Ranger Dual Seat

vercu said:
I have bought one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Norton-La...pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item25a125f887

It looks like an original Ranger seat.
It is in a very good condition.
I have no relation to the seller. Only a happy buyer.

Hope this is is of interest to someone.

Peter

I believe that is a late style N15 seat. The difference being the missing crude shaped plate and mount to fit over the shocks. That would be simple to make with primitive tools. Nice find!

Does this seat have the single "P" clip anchor at the front? I'm not sure if the N15 used this or not.
 
Yes it has the single P clip at the front. Without the rubber insert. You are right the N15 seat is different at the front ( and the back) underside.

Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat


Ranger Dual Seat
 
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vercu said:
Yes it has the single P clip at the front. Without the rubber insert. You are right the N15 seat is different at the front ( and the back) underside.
Thank you for the photos, so this is an actual NOS Norton Ranger seat in your photos?
You purchased this off EBay?
 
I believe that this is a NOS Norton Ranger seat. Comparing this one with the pictures from grandpaul and hotspurr it looks similar.
If i am wrong then i have a very good reproduction.
Bought from the ebay link above. It seems the seller has more than one.
 
vercu said:
I believe that this is a NOS Norton Ranger seat. Comparing this one with the pictures from grandpaul and hotspurr it looks similar.
If i am wrong then i have a very good reproduction. Bought from the ebay link above. It seems the seller has more than one.

Thanks, great Norton seat.
I think this is an NOS Norton Ranger seat as well.
A reproduction would not have been able to apply this particular graphic (very specific) nor the correct plastic chrome trim.
Everything looks correct - fabric insert, strap and hardware, clips on trim, etc.
 
p400 said:
Any detail photos of an original Ranger seat?
here is a photo found online, is it correct P11 Ranger seat? -
Ranger Dual Seat

Yes, that's a correct seat - one of Leo Goff's restorations. There are several pics of that particular bike around. Leo makes a point of using period-correct green plug wires with hard 'Champion' caps
 
Nice Ranger 750, but why aren't the hubs ribbed? Just being a penis head.

Jer

BillT said:
p400 said:
Any detail photos of an original Ranger seat?
here is a photo found online, is it correct P11 Ranger seat? -
Ranger Dual Seat

Yes, that's a correct seat - one of Leo Goff's restorations. There are several pics of that particular bike around. Leo makes a point of using period-correct green plug wires with hard 'Champion' caps
 
jerrykap said:
Nice Ranger 750, but why aren't the hubs ribbed? Just being a penis head.

Jer

Here's a re-creation of events at N-V in a condensed form (please feel free, anybody, to add or correct any details):

In 1968, the Commando was released and sold well. The ownership at N-V wanted to close the Plumstead factory and move all production/assembly to Wolverhampton and Andover.

The last '68 Commando was 20M3/128644

The next two runs were done to both fill orders and pare down the stocks at Plumstead so there'd be less to move or throw out.

The Ranger run, P11/128646 to P11/129145, cleaned out most of the leftover Matchless stuff. Since the ranger was meant to be a street scrambler, there was no need to skim hubs, so whatever skimmed hubs were left went out, followed by unskimmed hubs (which were also used on the G80CS). Bikes were all built from Mid-September to Mid-October. depending on who you talk to, either 496 or 497 were actually built.

The Mercury run followed for the next 6-8 weeks, comprising bikes from 18SS/129146 to 18SS/129896. That equals 750 bikes, unless - like the Ranger - there are gaps.

After that, except for a few small special orders, only Commandos left Plumstead until the factory was closed in July, 1969
 
Thanks for the good info. So I guess it's possible that some Ranger 750's had skimmed hubs? Who knew?

I know most P11 fans are crazy for the high pipes. But in my opinion the upswept low pipes look better, make maintenance easier, sound way better too and don't burn your legs so easily. To each his own.

C-ya, Jer


quote="BillT"]
jerrykap said:
Nice Ranger 750, but why aren't the hubs ribbed? Just being a penis head.

Jer

Here's a re-creation of events at N-V in a condensed form (please feel free, anybody, to add or correct any details):

In 1968, the Commando was released and sold well. The ownership at N-V wanted to close the Plumstead factory and move all production/assembly to Wolverhampton and Andover.

The last '68 Commando was 20M3/128644

The next two runs were done to both fill orders and pare down the stocks at Plumstead so there'd be less to move or throw out.

The Ranger run, P11/128646 to P11/129145, cleaned out most of the leftover Matchless stuff. Since the ranger was meant to be a street scrambler, there was no need to skim hubs, so whatever skimmed hubs were left went out, followed by unskimmed hubs (which were also used on the G80CS). Bikes were all built from Mid-September to Mid-October. depending on who you talk to, either 496 or 497 were actually built.

The Mercury run followed for the next 6-8 weeks, comprising bikes from 18SS/129146 to 18SS/129896. That equals 750 bikes, unless - like the Ranger - there are gaps.

After that, except for a few small special orders, only Commandos left Plumstead until the factory was closed in July, 1969[/quote]
 
Good info. I intend to use skimmed hubs when I build up my Ranger, since I have an extra pair. My Ranger is the 3rd one out, SN 128649, so skimmed hubs sounds perfectly acceptable.

thanks, Brian
 
The Ranger seat is now fitted to my P11A.

Had to made the rear brackets. That was not a big problem. The pictures posted here on the forum were a big help.
The front mount was a bit tricky as i don't want to make permanent chances to the frame.

The Ranger seat is heavier. It weights 3,5 kg with brackets. The P11A seat weights 2 kg.

On the Ranger seat you sit a bit higher while the P11A seat has the wider seat pan.
No big differences in seat comfort.

2015-06-P11Faumlhre%20Kopie_zps81brnq1x.png
 
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I doubt they did, Tom. 3 different seats, each with different sizes and mounting methods, and what was essentially a scrambler. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ranger seat was just a way to get rid of a bunch of extra Matchless seats - the Ranger pan is the same as a late (G3/G80/G15)CS pan, with different mounts.

Not so. The P11A seat was a relatively light but poor GFRP design, and both the seat pan and the rear flat steel mounting have a habit of cracking. The factory recognized this and fitted the race-proven G80CS/G15CS seat using a much better fixing method.

-Knut
 
For Ranger seat reference .
 

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Yes, that's a correct seat - one of Leo Goff's restorations. There are several pics of that particular bike around. Leo makes a point of using period-correct green plug wires with hard 'Champion' caps
This bike was fairly complete when my friend, Robin Richardson, got it. He actually came to work for me, in my shop, at the age of 12, in the late sixties, helping out with cleaning and miscellaneous jobs in the shop.
He worked for me throughout his high school years, and developed a good feel for the British bikes. It was an after school, and summer break job.
He, as many of us, became a big fan of the P11 series. Many years later, he became very successful in the business world, and now has a substantial collection of vintage bikes. This is P11A Ranger I helped him to restoration many years ago.
and yes, that’s the proper seat.
At the time it was restored, his personal preference was the 1967 Cheetah 45 high pipe set. However, several years ago, we installed a NOS set of the proper low pipes, complete with NOS correct mufflers. It’s a very accurate restoration as it now sits. He rides it regularly.
 
I bought my Ranger seat from Walridge, I think it’s from Leightons. It didn’t come with the chrome strip, also was missing the grab strap, and was too slim, in my opinion. They claim they didn’t have the chrome strip from the factory, I disagree. I had my seat guru rebuild it.
Ranger Dual Seat
 
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