Manufacturer | Norton |
---|---|
Production | 1962–1967 |
Assembly | Bracebridge St, Birmingham Plumstead, London |
Predecessor | Norton Manxman |
Successor | Norton Mercury |
Engine | 646 cc (39.4 cu in) air-cooled OHV vertical twin |
Bore / stroke | 68 mm × 89 mm (2.7 in × 3.5 in) |
Compression ratio | 8.9:1 |
Power | 49 bhp (37 kW) @ 6,800 rpm (650SS) |
Transmission | Wet clutch, 4-speed, chain drive |
Frame type | Featherbed duplex cradle |
Suspension | Front: telescopic forks Rear: swinging arm |
Brakes | Front: 8 in (200 mm) drum, Rear: 7 in (180 mm) drum |
Tyres | 3.00x19 front, 3.50x19 rear |
Wheelbase | 55.5 in (1,410 mm) |
Weight | 434 lb (197 kg) (dry) |
Fuel capacity | 3.5 imp gal (16 L; 4.2 US gal) |
Footnotes /references [1] [2] |
The Norton 650 Dominator was a 650 cc vertical twin motorcycle manufactured by the British Norton Motorcycle Company from 1962 to 1967. Initially production was at Norton's Bracebridge St, Birmingham factory, but following the factory's closure in 1963, production was transferred to parent company AMC's works in Plumstead, London. [2] Initially produced in single and twin carburettor versions, the single carb version was soon discontinued. The twin carb version, the 650SS, was described as the 'Best of the Dominators'. [1]
To satisfy the American market desire for larger displacement engines, the 650 cc Manxman was introduced as an export only model in 1961. 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. [2] Single carburettor versions of the machine were also produced. [3]
The 650 Dominator was initially produced in 3 variants; Standard, De Luxe and Sports Special (SS). [3]
The 650 Standard used a single carburettor version of the 650 engine. It was only produced in 1962 and 1963. Following the styling of the 88 and 99 Dominators, the bike was finished in 'Norton Grey' in '62 [4] and polychromatic blue and black in '63. [5]
A two-tone finished version of the Standard was offered in 1962 only and designated the 650 De Luxe. It was finished in blue and dove grey. [4]
The 650 Sports Special was the most popular version of the 650 Dominator and was the only variant offered from 1964 to 1967. It used the twin carburettor engine from the Manxman and was finished in black with a silver tank and chrome mudguards. Optional extras included a revcounter and a fairing. [6]
Motor Cycling magazine obtained a best one-way speed of 119.5mph during testing of the 650SS at the MIRA test track in February 1962. [3] A 650SS won the Thruxton 500 in 162, '63 and '64. [7]
The 650 Dominator used the engine from the Manxman. The engine had its roots in the 1948 Bert Hopwood 500 cc design first used in the Model 7 Dominator. The air-cooled OHV vertical twin had been enlarged to 600 cc in 1956 to satisfy the demands of the American market for larger engines. Norton's competitors were offering 650 cc machines so the engine was again enlarged to compete. The stroke of the 600 engine was increased from 82 mm (3.2 in) to 89 mm (3.5 in). New crankcases were required for the longer stroke along with a new crankshaft that had wider flywheels and larger big ends. A higher lift camshaft was fitted and compression ratio was 8.9:1. [2]
An alloy cylinder head was fitted that was derived from the 500 Domiracer that Tom Phillis had ridden to third place in the 1961 Isle of Man TT Senior race, and achieved the first 100 mph (160 km/h) lap of the island on a pushrod machine. The head had wide splayed exhaust ports to help cooling airflow over the head and downdraft inlet ports. [2]
A single Amal Monobloc carburettor was fitted to the Standard and De Luxe and twin Monoblocs to the 650SS. [5]
Primary drive was by chain to a multiplate wet clutch and was enclosed in a pressed steel chaincase. The gearbox had four speeds. [1] [5]
The combination of slimline featherbed frame and Roadholder forks used on previous Dominators was carried forward to the 650. Alloy hubs containing 8 in (200 mm) front and 7 in (180 mm) rear drum brakes were fitted. [2] [7]
AMAL was a British engineering company servicing the motorcycle and other light-engineering motor industries between 1927 and 1993 based in Birmingham, England.
The Dominator is a twin cylinder motorcycle developed by Norton to compete against the Triumph Speed Twin. The original Dominator was designed in 1947 and 1948 by Bert Hopwood, who had been on the Speed Twin design team at Triumph. Available for sale from mid 1949, this design set the pattern for Norton twins for the next 30 years.
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.
The BSA A10 series was a range of 646 cc (39.4 cu in) air-cooled parallel twin motorcycles designed by Bert Hopwood and produced by Birmingham Small Arms Company at Small Heath, Birmingham from 1950 to 1963. The series was succeeded by the A65 unit construction models.
The Norton Commando Production Racer was a hand built production racer produced by Norton-Villiers from 1970 - 1972. It was based on the road-going Norton Commando, and although fitted with lights it was never intended as a road bike. The model was commonly known as the Yellow Peril.
