As has been quoted here a number of times now, a FACTORY hot-rodded 850 Mk 1 Roadster ridden by factory rider Dave Rawlins did that AVERAGE 143 mph at an International Meet at Elvington. This is quoted in the 1973 Norton brochure. And some quick 1/4 mile times, with gearing changed, they mention.
This bike was the factory idea of a Combat spec 850, although noise regs were said to prevent them selling them like that. Nortons published Tuning Sheet 1 and Tuning Sheet 2 saying how this was done - 4S cam, shaved head, hi-flow exhaust, etc etc etc. MotorCycleMechanics mag published this in fair detail in 1973.
Andover Norton recently had a pic of this bike and rider and engineer back at the time on their website, may still be there someplace.
Looked like a standard 850 Roadster. The ultimate street sleeper ?
I bought a (wrecked) 850 to try this on, but by 1977 parts were hard to get, and it never happened much beyond a std bike.
P.S. Elvington still has their record books for International Meets, and recently advised that if someone can quote the date they can look up all the recorded runs. Someone local may get to sight these ?
