Re: New to Norton Ownership - some guidance on Atlas please.

Stephen.

Welcome.

1) Is it the main beam light?

2) You need to check them both out. You didn't say what tyres are fitted, how worn they are, and how old they are....?

3) Quite....

Ian

Stephen

Re manuals.

Andover Norton have manuals - see first 2 in this list:

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-category/47/norton-workshop-manuals

Also an electronic version is available here:

http://www.eurooldtimers.com/eng/manual/93-norton-all-models-1968.html

Andy

Front wheel probably well out of balance,fairly normal, especially if you have rim locks fitted. Spin the wheel,does it keep returning to the same point?. I balanced mine with a bit of lead flashing and a cable tie, Very high tech. Rear brake can be made to lock the wheel,read my posts. Front brake needs lots of fine tuning (fettling) to give its best, if still SLS type check which shoe has the thickest lining and fit to leading shoe. Learn to anticpate the actions of errant car drivers on mobile phones,satnavs, laptops, playstations etc. Develop those 6th,7th and 8th senses ,you will need them all.

A 1965 Atlas would have had magneto ignition, so there is no ignition switch. If yours is coil ignition then it must have been converted.

Modern tyres run at higher pressures than the original manuals would state. As Robert says, it could be a wheel out of balance, tyre not fitted true on the rim, or sometimes just a duff tyre. Steering head bearings take moments to check if you have a centre stand. Lots of posts on tyre choice, so use the search box to find them.

The brakes can be made to work well, but can take quite some time to bed new linings in. Also, there are good and bad linings available on the market. There will be plenty written on here about improving the brakes. Use the search box and it should all come up.

Not sure when coil ignition replaced the mag 66?, The brake could well benefit from centering but will still drag as the drums are always a bit out of round.Can't make any sense of the head bearing/tank rubbing ,a photo would help. steering should turn smoothly from lock to lock with no notchy part straight ahead and no slack when forks pulled forward and back.Sounds like a bit more balance weight needed opposite the valve. I recently fitted a new front tyre and had a devil of a job getting it to sit right, tyres that can be tubeless dont fit the same as a tyre designed for a tube,

Mags were fitted to the twins until '67/'68 when they changed.

My early 60s 99 had coil ignition.......

Previously ian_cordes wrote:

Mags were fitted to the twins until '67/'68 when they changed.

Yes Magento's were lucas K2FC Now not easy to find and expensive but your tyres are fine for up to 110 mph witch in our days will see you will a fixed penalty if you get stopped by the polices doing this speed But I can remember the days when motorways did not have speed limits but there was not as many cars or big Lorries around back then and with your big twin you need to periodically go round with your spanners and make sure every nut and bolt and screw is tight, and try fine a clymore,s Norton Twins Manuel these are better then Haynes were some information in there is wrong and Bruce-main-Smith manuals are also good and try fitting a single carburettor like a Amal 389/87 with an 380 main jet and a 3./12 cutaway side 25 pilot 106 needle and jet this will get you better gas miles as you find the twin carbs are no longer any use as road speeds now are slower, you still get over the tons on a single carb but more bottom end toque I own a very early Norton 650 Manxman built december 1960 and it has the same wheel dimensions as the Atlas witch the first ones were built on April 20th 1962 at Bracebridge street shops Alls were exported to the USA under Berliner Motors New Jersey yours anna j

Previously ian_soady wrote:

My early 60s 99 had coil ignition.......

Hello yes Ian that's how thay where built with Coil ignition along with the Model 88 and ES2 and Model 50 from 1958 on wards But the First 650 The Manxman from november 7th 1960 and two years later The Norton Atlas All had Lucas K2FC magento's fitted as standard along with Rev-counters and banjo engine breath from inlet rocker cover first fitted to the Norton Manxman 650 models But The Norton Manxman is the only Norton Twin to have its very own Exhaust system witch is exclusive to this big twin, And to add to this in August of 1961 the 650SS and 650 Standard and Deluxe models were then sold to the Home market and by april 20th 1962 the Norton Atlas big twin was built for the Export market yet again the Home market did not see the Atlas until early 1964 and by late 1963 the Norton Atlas Scramblers were being export to Berliner Motors of New Jersey , But when Bracebridge street shops closed the only twins out of this carnage where to follow were the models 88 650SS and Atlas the model 88 lasted to 1966 then atlas to 1968 and the all loved 650 twin to april 1970 Yours Anna J

Previously ian_soady wrote:

My early 60s 99 had coil ignition.......

