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 Norton - 500 Model 18
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Photo ou archives : F-M. Dumas
7101

Capacity : 500
Model : Model 18
Production : 1929 -
Category : (R) Street Bike

NORTON

500 Model 18 - 1929

The fastest machine on the market

The Norton Model 18 debuted at the 1922 Paris Salon and was the dominant sports bike of the 1920s. It remained the fastest production bike on the market for many years. With a minimum of preparation, it gave works riders Alec Bennett, Joe Craig and Stanley Woods victory in major international events until1927, when it was replaced by the sohc Norton CS1. The other riders who distinguished themselves on the Model 18 were Italian stars Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi.

James L. Norton's Last Model

The Model 18 was powered by the last engine designed by the marque's founder, James Lansdowne Norton. Its engine dimensions and gearbox were the same as the famed 16H, but the valves were operated by pushrods and rockers.

Confirmation

The prototype caused a sensation at Brooklands in 1922, when Rex Judd covered the flying kilometer at 98.4 mph. To uphold the Model 18's claim to be the fastest on the market, Norton organized a test in 1927, asking the ACU – the governing body for British motorcycle sports – to choose six engines from the production line at random. They were sealed, shipped to Brooklands and mounted in the appropriate frames. Observed officially by the ACU, the six engines were timed at over 80 mph. The Model 18 was updated each year – in 1929, it gained the saddle-tank along with a rudimentary foot-selector for the gearbox. The Model 18 was produced until 1954.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 490cc (79x100mm) air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke

Power Rating: 20 hp @ 5000 rpm

Valves: overhead

Fuel System: Amal carburetor

Transmission: Sturmey-Archer close-ratio 3-speed, chain primary and final drives

Suspension: Webb girder forks with center spring (front); rigid (rear)

Brakes: 7 inch drum (front); 8 inch drum (rear)

Wheels: 19 inch (front & rear)

Weight: 340 lb

Maximum Speed: 82 mph

The 490cc Norton Model 18 single was the most handsome machine of the 1920s, particularly in the original saddle-tank version of 1929.




Le fichier Moto Passion réalisé par François-Marie Dumas réunit près de deux mille photos accompagnées d'un historique très complet des machines présentées.
Il sera progressivement mis à jour ici et toute information complémentaire est la bienvenue sur info@moto-collection.org.

Cette documentation unique, qui constitue sans doute l'encyclopédie la plus exhaustive jamais écrite sur l'histoire de la moto, a été réalisée avec l'assistance de nombreux spécialistes dont principalement Didier Ganneau, Christophe Gaime, Mick Woollett, Jean Goyard, Bernard Salvat, Christian Rey, Yves Campion, Helmut Krackowizer, Michael Dregni, Michel Montange, etc. que je remercie ici.

Disponible sur demande :
- Les fiches originales sur papier
- Les photos et archives signées de mon nom en haute définition ou les documents originaux.
Me contacter sur info@moto-collection.org pour les conditions et droits d'utilisation.