Circa pre 1972 Norton Westlake/Nourish race bike, 900 cc. Re...

Estimate

£9,000 - £11,000

Circa pre 1972 Norton Westlake/Nourish race bike, 900 cc. Registration number 220498 (see text). Frame number DA 494. Engine N 527 CM 6.
No one who was there at the time will ever forget what a thrill it was to see a 'humble' all-British twin showing the modern best from Japan and Italy the way home. Yet this seemingly unlikely scenario is exactly what happened in the early 1980s when the late Bob Smith started riding Gary Bryan's mighty RGB-Weslake in Battle of the Twins races. When Smith first began riding for Bryan in 1980 his mount was a Norton-framed 950cc Weslake racer, but when the Battle of the Twins series was announced for 1982, it was decided to construct an entirely new machine around a special frame fabricated by master tubesmith John Caffrey. Different riders and teams, always on the look- out for an edge, used various frame makers such as Colin Seeley, Harris, Rickman or Dresda, based on the Norton Featherbed, with their own tuned engines.
This example has a Classic Motorcycle Registration Certificate, 220498, issued on the 23/06/87 for a Norton with a 850 cc Westlake engine numbered N 423 CY 3, Period 2 (Four stroke machines from 1st January 1964 to 31st December 1972). The frame is stamped DA 494 and it has a Dresda swinging arm.
The engine today is a Westlake /Nourish NRE example, numbered N 527 CM 6 that comes with a folder of bills for our vendor, dating from 2008, from such firms as Nourish and Demon Tweets. At this time the machine was fully overhauled with a rejigged frame, fully rebuilt engine, 8 valve head, a Manx Norton 4 speed gearbox, belt drive clutch, an Interspan ignition system was fitted, the frame and running gear fully rebuilt. In 2012 again it was fully refreshed and runs on a 180 degree crank on methanol. It was campaigned in the Northern Hill Climb Championship at such tracks as Oliver's Mount and Elvington. Last refreshed over the winter of 2013/14 and has only run a few times since.
A previous owner, in the 1990's, has been in contact with the auctioneer and fills in part of its history. He bought the rolling chassis from a gentleman who had had a big off with it. He took the Westlake engine out and sold it on separately. The 1990's owner acquired the Nourish engine and took it to Dresda who put it on their jig; Degan said he did not build it but it could have been made in his workshop. A new swinging arm was purchased. This owner ran out of enthusiasm for it and sold it on.
Sold with a large folder of receipts and data, it will require a recommissioning before hitting the track in 2019 for the historic circuit.
By separate negotiation are a rolling starter, spare crankcase, 8 valve Westlake head and other spares. Please contact the auctioneers about this.