1927 Norton Model 18, 490cc. Registration number SV 8596 (no...

Hammer

£17,000

1927 Norton Model 18, 490cc. Registration number SV 8596 (non transferrable), Frame number 26580. Engine number 37082.
The over head valve Norton Model 18 was first seen by the public in 1922. The new model retained the 79mm x 100mm bore and stroke that was already synonymous with the Norton marques 500cc models, but adopted a new over head valve top end fitted to the well proven Norton bottom end already in service in the 16H. The new head and barrel employed sound engineering principles with plenty of well spaced finning on the cylinder and the massive head. The rockers were placed well above the head on pillars ensuring adequate cooling. Much of the development work on the new engine was carried out at Brooklands, where the soundness of the design was demonstrated when the new model established a new world record for a 500cc class machine covering a kilometre at 89.22 mph. The new engine was housed in a frame of a similar type to that employed by the 16H, although in order to accommodate the taller over head valve engine without the whole machine becoming overly tall the tank rail was kinked. A three speed Sturmey Archer gearbox was employed as was chain drive for both the primary and final drive For the rest of the 1920's the Model 18 provided the basis for many of Norton's competition successes and in recent years has become one of the most sought after Norton's. The first examples still employed a dummy belt rim rear brake, however as the decade progressed drum brakes were adopted.
Daniel O'Donovan set a range of World and speed records for Norton, and specially tuned their BS and BRS models at Brooklands, in addition to fettling Norton's factory racers. This mercurial talent was instrumental in Norton's prosperity from 1913 onwards, and into the introduction of the Model 18 overhead valve engine in 1922. With a second wind from ohv power, O'Donovan and Norton pushed on to further records and, with Albert Denly on board, Norton set several records at Montlhery in 1927, including 100 miles in an hour on a Model 18.
This example was restored by Barry Tyreman of Bingley in 2000/2001 and on the road for 2001-2005 before being sold to our vendor in 2007. He has taken it to many vintage festivals including Coupes Moto Legende in Dijon-Prenois in 2014, Vintage Revival in Montlhery in 2019, it has also been to the VMCC Festival of 1000
Bikes.
It is now only been sold as he finds hand changing gear harder these days, sold with the V5C, various tax discs and other paperwork.