Has anyone got any pictures of the WD Model 18 Norton they could send me please. I have a few but some are very small. You can send them to my e-mail address or post them here.
Thanks
That's the one Peter, thanks. I could do with a good picture of each side if these's any out there. I'm gathering bits to make a replica of it, unfortunately without the Tommy gun mount. I don't fancy losing my manhood if I hit something It would be good if I could make the mount to fix on when parked
That's brilliant Jan, just what I'm looking for. I thought the bike would be the same as a civvie Model 18, but the forks fitted look to be WD forks, which is good as that's what I've got
There was a Model 18 in civilian trim at the last Kempton autojumble for sale for £6,500. However, there was a label on it saying that the Norton club archive had confirmed that it was original supplied to the War Department. I was very tempted except for the fact that I don't have £6.5 K to spend on another bike and if I did I would be quickly living an a bachelor pad again. Cheers JT
That's brilliant Jan, just what I'm looking for. I thought the bike would be the same as a civvie Model 18, but the forks fitted look to be WD forks, which is good as that's what I've got
Horror, Where on earth are you going to find the "cows udder" silencer?
(only made for one year)
I know the forks were basicaclly the same, but the civvie ones had rubber mounted handlebar clamp and an adjuster knob for the dampers. The picture shows no adjuster knob but it does look like it has the rubber mounted handlebars. Some civvie ones were on ebay recently for a reasonable price, but I've got WD16H forks that will look fine. I have most of the parts to build something that looks close to that bike. I see this picture was taken in 1941 and the bike has been messed about with etc. It has rubber pillion footrests and no pillion seat, but you can see the holes in the mudguard where one was fitted.
I don't know what I'm doing about the silencer Keith, not the nicest looking thing and finding all the bits to get the bike up together is the first job. I think I'm only missing an oil tank and battery carrier of the large parts, probably lots of small parts needed.
That Model 18 at Kempton sounds interesting John, I would have loved to see it. It surprising how much everything will have cost by the time I've built this bike, £6500 for a bike with all the original parts and proof it's a WD bike is probably not bad. I've been lucky as I've got most of the parts kicking about so haven't had to buy an engine or gearbox etc, just a rolling chassis. But by the time I've rebuilt everything I'm sure it will be close to that figure I could sell all the parts I have and buy that bike
If it's the bike at Kempton that I saw then it was one that I didn't even bother taking a photo of as it was such a horrible bitsa. It had a WD16H frame with a butchered about number (which is what the NOC would have advised upon, and they don't ask for photos / rubbings if no official dating letter is requested)
From memory it was a post-war OHV engine with altered numbers. I stood and looked at it and wondered if it was worth the money and then thought that nine out of ten investors / collectors / sunday riders would be happy to have a girder forked ohv Norton and wouldn't worry or would go into denial over the number stampings.
Don't worry too much about having missed it, Mr.H !
Sorry Rob, I thought the rubber handlebar mount was part of the fork top yoke and this was different to the WD top yoke? Or are the top yokes the same?
Getting some bump stops will be a problem I'm sure
ISDT Norton would be nice, I've only got this picture of it.
Different frame than the one I've got, although I do have one of those frames that someone has done a poor swing arm conversion to.
ISDT has cradle frame. Cradle frames were only used for the prewar ES2 or on special request like ISDT.
All other models had diamond frames.
The top yoke fitting the headstock is different for civil (From 1935) or military 16H.
Military B4 did have the civilian top yoke.
All other fork parts are identical apart from the front main spring that was stronger on the military B4 (not the civil B4!).
Bump stops can still be found but it took me many years. Lex helped me out in the end :-)
Norton Big 4 and 16H fork blades do have different part numbers, but I think we decided that the only difference is the slots for the wheel spindle (bigger on the B4)
My own B4 came to me with 16H bars and top yolk. I managed to buy the rubber mounted version from Jake Robbins and it was quite simple to change.