World's Fastest Norton... The Movie...

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Great! Camped next to T.C. and co. at the Norton Rally at Dick Klamforth's Honda (Norton, for that weekend) Hills in Ohio a few years ago. Those guys know how to party!
 
Meet this guy @ are fall ride in the Chicago area. This is what it's all about. the world would be a bettter
place with more guys like these.


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Norton 750 73
Ducati sport classic 2006
Harley roadking 2009
 
Believe this is the world's fastest Norton...Dennis Manning's Bonneville streamliner.

World's Fastest Norton... The Movie...
 
Fastest or quickest, that's the question. The drag bike is probably the world's quickest Norton, but likely not the fastest. The ex-Manning Gulf Norton streamliner might or might not be the world's fastest Norton. Depends on how you define the term. The fastest verified speed record for a Norton was set by Sam Wheeler at Bonneville in 1970 with a two way average of 208.792 mph. His first run was 214 mph, with a return run of 205 mph. Sam believed he could run closer to 300 mph after some improvements in the wind tunnel, and using a heavy dose of nitromethane for fuel, but was prevented from running the liner in 1972 by a lawsuit filed against Norton by Dick Moulder, the engine builder for the liner. Norton gave the liner to Moulder in settlement, and it never ran for a record again with the Norton engine. The Gulf liner is said to have run around 280 mph on a one-way run, but was unable to complete the return run necessary for a record.

So, which one would you call the world's fastest?

Ken
 
A logical assumption is "World's Fastest Norton" criteria would be the same as "World's Fastest Indian"...that is speed. The Gulf streamliner although didn't make the return run to set a record, still ran close to 280mph. Any other Norton out there go faster under it's own power?
 
We're splitting hairs here, or comparing apples to oranges. The Bub 'liner obviously had more top end, but T.C. dominated the Top Fuel dragbike world for many years. If he and John had put their efforts into a Bonneville record streamliner, they might have set those records, also.
 
Danno said:
We're splitting hairs here, or comparing apples to oranges. The Bub 'liner obviously had more top end, but T.C. dominated the Top Fuel dragbike world for many years. If he and John had put their efforts into a Bonneville record streamliner, they might have set those records, also.
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Yea, but it's fun debating. :) The only performance that matters is in your own ride.
 
Danno said:
We're splitting hairs here, or comparing apples to oranges. The Bub 'liner obviously had more top end, but T.C. dominated the Top Fuel dragbike world for many years. If he and John had put their efforts into a Bonneville record streamliner, they might have set those records, also.
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I'm sure they could have, and Dennis could probably have built a very fast drag bike, and Sam's Norton could probably have gone 300 mph eventually, but they didn't. Could have, would have , might have aren't the same as real accomplishments. All these guys have major accomplishments, achieved through extraordinary effort, and certainly deserve credit for their deeds. But, at the end of the day, when I look in the record books, the fastest Norton I see is Sam's. I'd say the title should go to Sam, but that's just my humble opinion. The World's Fastest Indian gets that title because it set a National speed record for it's class at 183.586 mph (still the class record), and that's the fastest record in the books by an Indian.

Ken
 
illf8ed said:
Yea, but it's fun debating. :) The only performance that matters is in your own ride.
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Agreed, on both counts. Unfortunately, my best Norton rides are way below 200 mph, and are unlikely to attract the interest that T.C., Sam, Dennis, and Burt have.

Ken
 
I'm compromised myself on fastest vs quickest, so just settling for the funnest Norton : )
Official record is one thing, reality is another. Back in NASCAR beginning days a good number of the non race car moonshine taxis were quicker and faster than full race breed. One of the early multi National winners, said the bad est fastest car he ever rode was a supercharged bootlegger car. But no records kept, this the memory.
To get in the record books takes luck against fate as much as pure hardware capacity, darn it.

In the movie case, hey its named to sell movies and hard to beat the drama TC created. Some one should put together various clips and interviews of the existing extremists out there, and create an "On Any Norton Endless Riding Season show.

There was a twin engine Triumph drags that was able to do like low 8 sec 170+ mph 1/4 mile on a 4 inch slick! Seen photo pulling wheeling on long bike while doing burn out stunt going maybe 100 mph. Hope movie shows this competition.
 
swooshdave said:
hobot said:
World's Fastest Norton... The Movie...
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Stock AMC gearbox there? :mrgreen:
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That triple engine rig is not the one TC ran (in fact he bought this one after donating the HogSlayer to the National Motorcycle Museum in England). So I don't know what that gearbox is, but in Hogslayer, TC and John Gregory built a transmission from a Rambler overdrive unit!
 
hobot said:
I'm compromised myself on fastest vs quickest, so just settling for the funnest Norton : )
Official record is one thing, reality is another. Back in NASCAR beginning days a good number of the non race car moonshine taxis were quicker and faster than full race breed. One of the early multi National winners, said the bad est fastest car he ever rode was a supercharged bootlegger car. But no records kept, this the memory.
To get in the record books takes luck against fate as much as pure hardware capacity, darn it.

