G15/N15 had a much heavier frame than the Atlas feather bed. This frame, however, is much more robust.
Legend has it that in early 1963, the AMC distributor in Southern California had a G15/45 with a blown motor and an Atlas with a broken head stock. Both bikes had been broken while racing in the desert. Somebody thought to put the Atlas motor in the AMC frame, and the result was a desert sled that dominated racing for the next couple of years, until its weight became a real factor.
The first batch of 200 were designated 'G15CS/xxxxxx N' and were called 'Atlas Scramblers'. These had Roadholder forks with Teledraulic damper assemblies and external springs, and open pipes. after the initial run, all of this series had the long Roadholders (about 1" longer than even Commando tubes)
This frame was sold until 1968 (except for a special run over a year later of 5), and marketed as 7 separate models, all with the Atlas 750 motor. The first batch of G15-N bikes in 1963, The G15 MkII and the AJS 33 (both sold as road bikes, with the heavy fenders, big seat, and large fuel tank), The G15CSR and 33CSR (lots of chrome, swept back exhaust pipes with rearsets, and low bars, except for a few 1967 bikes with 'apehangers'), and the G15CS and N15CS. The CS models are the ones with the small gas tank, light fenders, narrow seat and braced handlebars. The spokes on the rear wheels are also heavier than the Atlas or CSR models, to survive the pounding of off-road riding.
Norton sold better in North America than Matchless or AJS by the mid-60s, so some AJS 33s were re-stamped at the factory with G15 or N15. Also, the last few batches were shipped with 'N' and 'M' badges in the crate, and a few G15s were sold and titled as Nortons. If one looks at a G15/N15 or P11A, there won't be any decals or transfers that mention a brand or model - only the badge on the fuel tank would could be changed. The Ranger has a 'Norton' transfer on the tank instead of a badge, but Matchless was dead by that time.
In all, about 5000 bikes were built, the last regular production N15 was somewhere 124500. If you add that to the approximately 2500 P11s built, the Atlas-engined hybrids may rival the Atlas in total built.
