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The VintageBike Message Board => Wanted Bikes => Topic started by: NickPoll on July 31, 2019, 03:33:51 PM

Title: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: NickPoll on July 31, 2019, 03:33:51 PM

Hello, I'm looking for a Norton girder fork 16h or Big 4. I live in France, but can travel to UK no problem.

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: iansoady on July 31, 2019, 04:01:10 PM

I don't have one for you but am curious as to why you'd want a side valve rather than an OHV Model 18 or ES2. The side valves are, to put it kindly, sluggish. Some also attract high prices from the folk who like dressing up and playing at soldiers.

I had a 16H way back when and putting a Model 18 engine in it transformed it.

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: Rex on July 31, 2019, 09:06:56 PM

I'm partial to side valve chuffers too. :D

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: 33d6 on August 01, 2019, 02:20:19 AM

Come on Ian. There’s no logic in owning any old bike. We all do it for the fun of it. Some of us just have a different tint in our rose coloured glasses.

What powers the bike doesn’t really matter. It’s the size of the silly grin that counts.

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: iansoady on August 01, 2019, 10:37:16 AM

Oh well, there you go. I still see nothing that a 16H will do that a Model 18 won't do better.

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: cardan on August 01, 2019, 01:00:15 PM

I like my valves upstairs sometimes! Note the similarity with the original ES2 Norton design - ES (some say) is for "enclosed springs", to return the pushrods.

Nothing wrong with a side-valve Norton, before they started stacking on weight in the late 1920s.

Cheers

Leon

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: NickPoll on August 06, 2019, 11:25:12 AM

I like the idea of a chuffing side valver for relaxed low speeds around the Pyrenees where I live. If I want to blast around at silly speeds on a vintage bike I've got this one to play with.

Title: Re: Norton side valve single wanted.
Post by: NickPoll on August 06, 2019, 11:29:34 AM

And this one too. So as you can see, I like all sorts and the idea of a 16h or Big 4 appeals to me . I use my bikes too.