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Roy Bacons "Illustrated
Norton Buyers Guide" can be a help for the novice who wants to
aquire a Norton. In nine chapters it looks at the different Norton
models and eras, with a healthy dose of warnings thrown in that,
unfortunately, the entranced Norton-owner-to-be throws overboard the
minute he set eyes on the model that caught his fancy.
Very much down-to-earth tips and explanations nonetheless try to
give fair and good advice to the Norton prospect, and, for those who
can read and digest what they read, it is certainly a helpful book.
With a lot of black and white pictures that mostly but,
unfortunately, not exclusively show period shots of Nortons the book
was a good guide for buyer and restorer alike, was it not for some
freely invented examples of Norton petrol tank painting, a notorious
downfall of many OHC Norton restorations.
The rear of the book has the usual systematic Bacon appendix,
something I personally find very helpful and that, though in even
more comprehensive form, I know of only one other author, John
Nelson (an ex-Norton Motors colleague) in his Triumph books. Bacons
list of engine/frame numbers, model identification and year-to-year
modification, as well as his notes on colours can certainly stop a
potential purchaser from falling for a hodgepodge of Norton (and
often other manufacturers) parts masquerading as the genuine
article. The Dominator on page 124 is a good example.
The book is not as good as Bacons books on Norton Singles and Norton
Twins, but certainly a good starting point when you are looking for
a Norton. |