Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:01 am Post subject: norton electra
hi there, curious if the norton electra was a bad idea of a bike, or what? i saw one for sale a while back, kind of cheap, but needed a lot of work. parts aren't around and i can't fnd much info on them. bad investment to pick one up?
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 1946 Location: Norfolk, UK
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:15 am Post subject: Re: norton electra
iusedtolikehondas wrote:
bad investment to pick one up?
Depends how much you pay for it?
The electric starter drive was a bit fragile apparently, and the model was not particularly popular, but a good one would still be worth having I suppose, at the right price?
Quote: "(there were only ever two machines built with electric start anyway)." By that, I'm sure they meant to say that two Norton models had electric starters = the Electra and the Commando 850 MkIII.
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 147 Location: Anacortes, WA, USA
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:37 am Post subject:
The Electra was a very poor machine. Firstly, it was only a 350, and a rather weak one at that. The cycle parts were really strange. I think the frame was a welded sheet steel design.
They made two bikes of similar design - the other one was the Jubilee 250.
Neither of them were considered "real" Nortons.
They were viewed as a last ditch effort to save the company by gettting into the beginner bike market, particularly the Jubilee, as the market for the bigger bikes was being gobbled up my the original Mini. I think the rule limiting learners to 250ccs or less had already been introduced.
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 1946 Location: Norfolk, UK
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:38 am Post subject:
frankdamp wrote:
The Electra was a very poor machine. Firstly, it was only a 350, and a rather weak one at that. The cycle parts were really strange. I think the frame was a welded sheet steel design.
They made two bikes of similar design - the other one was the Jubilee 250.
Actually Frank, there were three models, and I guess it's probably just slipped your mind, but the Electra was a 400. The 350 was the "Navigator".
Their frames were apparently Francis Barnett items, and so were the 250 Jubilee's forks and wheels, the 350 Navigator and 400 Electra models at least had the Norton Roadholder forks and Norton wheels/brakes!
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 147 Location: Anacortes, WA, USA
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:14 am Post subject:
You're absolutely right, LAB, I had forgotten the Navigator.
I'm a bit surprised about the use of F-B frames, as I didn't think Norton had joined Associated Motorcycles by the time thos bikes were released to market. Maybe they just bought the stuff from AMC, or I'm remembering events out of sequence.
Since they had to come up with three new engines in a fairly short time, it does make sense that they would get bits from outside contractors.
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 1946 Location: Norfolk, UK
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject:
frankdamp wrote:
I'm a bit surprised about the use of F-B frames, as I didn't think Norton had joined Associated Motorcycles by the time thos bikes were released to market. Maybe they just bought the stuff from AMC, or I'm remembering events out of sequence.
Apparently, AMC took over Norton in 1953, and the first year of the lightweight twins (250 Jubilee was the first model) was 1959.
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At the end of 1967 the Norton Commando was announced.
The Norton Commando was greeted with a certain amount of scepticism because on first sight the commando appeared to comprise of the old Norton Dominator twin cylinder engine mounted at an inclined angle in a set of new cylinder parts.
It was not realized that the new Norton Commando Isolastic method of engine suspension damped out all engine vibration and produced a machine which had uncanny smoothness for a vertical twin. In due course the critics were silenced and the Norton Commando had the distinction of being regarded as the first of todays so called superbikes. There can be little doubt that the original design concept of the Norton Commando has proved correct, since comparatively few modifications of any real consequence have been made since production commenced during 1968.
Now nearly 40 years later Norton Commando riders like us are a breed of our own, and as far as we are concerned its still more fun to go for a blat on the old Norton Commando, and fast. As a Norton Commando owner and enthusiast, my goal here is to promote and give credit to those who keep the Norton name going.
It is more deserving to give credit to the Commando itself, for after all these years it continues to be respected. The original Commando designers like John Favill are those who deserve the credit for developing this incredible motorcycle.
The Norton Commando Roadster and Interstate of the late seventies, never died. Although the Norton Villiers factory dispersed the tradition lived on. Today Kenny Dreer in the USA is developing the new 952 CC Norton. What a great looking bike this is, and its engineering is still based on the original layout. It will be interesting to see how the new 952CC Norton does in todays tough motorcycle market. One thing is for sure, I would own one if I could afford it.
