new to me N15

I am waiting to take delivery of a nice N15 its a 1967 VIN # 118719 I purchased it from a fella named joe Stoodly in the Chicago area (pretty well respected member of the CNOA,I's a "site unseen/long distance deal"...),I have a few questions..were all these hybrids basically the same matchless frame/Norton engine combos ? The reason I ask is that I would like to change it to the P11 trim....so am I barking up the wrong tree ? I have looked at the P bike and the N bike photos side by side and do not see any real big differences.....at least from a newbies perspective,so I would like to know if anyone has any recommendations on where to source parts such as a small seat,the pipes,silencers,brackets,skid plate etc..etc.. The motor was just recently gone thru by the folks at Morries place and some signifigant money was spent on the bottom end,any thing particular to look out for on these bikes ? this will not be a every day rider,but when I do use it I would like to know about the "nuances " and problem areas.Also what will the starting procedure be with this bike...I am told it has a magneto and I have never owned a bike with magneto ignition... will this bike need a battery to run lights or will the mag handle thoses chores ? I was also wondering which vendors are good for spares,parts such as pipes,seat etc....and which vendors to stay away from too ? Well thanks in advance for the help,perspective and feed back.I have heard that there is a expert on or around our forum who literally wrote a book on these hybrids....not been published or something to that effect....how can I source out some of his data ? I would really appreciate a "cliff notes" education on my new machine and what to expect....so thanx once again to the greatest forum and most helpful members !!!
Jeff

The original P11 wasn't manufactured by Norton, but by the California Norton/AJS/Matchless importer's people. The first Norton knew about it, as I recall, was when the company got hit with a US lawsuit after a desert race rider was killed.

A brand new one (15 miles on the odometer) arrived at the R&D facility where I worked in early 1968. We were asked to investigate what characteristics might have pitched the rider off. It was only about 3 months before i quit to emigrate to join Boeing, so I didn't see "the rest of the story". I did the initial break-in miles, keeping the speed below 75 and not pushing it too hard.

As I've posted before, it had some unpleasant handling characteristics when ridden on the street, which could have caused a problem on the dirt at high speed. We made some minor changes to the front suspension that improved it slightly and, with street tires it was better.

I think the lawsuit was dropped, and N-V decided to make a production model.

IMO, you'd be better off keeping it as an N-15, as they're probably worth more in as-original condition, and the frame and engine were designed from the start to be compatible. There might be a lot of complicated minor mods needed to make it safe with the 750 motor in it. If you do go ahead with the conversion, I'd strongly advise using the Atlas version of the 750 motor, not the Commando and be very careful riding at high speeds (either street or dirt) until you're thoroughly familiar with its quirks.

If there's somebody from the Plumstead design department (or Andover) on here that knows more in detail about how the final P-11 developed, I hope they'll post. For time-frame info, I left N-V in May of 1968, and that P-11 had been around since about February. I visited the Marston Road plant once on a Boeing trip to the UK, maybe early 1970-ish, just before the move to Andover, and remember that bike still being in the Experimental department shop. After 46+ years, memories are dim!

The N15 is a different animal compared to a P11. It has a different frame for a start. There is nothing to stop you making the N15 into more of a street scrambler with the use of exhausts, high bars, mudguards etc. but this would likely reduce the resale value unless you keep all the original parts. An N15 is a nice bike and so is a P11. A P11 will tend to command a higher price in the market.

Regarding a magneto, this will provide a spark on the basis of the rotation of the armature inside a magnetic field. It does not require a battery but does not provide power for any other function, for this you would need a dynamo or alternator, a battery and some kind of voltage/charging control unit. I have a 1967 G15 which is the Matchless badged brother of your own machine. Mine has an alternator and a battery/points ignition with the points housed in a unit on the back side of the timing cover that some people mistake for a magneto. For cold starting simply tickle the carburettors untill they flood and give it a mighty kick with little or no throttle. Hot starting just needs a kick, although sometimes a bit of tickling is required if it doesn't fire up after a few kicks.

Yeah, N15/G15 have a different frame, forks and wheels from the P11. The big scrambler is based on the original Matchless G12/G15 frame, which is very different from the G85-based frame of the P11. The oil tank for a P11 would not fit in the G15 frame, which is a key styling point of the P11 series.

Both series used the same engine and transmission, and the primary is the same except for a hole through the middle of the P11 primary to support the left foot peg perch.

The seat of a P11 Ranger is the same as a late N15, except for different mounting tabs. (the pan, foam, trim and seat cover are the same)

Not being familiar with the various model #s, I'd assumed that the N15 was the original Matchless 500cc off road bike that the P-11 was based on. My comments in the latter part of my post yesterday were based on that apparent misconception.

frankdamp said:

Not being familiar with the various model #s, I'd assumed that the N15 was the original Matchless 500cc off road bike that the P-11 was based on. My comments in the latter part of my post yesterday were based on that apparent misconception.

Click to expand...

The Matchless model was based on the G80CS 500cc single cyl that became the G85CS with the chrome moly frame. It was a P11 if it had the 750 engine.

My bike is a 750 and though I've yet to see it in person,I'm told it has a magneto ignition,and in doing some research...... Based on the SN it should have the magneto,I still want to source P11 parts such as the high pipes shorty seat and skid plate.... I would never alter the bike in a permanent fashion,and will keep all the stock parts.... So does anyone have a lead on who is a good reliable vendor for parts....and who to steer clear of ?
Jeff