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Norton ES2

Norton ES2

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Norton ES2
Lot number 217
Hammer value £3,900
Description Norton ES2
Registration 820 ATF
Year c.1959
Colour Black
Engine size 490 cc
Chassis No. R4 89731
Engine No. C4 14026
Documents No documents

Affectionately nicknamed the ‘Easy-two’, the ES2 was launched in 1927, the first Norton to be built with a saddle tank and initiating a model name that was to survive until 1963.

It is believed E stood for extra cost, S for sports and 2 denoted the second version of the 79mm x 100mm 490cc engine. Basically a poor man's International, a step down from the bevel-driven OHC race-inspired machine, but a step up from the humble 16H side valve, the long stroke 490cc OHV push rod motor formed the heart of the bike.

By 1959 the ES2 had been fitted with the legendary Rex McCandless Featherbed frame and Norton's own Roadholder forks which at last provided the handling to match its 82mph performance - you could fall off an ES2 but only after grounding the footrest and the silencer to such an extent that you levered the back wheel off the road! It also had the excellent AMC gearbox, a revised cylinder head, modernised alternator electrics and an 8-inch front brake with full width hubs.

Much sought after on the café racer scene, many of these machines were stripped of the standard pushrod engine and, with the installation of Triumph engines, became Tritons.

The frame number on this ES2 has the identifier R4 denoting it to be a 1959 model, but the engine has the identifier C4 which denotes an engine dating from 1948 – still the correct type of engine but pre-dating the manufacture of the frame by some 11 years. There are no documents with the bike but an old tax disc suggests that it was originally issued with the Lancashire registration number 820 ATF, a number which is still associated with the bike on the DVLA system so should be recoverable when the bike is re-registered using the appropriate DVLA form. An HPI check records the date of UK registration as 17/01/1957.

Forming part of a private collection for many years, a certain amount of recommissioning will be required to restore it to roadworthy condition. Or perhaps it would be a suitable candidate for the creation of another featherbed-framed Triton? 

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