General Information

Serial #

94542-122

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STEEL FRAME/ CHROMED WHEEL RIMS, HANDLE BARS, HEADLIGHT CASE, EXHAUST PIPE/ METAL PARTS/ SYNTHETIC WIND SHEILD/ RUBBER TIRES, HAND GRIPS/ VINYL SEAT/ GLASS HEADLIGHT LENS/ FIBERGLASS LOWER WINDSHIELD

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

222.0 cm

Width

68.0 cm

Height

108.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Motorcycle vehicles

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

NORTON

Country

United Kingdom

State/Province

Unknown

City

Birmingham

Context

Country

United Kingdom

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

During the period immediately after the Second World War, the motorcycle industry faced many problems. They had to reorganize factories which had been on war work for years to the production of motorcycles and even those that had built machines for the armed forces found the transition from a single model to a civilian range to be difficult. Supplies of raw material were very short and most were rationed, with allocations based on pre-war production figures which often bore little relationship to post-war needs. Under these circumstances, English firms reorganized their plants to produce as many machines as quickly as possible. Motorcycles from this post-war period were generally from the 1939 range but with the new style telescopic front forks. Norton produced a small range of motorcycles at first (16H and model 18). In 1947, Norton began manufacturing the ES2 and the International models with plunger spring frames and the 'Roadholder' telescopic front forks. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, manufacturers began to bring out new models and, one by one, each found they had to produce a vertical twin to sell against the Triumph Speed Twin which had first appeared in 1937. In addition to the English Twins, most firms in Europe and Indian in America also produced a vertical twin during this period. While most manufacturers advertised and promoted their twins at the top of their range, Norton marketed its twin in a quiet, effacing and apologetic manner. This was not surprising, however, as Norton was world renowned for single cylinders. The Dominator 88 was an immediate success with buyers abroad(North America) and quickly laid the foundations of the legendary featherbed roadholding. It was seen as ahead of its contemporaries due to two factors: 1) Northon's were known for good handling (the best equation of fork angle, trail, wheelbase and centre of gravity). 2)The tremendous rigidity of the frame that held forks and swinging fork in their true positions to each other at all times. The machine was also comfortable and, as it was lighter than the model 7, was quick, had better acceleration, and less problems with the brakes. (Ref.3)

Function

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION

Technical

The Norton vertical twin first appeared at the 1948 Earls Court Show in the model line-up for 1949. It was given the code number of model 7 but was also given the name 'Dominator'. The complete machine was based on the ES2 model frame forks and gearbox, but the engine, the work of Herbert Hopwood, was completely new and was to be the basis of the Norton twin for some three decades with very little change to its original concept.The Norton twin-cylinder engine was based on the 360 degree parallel twin concept used by all the English firms at that time. It was virtually dictated by the ignition requirements as the layout allowed the use of a standard twin-spark magneto which was essential for sales in that period. (Ref.3) The Dominator 88 was the first Norton motorcycle to use a featherbed frame (built using mild steel tubing, arc-welded together). The mainframe followed the lines of the racing one exactly, with the two tubes running back side by side from the bottom of the steering head to form the tank top rails, before bending down to run behind the gearbox into another bend which carried them forward under both gearbox and engine. At the front of the engine they curved to pass up and between the tank rails to join the top of the steering head. Several cross tubes braced the two main tubes. It was fitted with the Manx racing front forks which had shortened stanchions, internal springs, and two-way hydaurlic damping with a dashpot system suspended from the top nut by a rod.The engine and gearbox were standard Dominator items and were mounted in steel plates to form a sub-assembly attached to the frame at three points. The primary drive was also standard and the transmission followed the lines of the model 7. The oil and tank battery both sad on a platform above the engine plates and bolted to them. Both mudguards were deeply valanced, the front being sprung, and the handlebars were kept free of wiring as the born button was screwed into the bar and connected internally. The speedometer, ammemter and lighting switch were mounted in a steel facia attached to the top of the fork legs, but the cut-out button was sited on the side of the toolbox under the seat. The petrol tank was shaped to the top rails of the frame and sat on rubber pads. The dualseat was held by two thumb screws to the toolbox at the rear of the tank.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

STAMPED INTO CRANKCASE LEFTSIDE IS: `94542/ 122'/ STAMPED INTO BRACE CONNECTING FRONT FORKS: `[8 1384]' CAN JUST BE SEEN/ BLACK & BRASS COLOURED METAL PLATE ON BOTH FRONT FORKS READS: `NORTON MOTORS LTD/ ROADHOLDER/ BRIT. PAT. NO. 557982'/ RED & GOLD MFR PLATE ON CRANKCASE LEFT READS: `NORTON/ BRIT. PAT. Nos/ 6253833 625834/ 630339'/ STAMPED INTO ENGINE CASE REAR IS: `88C/ 2516'/ `NORTON' PLATE ON BOTH SIDES OF FUEL TANK/ GBR LICENSE IN HOLDER ON LEFT FRONT FORK HAS PRINTED: `8066992/ AUG 76/ AUG 76/ MONTHS [POUND SIGN]/ This License expires on Last Day of month shown', & HANDWRITTEN ON IT IS: `RCF 760/ BICYCLE/ NORTON/ 4 5-85/ 500CC'

Missing

N/A

Finish

GREEN FRAME, FRAME CAPS, UPPER FUEL TANK, CHAIN GUARD, REAR LUGGAGE RACK/ WHITE FRONT & REAR FENDERS, LOWER FUEL TANK/ CHROMED WHEEL RIMS, HANDLE BARS, HEADLIGHT CASE/ SEAT HAS GREYSIDES WITH A GREY & CREAM CHEQUERED TOP/ BLACK TIRES, HAND GRIPS

Decoration

MFR NAME PLATE ON FUEL TANK SIDES IS LONG & STYLED TO GIVE A DIVIDING LINE TO TANK TO ALLOW USE OF TWO COLOURS, GREEN & WHITE; NORTON NAME FOUND AT FRONT WITH HORIZONTAL LINES IN CENTER KNEE GRIPS AT REAR/ IN CENTER OF HEADLIGHT IS A CIRCULAR INSET SILVER COLOURED MEDALLION WITH A LION IN ITS CENTER