classic motorcycle forum

Motorcycle Discussions => Identify these bikes! => Topic started by: TR16 on July 03, 2011, 12:26:36 PM

Title: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: TR16 on July 03, 2011, 12:26:36 PM
Hi, I hope someone can help me please. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and have been doing my family tree for the past 30 years! I have recently come across these 2 photos of my grandpa on his Norton motorbike, taken somewhere in Victoria, Australia. I am trying to work out roughly when they were taken, and thought I might be able to do it by identifying the make and model of his bike. I am guessing these were taken from about 1935 -1955. Thanks everyone, Tracy
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: Norton55 on July 03, 2011, 02:54:20 PM
Hi Tracy,

Your Grandpa's Norton is a 1930 500cc Model 20.

Hope this helps
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: rogerwilko on July 03, 2011, 10:21:00 PM
Is it still up in the attic? Have you had a look!
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: R on July 04, 2011, 03:23:37 AM
Quite an expensive and upmarket motorcycle and sidecar for its time - the Model 55 bits means it has twin exhausts on a single cylinder motor, all the rage at the time, and it also has factory fitted newfangled electric lighting. Electric lighting wasn't new by then, but lights were still an optional extra, you paid more for them. Nortons were famous for their racing successes, so this was a decidely dashing outfit for the times, a real sports model.

Looks fairly new in the second pic. And that Imperial Confectionary Packing Works in the background should be findable. Bigger libraries in your area may have copies of Sands Directories for the early 1930s - these have directories of commercial premises. Its likely to be in Melbourne, or perhaps (maybe) a bigger country town, and should be listed. Perhaps in the phone books of the time too, also in bigger libraries.  May even still exist, if its not on prime industrial land (which is likely to have been redeveloped).

Great pics.
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: JFerg on July 04, 2011, 10:21:35 AM
The sidecar is a Melbourne-built "Dusting".

You'd probably be able to locate the site from the signwriting on the front facade, Cooper's whatever business it is.  Melbourne directories of 1932/3 would list it.

good luck.
JFerg
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: 33d6 on July 05, 2011, 01:22:55 AM
The State Library has a full run of Sands & McDougall's Trade Directories. As both R and JFerg say, locating the Imperial Confectionery Packing Company is the sort of problem librarians excel at. They will cheerfully organise you and point you in the right direction. You can then sit there and do the boring slog.
Cheers,
Title: Re: Help to identify my Grandpa's bike please
Post by: TR16 on July 05, 2011, 04:40:45 AM
A HUGE thankyou to everyone for their help. I have actually used the Sands & McDougall Directories before - time for another trip into the State Library, I think! I really appreciate everyone's time in answering my question, Tracy