The Norton Model 7 Dominator was a 500 cc vertical twin motorcycle manufactured by the Norton Motorcycle Company from 1949 to 1955. It was the first of Norton's Dominator range of motorcycles. The engine was designed by Bert Hopwood and was a departure from Norton's previous practice of producing single-cylinder machines. The Model 7 was used in Japan as a police motorcycle.
The Norton Model 88 Dominator, also originally known as the Dominator De Luxe was a 500 cc vertical twin motorcycle manufactured by the British Norton Motorcycle Company from 1952 to 1966. It was the first of Norton's motorcycles to use the featherbed frame, which established Norton's reputation of producing fine handling machines. The 88 used the Bert Hopwood designed engine that was first fitted to the Model 7 and was initially for export only. It became available on the home market in 1953. Norton were a small manufacturer at the time and without the economies of scale the model was expensive compared to other manufacturer's equivalent machines. The 88 retailed for 20% more than the contemporary Triumph Speed Twin and was dearer than the 650 cc Triumph Thunderbird.
The Norton Model 99 Dominator was a 600 cc vertical twin motorcycle manufactured by the British Norton Motorcycle Company at their Bracebridge St, Birmingham factory from 1956 to 1962. The 99 was based on the 500 cc Model 88 Dominator with an enlarged engine. The model was superseded by the 650SS.
The Norton Manxman was a 650 cc vertical twin motorcycle manufactured by the British Norton Motorcycle Company at their Bracebridge St, Birmingham factory for export. The engine was an enlargement of the 600 cc engine used in the Model 99 Dominator. The Manxman was first shown at the November 1960 Earls Court Motorcycle Show and listed by the American importer, Berliner, in their catalogue from 1961 to October 1962 Berliner had asked for the model to be named Manxman although the twin had never been raced at the Isle of Man.
The Norton Mercury was a 646 cc (39.4 cu in) air-cooled OHV parallel twin motorcycle made by Norton-Villiers from 1968 to 1970. It was the last Norton model to use the 'featherbed' frame. Following the collapse of AMC and the subsequent formation of Norton Villiers, the company's focus had been on the new Norton Commando. There was a large inventory of parts from previous models that would not be used on the Commando, and to use up this stock the Mercury was conceived. The Mercury was introduced in October 1968 and around 750 machines were produced, most of the production going to the US. The model was also used by the Nigerian Police.
The Ducati 350 Mark 3 is a 340 cc (21 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1968 to 1974. It was one of the first 'wide case' Ducati singles produced. A higher performance version, the Ducati 350 Mark 3D, which used desmodromic valves was also available.
The Ducati 250 Mark 3 is a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1967 to 1974. Initially produced using the 'narrow case' engine, the newly introduced 'wide case' engine was used from 1968. A higher performance version, the Ducati 250 Mark 3D, which used desmodromic valves was also available.
The Ducati Monza is a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1961 to 1968. It was the touring version of Ducati's first 250 cc road bike. Reviews of the Monza praised its speed, road holding, engine smoothness and brakes.
The Ducati Diana, known as the Ducati Daytona in the UK, is a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1961 to 1964. It was the sports version of Ducati's first 250 cc road bike. It was replaced in 1962 by the higher performance Ducati Diana Mark 3 in the US and by the Ducati Mach 1 in Europe in September 1964.
The Ducati Diana Mark 3, also known as the Ducati Diana SuperSport and commonly referred to as the Ducati Mark 3, is a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1962 to 1966. It was a higher performance version of the Ducati Diana and sold to the American market only. In 1963, Cycle World described it as "the fastest, and nearly the smoothest, standard motorcycle in the 250cc class". It was replaced in 1967 by the Ducati 250 Mark 3.
The Ducati 125 Scrambler is an on/off road 124 cc (7.6 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati in 1971 and 1972. Although Ducati had stopped production of the 'narrow case' singles in 1967, the Scrambler used a narrow case engine made by MotoTrans in Spain. The model was not a sales success with less than 200 sold worldwide and was soon taken out of production.
The Ducati 250 Scrambler, known in Europe as the Ducati 250 SCR is an on/off road 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1962 to 1974. Originally produced for the American Market at the request of the US importers, Berliner Motor Corporation, the model was offered in Europe from 1968. Total production was around 12,000 machines.
The Ducati 350 Scrambler, also known in the US as the Ducati 350 SS and in Europe as the Ducati 350 SCR is an on/off road 340 cc (21 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1968 to 1974. It was the first of the 'wide case' Ducati singles produced and aimed at the American Market. Total production was around 11,500 machines.
The Ducati 250 24 Horas is a 247 cc (15.1 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Spanish manufacturer MotoTrans, who were licensed by Ducati to produce motorcycles under the Ducati brand name. The model was based on the 'narrow case' Ducati 250 and produced in three series from 1966 to 1974. It was named after Ducati's successes in the 24 hours of Montjuïc endurance races. Around 2,000 machines were produced in total.
The Ducati Road 250 is a 247 cc (15.1 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Spanish manufacturer MotoTrans, who were licensed by Ducati to produce motorcycles under the Ducati brand name and was produced from 1972 to 1977. The model was intended to be a Spanish domestic market version of the 250 Scrambler, although it was also exported to the US in 1972/3.