Ian. Ha, you are testing me now! My understanding is that the 88 & 99 changed from magneto to coil ignition in 1958 ( my friend's original 1957 99 has a magneto). They continued with coil ignition until the end.

Meanwhile the SS models, commencing with the Manxman, had magneto ignition from the start. This may have been with racing purposes in mind, that lights, battery etc could all be removed to save weight; or maybe Norton just thought a mag seemed more sporty?

Anyway, the 99 was dropped for 1963, the 88 for 1964, leaving just the 88SS, 650SS & Atlas, all of which had mags. The 88SS was dropped for 1967, leaving just the two models. For 1968 they changed to capacitor ignition; the magneto was gone for good. Also, the last year of the Atlas. The 650SS became the single carb Mercury, the last Featherbed twin.

As I understand it, that is!

Ian C.

PS Anna's and my post crossed in the ether, but we concur!

Previously ian_cordes wrote:

Previously ian_soady wrote:

My early 60s 99 had coil ignition.......

Ian. Ha, you are testing me now! My understanding is that the 88 & 99 changed from magneto to coil ignition in 1958 ( my friend's original 1957 99 has a magneto). They continued with coil ignition until the end.

Meanwhile the SS models, commencing with the Manxman, had magneto ignition from the start. This may have been with racing purposes in mind, that lights, battery etc could all be removed to save weight; or maybe Norton just thought a mag seemed more sporty?

Anyway, the 99 was dropped for 1963, the 88 for 1964, leaving just the 88SS, 650SS & Atlas, all of which had mags. The 88SS was dropped for 1967, leaving just the two models. For 1968 they changed to capacitor ignition; the magneto was gone for good. Also, the last year of the Atlas. The 650SS became the single carb Mercury, the last Featherbed twin.

As I understand it, that is!

Ian C.

PS Anna's and my post crossed in the ether, but we concur!

yes Ian this web site is about as old as our big twins Norton built over 50 years ago but the funny thing is were still talking about them so Norton must of got something right after all ! keep up the good work and have fun yours Anna J

Hi Ian, you forgot the rarest of dommies, the 650 standard and 650 DeLuxe!!, Both had coil ignition . I have seen photos of the 650 std (usually hitched to a sidecar) but not a 650 DL although some were made and sold ,all have been converted to something else. If some kind soul would donate a set of 650 cases and a crank I will build one for posterity!!.

Robert. I defer to your greater knowledge! To be fair, my description was in order to address our OP, Stephen's assertion that his 1965 Atlas has coil ignition. I don't doubt it has, but it shouldn't have, as the model history shows. Also to answer Ian S's mention of the fact that his 1958 99 had coil ignition; Anna and I agree that is correct, for the reasons stated.

I wasn't attempting a complete history of the twins from 1957 on, although I guess it reads that way!

As you say, the 2 models you mention are very rare. There are a few De-Luxe models about, but are no doubt 88 and 99 versions.

Back to Stephen's 1965 coil ignition Atlas, are you able to post up the engine & frame number Stephen, say with the last couple of digits asterisked out?

Ian

You've got a good bike. Put in a couple of hundred miles on mine today, everything from 3rd lane of the Motorway to single track roads. Brilliant (apart from the puncture that is).

Typical that GJ comes uo with his understating again!

With regard the RED light on headlamp, non standard so it could be anything fitted by anyone. It can be a good idea to have a simple ignition on warning light on the headlamp as if the ignition switch is under the seat then a quick stall can sometimes leave the ignition on! With flat consequences. On the other hand the Commando Assimilator going out when the battery goes on charge would be a good idea. No Norton I know of had an oil pressure light or such fitted.

I always remember helping BSA A65 owners out with their 'non charging' red light fault which I point out IS oil pressure.

Out on our 99 and Atlas Sunday, a tour of Kent , both have had plenty of attention to brakes and are working well, One of the bikes will be two up so they need to be as good as possible. The twin leader has one dissadvantage, it is hopeless in reverse!. The Atlas has loads of "pull" and is a great touring bike but not good at higher revs. Ours understeers compared to the 99 ,probably due to the heavy flywheel. It does take considerable effort to kick over ,so a good spark is helpfull.

Re: manuals

I think Anna is referring to the Clymer Manual of which this is a facsimile:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NORTON-MOTORCYCLES-FACTORY-WORKSHOP-1957-1970/dp/1588500691

Also available elsewhere.

I've always found it best to have at least 2 manuals for any bike I've owned!

Andy