John Player and other racing Nortons

grandpaul · Jan 5, 2021

There is some great discussion by some of the racers of the time, as well as many others who were there and have original photographs & videos.

If you are not a member on fecebook, sorry.

John Player Norton

This group is dedicated to the collection and dissemination of facts and details specific to the John Player Norton Commandos, and to members photos, project notes, and all related materials that can...

www.facebook.com

As long as you answer at least one of the challenge questions to become a member (with a coherent answer having to do with JPNs & racing Nortons), I will approve your membership straight away.

acotrel · Jan 6, 2021

Gus Kuhn ?

grandpaul · Jan 6, 2021

acotrel said:
Gus Kuhn ?

Of course.
Croxford, Williams, White, et al....

Fast Eddie · Jan 6, 2021

Gus Kuhn is on facebook?

That Zuckerberg dude is gooood ...

grandpaul · Jan 7, 2021

There is at least one Kuhn family member in the group.

grandpaul · Jan 7, 2021

The historical photos are worth it.

The historical context that is given in conversation is worth it.

Really nice folks.

Dommie Nator · Jan 7, 2021

grandpaul said:
If you are not a member on fecebook, sorry.

I take it that was a spelling mistake?

It's another name for it for me to call now though.

grandpaul · Jan 7, 2021

Dommie Nator said:
I take it that was a spelling mistake?

No, it is intentional.

grandpaul · Jan 11, 2021

A new member who is a photographer, has been posting a nice batch of race event photos from "back in the day", really nice stuff...

gortnipper · Tuesday at 12:36 AM

They are good. Have that "early pro" feeling to the pics, which is a perfect match to the bikes/time.

acotrel · Tuesday at 12:05 PM

I have been reading Paul Dunstall's tuining stuff. It is interesting but very dated. He says that with a Norton race bike, the motor should be just slightly over-revving on the fastest part of the race circuit. My experience has been, you need to keep the Commando motor pulling hard to get the most out of it. At peak revs, it goes nowhere fast. My motor will pull right up though the top of the usable rev range and on to oblivion - but if the gearing is higher, the bike is faster. It is the difference between torque and horsepower. I use very high overall gearing but close ratios to keep the motor on the boil.

Seeley920 · Tuesday at 1:13 PM

acotrel said:
I have been reading Paul Dunstall's tuining stuff. It is interesting but very dated. He says that with a Norton race bike, the motor should be just slightly over-revving on the fastest part of the race circuit. My experience has been, you need to keep the Commando motor pulling hard to get the most out of it. At peak revs, it goes nowhere fast. My motor will pull right up though the top of the usable rev range and on to oblivion - but if the gearing is higher, the bike is faster. It is the difference between torque and horsepower. I use very high overall gearing but close ratios to keep the motor on the boil.

Well, you're in a minority of one

Bernhard · Tuesday at 5:55 PM

acotrel said:
I have been reading Paul Dunstall's tuining stuff. It is interesting but very dated. He says that with a Norton race bike, the motor should be just slightly over-revving on the fastest part of the race circuit. My experience has been, you need to keep the Commando motor pulling hard to get the most out of it. At peak revs, it goes nowhere fast. My motor will pull right up though the top of the usable rev range and on to oblivion - but if the gearing is higher, the bike is faster. It is the difference between torque and horsepower. I use very high overall gearing but close ratios to keep the motor on the boil.

If you geared a racing Norton, any Norton like that in the UK , you will find at least half the field zooming past you down the longest straight . . .

grandpaul · Wednesday at 9:31 AM

Bernhard said:
If you geared a racing Norton, any Norton like that in the UK , you will find at least half the field zooming past you down the longest straight . . .

OBVIOUS ANSWER:

He'll pass them back in the turns!

Seeley920 · Wednesday at 11:19 AM

grandpaul said:
OBVIOUS ANSWER:

He'll pass them back in the turns!

Not a chance

acotrel · Wednesday at 11:43 AM

What do you do ? Do you keep the bike slightly under-geared in top and rev it. Or do you keep it pulling at the ends of the straights ? - We are probably talking about one tooth on one sprocket ?

Seeley920 · Wednesday at 12:03 PM

acotrel said:
What do you do ? Do you keep the bike slightly under-geared in top and rev it. Or do you keep it pulling at the ends of the straights ? - We are probably talking about one tooth on one sprocket ?

Gear properly, so it pulls about 7500 at the end of a long straight. At Snetterton, that's over 145MPH on my gearing

and no, I lose NOTHING coming out of the corners

Bernhard · Wednesday at 12:37 PM

A racer has no excuse but to gear properly, there should be a assortment range of sprockets in his/her toolbox. Its not rocket science to gear the bike to pull maximum revs at the end of the fastest straight.

grandpaul · Wednesday at 8:33 PM

Well, this thread has wandered far afield from John Player Nortons...

Seeley920 · Thursday at 6:19 AM

grandpaul said:
Well, this thread has wandered far afield from John Player Nortons...

That's never happened before