How many P11 still alive?

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Nov 10, 2012
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Hi.
Is posible to assume how many P11 are still alive and working?
Piero
 
Not reliably. Probably not even close.

Same goes for Commandos...
 
I would take a wild guess by starting with the total production numbers, cutting that number in half, then figuring about 1/2 of those are in the U.S., and the other half are all over Europe, mostly in the UK (with a triple handful in Canada).

That will give you the approximate distribution of remaining bikes not chopped up for scrap. Cut those numbers down to about 35%, and that's probably the number of runners.

I can also give you a rough estimate of the temperature (in the shade) in Teaneck, New Jersey, next August 7th at 4:45 PM, if you like!
 
Hi.
Sorry but next august i prefer to sail in my sea, around Capri iland, drinking italian wine, eating our food, play with my sons, dont thinking to the bikes, job, or money.
It is not an estimate, that is what we will do.
But now that you know the Teaneck august weather will be more easy for you to ride from New York to Boston, or viceversa, with more safety.
Piero
 
To ride from NYC to Boston, a short 200-mile jaunt, means I must first ride from Laredo to NYC, 1,969 miles. I don't think that will happen this year, even in August.
 
To ride from NYC to Boston, a short 200-mile jaunt, means I must first ride from Laredo to NYC, 1,969 miles. I don't think that will happen this year, even in August.
Hi.
You can do it.
Now that You know the weather take advantage.
Piero
 
Got one here in my French garage, it was the 70th. Also two in Switzerland, with one basket case.
 
This is just a bit of background on the P-11 from my N-V days.

As I understood the story at the time (Spring of 1968) there were significant numbers of the bike, eventually labelled "P-11" by N-V, made in the US by Berliner Corp. The story was that Berliner wanted a bike that would be competitive in California desert racing and created the AJS/Norton hybrid, with an AJS/Matchless frame and the 750cc Atlas engine.

The first the UK company became aware of it, during the time I was working there, was when it got hit by a California lawsuit after a fatal accident in a desert race. Berliner shipped a new one over to N-V for us to investigate. It was just shortly before I left N-V and my only involvements were break-in miles and some evaluations of revisions to the front forks. The break-in riding showed what a vibrating monster it was - thngs were falling off all the time.

Its oddest quirk was weaving from side to side on smooth roads, increasing in magnitude with speed to almost the full width of a UK motorway lane at 70 mph . Since I was limited to 70 for break-in, I never got past the weaving. A later tester said it straightened out above 85! Before we got into specific evaluation tests, the lawsuit faded away and the bike was languishing in the experimental shop when I left to emigrate.

Since it was subsequently manufactured and sold by N-V as the P-11, I've always assumed Plumstead Road's experimental folks sorted it out. My opinion was that the frame wasn't torsionally stiff enough to handle the torque loads of the 750 engine. The weaving may have been a moot point in desert racing, but it was a spooky characteristic on paved roads.
 
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