Toe Down
Registered user
I've been looking for a pre-60's classic single for 4 months now and have missed a couple of nice bikes (both sold to Germans who now enjoy a 30% discount at current exchange rates!)
After joining clubs, scanning the web and buying all the classic mags, I finally tracked down two possible candidates. I drove to a 350 mile round trip to see the first one which I agreed to buy (A 1954 Norton ES2 500 in great condition). I then saw a second bike from my wish list advertised on the net when I got back home. Of course it was only 40 miles from where I'd just driven!
So like buses you wait for ages and then two come together. I ended up buying the second bike (A 1959 Norton Model 50 Wideline 350) on spec based on the photos and a long call with the current owner.
I rented a van and headed off at 4.45 a.m. on Friday morning and finished offloading them at 6.00 p.m. that evening after 400 miles.
Managed to take both of them out on Saturday before the bad weather and gritters took hold and they were a real hoot. They both tickover at stunningly low revs. The ES2 needed an MOT as it was held on a SORN and it sailed through the test.
Free classic road fund licences and fully comp insurance at £47 each (including full breakdown, relay, homestart cover) should mean low running costs. On the downside, and as expected, they're not exactly oil tight and both sit on newspaper lined trays and I may need to plan bulk oil deliveries going forward.
It takes a few miles to get the hang of a) useless period brakes, b) one up, three down gearbox shift patterns and c) a foot brake/gearchange on the 'wrong' side. Makes for some interesting moments.
Overall I'm pretty chuffed and looking forward to some relaxed summer riding and the bark of an old single on the overrun.
After joining clubs, scanning the web and buying all the classic mags, I finally tracked down two possible candidates. I drove to a 350 mile round trip to see the first one which I agreed to buy (A 1954 Norton ES2 500 in great condition). I then saw a second bike from my wish list advertised on the net when I got back home. Of course it was only 40 miles from where I'd just driven!
So like buses you wait for ages and then two come together. I ended up buying the second bike (A 1959 Norton Model 50 Wideline 350) on spec based on the photos and a long call with the current owner.
I rented a van and headed off at 4.45 a.m. on Friday morning and finished offloading them at 6.00 p.m. that evening after 400 miles.
Managed to take both of them out on Saturday before the bad weather and gritters took hold and they were a real hoot. They both tickover at stunningly low revs. The ES2 needed an MOT as it was held on a SORN and it sailed through the test.
Free classic road fund licences and fully comp insurance at £47 each (including full breakdown, relay, homestart cover) should mean low running costs. On the downside, and as expected, they're not exactly oil tight and both sit on newspaper lined trays and I may need to plan bulk oil deliveries going forward.
It takes a few miles to get the hang of a) useless period brakes, b) one up, three down gearbox shift patterns and c) a foot brake/gearchange on the 'wrong' side. Makes for some interesting moments.
Overall I'm pretty chuffed and looking forward to some relaxed summer riding and the bark of an old single on the overrun.
Love those big Brit singles. I had a 1959 Model 50 as well, the Featherbed frame was a revelation after wobbling about on flexi-Triumphs and Beezers. Seem to remember that the brakes were OK but I guess it's all relative to the road speed of Ford Populars and Morris Minors 
Mind, I swapped the 50 for an 88 with a tls front brake which put things into perspective a bit. 
for the same reason you mention, the gearbox and brake being on opposite sides and the wrong (or maybe not) way up n down to change gears (plus riding them in India for 4 years whilst on hols) I bought a Royal Enfield sixty five (535cc conversion), it had been featured in the Gun, the Enfield owners mag, it's previous owner had ridden it from lands end to John O Groates, with no probs, I've owned it for 5yrs and love it, raised the gearing and it chuggs along at 55 to 65 on the wobbly clock, returning 80 to the gallon, lovely way to relax on a summers eve, highly recommended, you get used to the retarding devices, can't really call them brakes by today's standards, happy riding, still haven't got the hang of posting pic's luckily for all! kind regards Dusan 
then in the next race came off and broke his wrist because the exhaust grounded. Should be better this year, it's got a high level pipe now, and i'm lacing a new 8" hub into the front wheel with better linings, it should also hopefully be quicker with a higher comp piston and stronger rod and a few other twiddles to get the jetting right for methanol.
