Any of the Norton men able to help with this enquiry, trying to help someone who does not have a computer, he has in his possession a Norton Service Plate
The information on the plate is :-
EB3/R
CLASS 1
622997/25 8 48
ARMY AUXILIARY WORKSHOP
B209
Any info regards what the above info refers to or if it refers to a particular bike.
Many Thanks
JohnB
Sorry John, need a frame number to find out anything at all about that bike, the reconditioning plate is just what it is, a date and a location.
Oh, sorry, there's only the plate, or is there a bike also?
Cheers,
Lex
Hi lex
Been back onto the guy I'm trying to help with the service plate, he said the plate was inside a Norton Tool Box that came off another Norton 16H.
I've explained to him what you mentioned about the Service plate.
The guy I'm trying to help is a Chris Bates, he has a WD 500cc side valve NORTON 16H, FRAME NUMBER 81194, he said bike was at Chilwell about 1938, he mentioned that his 16H is an early one it
has what he described as a "lower type frame"
Are we able to ascertain from the Frame Number what the Petrol tank Contract number would be for him , any other information appreciated.
I think actually that it's not a WD16H at all, but a straightforward civilian 16H with the 1" lower standard frame and therefore 1" longer frame tubes. Maybe fitted with a replacement WD engine as so many have been.
Frame No. 81194 was a 1937 pattern 16H despatched to Watson Cairns in Leeds on 18/6/1937. It was fitted with a panel tank.
If you can get some photos of it, I can almost certainly confirm.
I think actually that it's not a WD16H at all, but a straightforward civilian 16H with the 1" lower standard frame and therefore 1" longer frame tubes. Maybe fitted with a replacement WD engine as so many have been.
Frame No. 81194 was a 1937 pattern 16H despatched to Watson Cairns in Leeds on 18/6/1937. It was fitted with a panel tank.
If you can get some photos of it, I can almost certainly confirm.
Hi Rick,
Thank's for the info, will get back onto Chris and try to get some images.
You mentioned that a 16h with engine number 81194 was despatched to Watson & Cairns 1937.
The Orchard and Madden book incorporates that frame number in a block of frame numbers of 16H's sent to Chilwell 1937.
Will tell Chris he has to send images of what he has!
Are we saying that no 16H's, with the longer front and saddle down tubes, were used by the military prior to and up to WW2.
All WD 16Hs had the high ground clearance frame which was a requirement of the specifications set out in the original contract. There would have been no reason to purchase civilian frames.
Frame number 81194 had sidecar gearing and was sold to a private customer in Doncaster on 3rd July 1937. It's quite likely with the combination of sidecar gearing and panel tank that it was specially ordered.