Norton Model 18

Norton
Model 18

Year1946
MileageUnknown
Frame no.A31579
Engine no.A31579
PriceSold

Norton's existing and well-tried 490cc unit was used as the basis for the firm's first overhead-valve design: the Model 18. Introduced in 1923, it retained its essentially vintage characteristics until 1931 when the range was extensively redesigned, dry-sump lubrication and rear-mounted magneto being standardised. There were numerous improvements made to the engine throughout the 1930s, including enclosure of the valve gear, while Norton's own four-speed foot-change gearbox had replaced the old Sturmey Archer in 1935. Production of an essentially unchanged 1939 model resumed after WW2.

This particular specimen has been recently restored and has been ridden only a few hunded kilometers since.