A Pair of Vintage Racers

My 1926 Norton racer, a Model 18, the chassis of which was apparently for a 600cc machine that raced by the factory until 1930 (or at least, ownership was retained by the factory until then), when it was sold to Jimmy Shaw, a Norton factory racing rider.  It’s a well-developed and fast bike, with great solid handling, although the engine is a bit of a piledriver!  It will go around corners as fast as you like, and the frame could handle more power, although the previous owner (Ken Boulter) claims to have been timed at 93mph, sitting up!  There’s no speedo, but it’s certainly a fast bike.

My 1933 Velocette KTT mkIV racer, seen here on top of Marble Mountain, near Etna CA, basically in the middle of nowhere. During day 3 of a 5-day ride, the bike is slathered in oil as usual, there is just no hope for staying clean on this thing. For better or worse, it’s one of my favorite machines ever, so clothes are sacrificed… The chassis is from 1928, and the engine was brought into the USA by Macks Motors in Massachussets, who installed it in a KSS frame, and raced it on the dirt tracks of the day in the mid-1930s.  It was found back east by Eddie Arnold, who restored it as a vintage racing machine, and worked extensively on the engine, with a 7lbs lighter flywheel, ported cylinder head, and special cams made by Eddie, with longer rocker arms to suit.  It flies.