The Norton 650SS is a 650 cc (40 cu in) vertical twin motorcycle made by Norton Motorcycle Company from 1962 to 1967. The 650SS was based on the Norton Manxman.
_(8882446566).jpg) 1968 650SS | |
| Manufacturer | Norton Motorcycles |
|---|---|
| Production | 1962–1967 |
| Successor | Norton Mercury |
| Engine | 646 cc (39.4 cu in) overhead valve, air-cooled parallel twin |
| Bore / stroke | 68 mm × 89 mm (2.7 in × 3.5 in) |
| Top speed | 110–115 mph (177–185 km/h)[1][2] |
| Power | 49hp @ 6,800rpm[2] |
| Transmission | Four-speed, chain final drive |
| Brakes | Drum brakes |
| Weight | 198kg (434lb) (wet) |
The machine was capable of 110–115 mph (177–185 km/h).[1][2] SS stood for Sports Special. Norton discontinued its 600 cc models to concentrate on production of the 650SS, which quickly gained a reputation as the "best of the Dommies"[attribution needed].[3]
Development
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Norton produced a 650 in 1961 for export only, which was sold in the US as the Manxman. It was finished in polychromatic blue and a bright red seat with white piping and much chrome plate, and a special exhaust system only fitted to the Manxman.[4] The Manxman 650 twin produced 52 bhp, giving it a top speed of more than 120 mph (190 km/h). A race machine developed by Heinz Kegler had speeds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and won pebble beach races.[5] Initially production was at Norton's Bracebridge Street, Birmingham factory, but following the factory's closure in 1963, production was transferred to parent company AMC's works in Plumstead, London.[6]
A European styled version of the Manxman was shown in early 1962 at the Amsterdam International Auto Show and went on sale in April that year as the 650SS.[6] The machine had twin Amal Monobloc carburettors with the intakes angled downwards. Twin exhausts replaced the 99SS two-into-one and the headlight nacelle was replaced with a separately mounted speedometer and tachometer. The 650SS was finished with a black frame with silver fuel tank and optional chrome fenders.[5]
In February 1962 Motor Cycling magazine achieved a best one-way speed of 119.5 mph (192.3 km/h) at MIRA with a 650SS. This was more than 10 mph (16 km/h) faster than the rival Triumph Bonneville tested the previous summer.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Reynolds, Jim (1990). Best of British Bikes. Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-85260-033-4.
- ^ a b c Brown, Roland (2006). The Ultimate History of Fast Motorcycles. Bath: Parragon. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-1-4054-7303-3.[page needed]
- ^ Kemp, Andrew; De Cet, Mirco (2004). Classic British Bikes. Bookmart Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86147-136-9.
- ^ "Norton Manxman". Cycle World: 8–11, 44. March 1962.
- ^ a b Smith, Robert (January–February 2007). "The Norton 650SS". Motorcycle Classics. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ a b Scaysbrook, Jim (9 April 2021). "Norton 650SS: Norton's top twin?". Old Bike Australasia. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "1967 Norton Dominator 650SS Frame no. 123113 Engine no. 123113". Bonhams. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
External links
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Media related to Norton 650SS at Wikimedia Commons