In the movie case, hey its named to sell movies and hard to beat the drama TC created. Some one should put together various clips and interviews of the existing extremists out there, and create an "On Any Norton Endless Riding Season show.

There was a twin engine Triumph drags that was able to do like low 8 sec 170+ mph 1/4 mile on a 4 inch slick! Seen photo pulling wheeling on long bike while doing burn out stunt going maybe 100 mph. Hope movie shows this competition.
Click to expand...

That was Boris Murray who inspired T.C. to double down.
 
I had a talk with the engine tuner of the Norton streamliner just this last summer, He had said Norton supplied something like 10 or 12 engines for them and they had gone through almost all of them before that run. The bike ran on nitro and he had said they had problems building heat in the engine,? But the pilot of the streamliner was the same guy Hobot speaks of on the Triumph, Boris Murray. He had also dominated drag racing with his bike back in the day. Denis is still involved in land speed racing and has the current world record at 367.382 mph with Chris Carr as the pilot, I was lucky enough to see his previous record run in 2006 when they ran 350 something? don't remember the exact time, Also Sam still runs out at Bonneville with his EZ Hook that had a single engine Kawasaki that ran over 350 also but blew a front tire and it ended up going on its side and ruined his chances at a return run in 2006. Here is a link to the Triumph photo Hobot spoke of.
http://www.draglist.com/stories/SOD%20S ... 091301.htm
 
Ah Yes Yes Yes Horton! That's The One!

World's Fastest Norton... The Movie...


My first motorcycle was a P11 Ranger built for drag strip only with 3 rim locks on 4" flat slick. It was best in its USA gas class '68-69 when dropped at end of a run and pilot quit after proving a bet that new Norton weren't quaint tour bikes. I did stuff like this in public any time or place I cared, but rarely lifted front higher than first Murry perfect launch photo. Floating level with one touch down only on each kill button WOT shift till 4th slowly lowered 2" below factory stance.

Ok Actually I have done A Murry smoking tail standing wheelie. Its what sold me to give up all the money I had to live on for months in school, + almost being dis-owned by family - was thumping around on antique looking little 50 cc size Norton in nerd clothes impressed by the push on half a motor, got headed down steep hill in only straight housing area road, it fired on both to stand straight up, flip seat up to slap my face as it sweep feet off bare pegs, just like Roolie but only my hands on WOT grip and seat base in face contacted bike. I died and arose again ok.

That "P!!" was fastest thing on the Road in several states around. 10.49 quarter in its best prime. I had street tire so had to baby throttle till hwy speed and almost that fast to pop clutch with rev's to pull a 'real' wheelie, other wise sat in place smoking or leaped forward so harsh it'd whiplash my neck. One does not lean and steer a real bee line dragster, but boy howdy does in train which end of the bike really rules the roost! I tease thee not, it was not till '99 move to Ozarks discovering a P11 like profile in mower shop that I learned how to sit on a street bike and lean and counter steer. I had some bux in Houston, but no bike I tried was half as potent disappointment for risking in city traffic. In '74 I was using frwy entry ramps and bridge humps or road crowns to launch in air by pure ballistics and didn't need much a head start on em either. I think my brain remains injured, no I know it is forever imprinted with constant depression I lost my P!!, so cut off from being crazy biker extremist.

I've 5 phases of handling thrust on me, phase 5 is the quickest way around and it was taught me by P!!, as requires spun tire before entry for upright burn out straight steering all the way around and back to real hook up, but all the time nothing but thrust into seat, no side loads nil lean insane fun or fear if ruining out of power band before road straightens. Ice Spike Racers use phase 5 so do MX bike if they have a rut to hold the rear in for them.
I am in awe of those who had more guts than me to make a life around bad ass motorcycles.
World's Fastest Norton... The Movie...


I will have it again in spades before I die and I surely will.
I was doing this at age 20-24 but sounding way better and louder for sure.
It ain't all that hard, actually forced on ya - If You Have The Power!
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoaaiWRfkZs[/video]

I am flat besides myself crawling sensation under skin, demonic mental images and emotional surges better than most psychedelic trips, to get a first ride on Isolastic Combat and not feel finger nails numbing to skull plates then Phantom Oiler pointed at Patton rear link, another sold me a Drouin and I made it fit a 5" wide rear plus will pull nose down 3" - ohmyohmyohmy. Peel couldn't touch P!! POW w/o whole lot of help. 750 Peel only had power enough to do phase 5 on THE Gravel. Scotty! We ...
 
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