The Norton 16H is a designation given to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s made between 1911 through to 1954 with various modifications and refers to a single cylinder Norton 490cc side valve engine with a bore and stroke of 79 x 100 mm. The H denotes the ''Home'' model as distinct from the ''Colonial'' export model. Norton was the main military motorcycle supplier prior to WW2 and one of the main suppliers of motorcycles to the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with a total of nearly 100,000 produced. British Army Nortons were also supplied to the Commonwealth forces such as Australian, New Zealand, India and the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

Development

In 1911

James Lansdowne Norton James Lansdowne Norton (1869 – 21 April 1925) was an English motorcycle designer, inventor and manufacturer of the Norton motorcycles. One of the pioneers of the British motorcycle industry. Early life James Lansdowne Norton was born in Birmi ...

entered a side valve 490cc single in the new 500cc Senior Class race of the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

. He was unplaced but the following year the motorcycle had been improved and won the

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

TT, setting three world records. A drive chain was developed to replace the belt drive and although production was delayed by the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the Model 16 as it became known gained a

Sturmey Archer Sturmey-Archer was a manufacturing company originally from Nottingham, England. It primarily produced bicycle hub gears, brakes and a great many other sundry bicycle components, most prominently during their heyday as a subsidiary of the Raleigh ...

gearbox and had a racing heritage that included 21 world records. In 1921 Norton launched the 'Colonial' which was a Model 16 with higher ground clearance for use on poor quality roads, and designated the UK model as the 16H (for 'Home'). Despite its initial racing successes, the 16H was considered the "poor mans Norton" and never gained the superlative descriptions popular for the Norton racing machines.

WW2 WD16H

A 16H was first offered for military evaluation in 1932, together with a

Norton Model 18 Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

and a

Norton Model 19 Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

. It was found to be suitable and the Norton designers began working with the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

on a range of developments and modifications. Military orders were placed for the 16H (designated WD16H for War Department use) from 1936 and continued throughout the course of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, setting a ten-year record for the longest time the

procured a single make of motorcycle. The entire staff of the Norton factory in Bracebridge Street

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were needed to meet demand - even the racing team found themselves on the WD16H production line. A popular despatch machine, the WD16H was also used for training, reconnaissance, convoy control and escort duties. Pre war, the RAF ordered many hundreds of machines with a non-driven 'box' or Model G (person carrying) side-car. Military Motorcycles left the Norton factory in Army Service Green, Khaki green, Khaki brown or

Olive green Olive is a dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. As a color word in the English language, it appears in late Middle English. Shaded toward gray, it becomes olive drab. Variations Olivine Olivine is the typical ...

, depending on colour specified at time of production. Pre-war RAF machines (up to September 1939) were delivered in RAF Blue. Wartime RAF bikes were identically coloured as the "Army" bikes. A number of machines were painted sand 'desert camouflage' by local workshops in the

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and used in

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and the North Africa Campaign.

Military motorcycle Production

The exact number of bikes and the manufacturing dates for the military machines produced after beginning of 1940 are not certain. The Norton Assembly Books for the military motorcycles are missing and probably destroyed.

Post war

After the end of hostilities in 1945 there were many thousands of Norton Model 16H motorcycles all over the world. Some continued in use by the British and Commonwealth Armed forces until the end of the 1950s. Many were sold by the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * Dep ...

to other armed forces, including the Dutch, Belgian, Danish, Greek and Norwegian Army which used the 16H throughout the 1950s. The remainder were sold to dealers who converted them to civilian colours and specifications. The civilian Norton had a short center stand and the usual rear wheel mounted main stand. The girder fork springs, wheel rims and the headlamp were chromed giving it a more refined look. Not many Civilian Norton 16H motorcycles with girder frames were made making them the rarest of this model. The 16H and the Model 18 were also the first civilian models built by Norton after ending of the hostilities. In 1947 the machine received its final modification with telescopic forks, improving handling and giving the bike a more modern look, despite its age. The basic engine configuration proved popular with customers so Norton continued production until the mid-1950s when the fashion for twin cylinder motorcycles was prevalent. The 16H has a strong following of enthusiasts to this day.

References

External links

Details of numbers plus 16H galleryA Norton 16h refurbishment gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton 16h Military motorcycles 16H Motorcycles introduced in the 1910s