cheap west coast 1953 ES2

http://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/4690726732.html

not mine

It doesn't actually show a decent view of the whole thing,
but I'd suggest thats NOT a 'BSA plunger frame', but an all Norton plunger ES2.
Which should make it a 1952 at the latest, in theory.

Jist needs a little work....

If it was closer to home I'd go and have a look,
haven't seen prices that low for even a basket project ohv Norton in decades.
They have a hemi motor, that gets the Mopar guys attention.... !

The're faster than Manx Nortons those old things

http://www.nzcmrr.com/news/2013/nick_co ... d_champion

Well one of them is anyway :shock:

Impressive! Would be interesting to know how they got an ES2 to go that fast. Mine will do 70mph on a good day.

Ian

Nortoniggy said:

Impressive! Would be interesting to know how they got an ES2 to go that fast. Mine will do 70mph on a good day.

Ian

Click to expand...

Well first you own this company so you have a few engineering faciltities to fall back on.

http://www.serviceengineers.co.nz/company-profile.aspx

http://www.serviceengineers.co.nz/media ... ochure.pdf

Im guessing the ES2 bottom end in the brochure does not look much like the one on your bike :roll:

The father and son who own the company are active motorsport enthusists. Both raced these bikes for years winning a lot of races. The Dad was pretty keen and routinely threw himself into the kitty litter! These days I think they are doing more drag racing although I think Peter Lodge might still be President of the NZ Classic Motorcycle Racing Register. (or immediate past President??)

The bike in the article is a cost no object total recreation of an ES2. I doubt there is a single thing on it made by Norton or even close to original Norton design. Every casting is new and the head for example is nothing like original.

Of more interest to me anyway is their Clubmans bike which under NZ rules is much more "original" bore and stroke etc. This is a photo of Peter Lodge and the Clubmans ES2 at Pukekohe a few years back. This is a very quick bike.

Nortoniggy said:

Impressive! Would be interesting to know how they got an ES2 to go that fast. Mine will do 70mph on a good day.

Click to expand...

They won't do that with a low compression roadgoing iron cylinder head, thats for sure !
Nor without a full fairing...

The 'ES3' hotrod locally that could outdo manxes about 20 years back began with new steel flywheels and a manx rod and piston,
then had a very heavily worked downdraft and swirled cylinder head - to give +manx+ style porting and dimensions.
And had a set of cams to match.

This all about 20 years ago, so too early for the internet to show it, it seems.
Will see if can find a pic.

He figured Nascar pushrod engines could be made to rev to 9500,
which is more than a manx anyway,
so there is no reason a pushrod ES2 couldn't be made to do similar.
And have +manx performance...

P.S. This is how Wiki shows a model similar to the one for sale ere might be expected to look, in as new condition.
Few errors in that resto, particularly it should have black painted centres to the wheel rims.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... e_1949.JPG
Seriously handsome, rugged - and heavy !

BTW, Spokane is about 500 miles from the West Coast! Yes, it's Washington State, but it's close to the Idaho border, in the high-plains of Eastern WA.