NORTON CAFÉ
When a project is done and dusted, you normally know exactly what not to do next time around. But it’s rare that you get the opportunity to build a second special along the same lines. Henry Gregson catches up with a talented chap who’s done just that, and built a bike which could better its predecessor…
When a project is done and dusted, you normally know exactly what not to do next time around. But it’s rare that you get the opportunity to build a second special along the same lines. Henry Gregson catches up with a talented chap who’s done just that, and built a bike which could better its predecessor…
Readers with memories longer than Frank’s beard may remember a story in RC129 about a very lovely Norton Dominator café racer, built by retired development engineer Chris. The Dommi had many home-designed and fabricated features and was Chris’s first attempt at restoring a motorcycle. Such was the quality of the build, that since then the only modification needed was an oil catch tank on the end of the engine breather tube. The need for this addition became obvious at the 2017 Festival of Motorcycling Jurby event in the Isle of Man, when the Norton was given some very spirited laps of the circuit.
A very good friend of Chris’s was so inspired by this bike that he decided to build one of his own. Sadly, he died before the build had progressed very far, so Chris took over the project. He’s now produced a Mk2 version of his café racer, in memory of his friend. Dare it be said – this one is possibly even nicer than the original!
So what’s different about the Mk2? For starters, the latest café racer started off life as two different bikes. The slimline featherbed frame and short Roadholder forks came from a Norton Model 50, and the engine from a Dominator 88. No matching numbers here – but that won’t affect how well the machine looks and performs. The excellent frame and