-draught the lack of a head and barrel, but, joy of appeared in 1932. It was a true race replica, cylinder head; '34 brought in a redesigned joys, a Manx head and barrel were quietly albeit with road equipment. The model 30 gearbox, positive stop mechanism and the CLASSIC MOTORCYCLING 49 7 front wheel instead of standard 2l ". Didn't GALLING the factory bikes in 1949 have the same? A Newcastle jumble turned up an SR magneto with a Norton platform. It's difficult to fit an AJS one to a Norton. It lltffiltillflltfl didn't spark so $25 changed hands. A bit of TLC and it worked a treat. A 30 thou RESGUE oversize piston turned up at the same meet. I already had valve-springs and the difficult to locate vertical shaft bearings I pinched what I'm letting myself in for." I always from another engine I had. Everlthing fall in love with any bike I go and see and seemed to be falling together for the old Nortons are my passion. The $250 speed- girl. The first classic meet at Eastern Creek ing fine I copped just before mass that was looming. Could I get her ready in time? .;,: ,, tli night didn't help. Bits were now off getting chromed or Hmm. Fin-ishing a head? Actually when I looked at it the next day, painted but I still needed to find some was very fast from the moment he pushed it didn't look so bad. It had rained on the valves and cotters. It's funny when you buy it into life. So fast, in fact, that the speed way back - cleaned it up a treat. I made a bike in a dismantled state. The big bits blew out his contact lenses. a list of what was missing: valves, springs, are always there, but itls the fiddly things In the following three or four years Don cotters, magneto, piston, megaphone, self- always go missing:- cotters and won races that like many on it and not once - never cenlring vertical shaft bearings, handle- cups - and no one's ever got them. - did the Inter need so much as the tapper bars, cables, an empty float bowl and that Then chance played its part. A hopeful settings altered. A more reliable racing front wheel. Not a long list by any means. call back to Melbourne revealed the bike machine gas never built. However finding cammy Norton parts is a had originally come from Sydney and the Anl ho$ back to its restoration, Don was different story. previous owner may be of some help. able to help *ith cotrers and he finally And what of the mechanicals already in I rang the gentleman concerned, Dennis machined an end cover to replace the cham- situ? The big end felt good, mains seemed Fry. It was he who'd given it a Manx top pagne cork that nas stuck in the kickshaft end and front wheel. He supplied me with hole of the gearbox. Also, with Don's help, some road bits and pieces and the name of I made some handlebar clamps to give it the gentleman from whom he'd acquired that authentic plunger Manx look. the bike. Looks are fine but will she go? There's Don McDonald has been racing motor- a lovely run from where I live in Surry Hills cycles in Sydney for well over 50 years. He along the Southern Cross Drive to is, in fact, the oldest registerediacer in Aus- Brighton-Le-Sands and what indeed could tralia and still competes on a very, very be more inviting than a dawn run in rapid Dominator 650. October? Don has some fine machinery and is a Inters har * such a high first gear and fountain of knowledge. He had already such a seemingly slow revving engine that helped me out by honing the barrel and in a moment or i\ro we were going decep- making a set of piston rings. Unbeknownst tively quick. to either of us, he was working on his old Once astride, Ihere's no doubting its rac- bike. I had already asked him about valves ing heritage and you are surprised by how and he had shown me a pair of blanks small it a1l seems. You lean into the increas- made out of EN80 that he'd bought (but ing wind and your chin seems to be over never machined) some 30 years earlier. In the steering damper knob. With a seat the meantime I'd bought some valves and height of or,ly 28" it is small and if you do handlebars off long-stroke specialist Stuart wish to get your chin down there's a bum A neat and tidy rcat end. Rogers in England. But I have got this pad to slide onto. ok, oil pump happy to stay where it was. other project, Norton of course . , There's a couple of great sweeping bends Gearbox and clutch - nothing arniss here. Anyhow, I digress. Don bought the bike on the airport by-pass and with the roar of Sprockets and chains very usable. TT carby from a bloke in Parramatta. Well, he an open pipe you could be chasing Geoff - not much slop in there. swapped his racing pre-war MAC velo. The Duke somewhere - but let's not add to I dug deeper. Forks apart, the stanchions bike was in a million pieces; other than the that $250 fine. rolled truly across glass the topped dining cambox you couldn't physically dismantle We cruise home - thocka-thocka- table (we'11 keep that to ourselves). Best fit a was bike further. Everything everlrvhere: thocka - it's all so balanced, so taut. Oh new oil seals though. Dodgy steering head bits were under bits of other bikes, on she's a real Inter all right as the trace of bearings? No way. It even had a good Brit- walls, under shelves, behind cupboards, in oil on my jeans can testify. ish Avon on the rear wheel. the backs of,drawers. The bloke was an Unapproachable Norton? No way, it's you Mind the tank had a few dings - early disciple in the theory of chaos. For in the loungeroom now and there she'Il stay well at least I didn't have to chrome it. in all disorder there is order and he knew unless, of course, someone reckons they Weil-known Sydney vintage Norton sup- where everything was. Everything. can give it a better home.