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We have a saying in Dutch: ’You shouldn’t tie the cat to the bacon’. Well, exactly that happened when I visited Mark Upham (British Only Austria) and his family last summer. I had seen the '29 Model 18 on his website, and told myself that I didn't need another Norton (I had three already), that it was just too expensive, far from original, and not even a flat-tanker. I should have known better. We had a very pleasant week fettling and riding many of Mark’s bikes. The Norton didn't need attention, but what harm could come of a short test ride? I wheeled it out of the showroom, started it, and rode off; it was
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Over the next few days, I had the pleasure of experiencing many other bikes; changing their oil, fixing small problems, taking them for rides, but somehow, every day, I just had to take a spin on the Norton, liking it better and better. Eventually, Mark told me to stop fooling myself, made me an offer that I could not refuse and that settled it; I had another Norton in the shed.
This Model 18 is not a 'pretty' bike, but it looks so good, if you can appreciate the difference. Funny enough this is recognized by many non-motorcyclists. Never before on any bike did I get the
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It’s not difficult to understand why I like this bike so much - it just goes so well! Nortons from this era are very long and low (they have been compared to ferrets) and the build quality of the frame allows for a stable ride, and very spirited cornering. Further, lack of parts like
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But what really makes this Norton special is the engine. I have a 1928 Model 18 which has essentially the same, but I immediately noticed that the '29 feels much smoother and
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A clever engineer has had his way with the internals of this machine. Out of curiosity I lifted the head and barrel to have a look inside. Clearly, the flywheels have been lightened; normally square, they now sport polished ‘knife-edges’. The piston looks more like the slipper type you’d expect to find in a racing International engine. The inlet valve is much bigger than the exhaust valve, which is also non-standard as far as I know.
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The builder found an ingenious way to convert the Sturmey-Archer gearbox to a primitive form of positive stop operation; the lever on the right side of the handlebar operates a rod that blocks first gear and neutral, leaving only second and third gear. It took a while to get used to, but it really works!
Other non-original parts include the front forks; my guess is that they were robbed from a 1930s International. The carb is a later Amal 276. The previous also owner fitted a modern Dunlop tyre to the rear wheel, which isn’t period but it has a round profile, which helps cornering a lot. I
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