Norton ES2
Norton ES2 1949
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| Manufacturer | Norton Motors Ltd Aston Birmingham |
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| Also called | 'Easy-two' |
| Parent company | AMC Ltd from 1953 |
| Production | 1928-1964 |
| Predecessor | Model 18 1922-27 |
| Successor | Norton ES2 Mk2 (Norton badged Matchless)1965-1966 |
| Engine | 490cc OHV air cooled single |
| Top speed | 82 mph |
| Power | 25 bhp @ 5500 rpm, 1960 spec |
| Transmission | 4 speed gearbox to chain final drive |
| Brakes | 8.00 x 1.25 inches front, 7.00 x 1.25 rear from 1959 |
| Tires | 3.00 front, 3.50 rear x 19 inch from 1959 |
| Wheelbase | 56 inches |
| Seat height | 31.5 inches |
| Weight | 380 pounds (170 kg) (dry) 392 pounds (178 kg) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.5 gals |
| Oil capacity | 4 pints |
| Fuel consumption | 50 to 60mpg |
The ES2 is a Norton motorcycle first produced in 1927. It was a long stroke single, always 79mm x 100mm bore and stroke, originally launched as a sports motorcycle but throughout its long life it was gradually overtaken by more powerful models.
It remained popular due to its reliability and ease of maintenance, as well as the traditional design. From 1947 the ES2 had an innovative hydraulically damped telescopic front fork and race developed rear plunger suspension.
From 1953 it had a single downtube swinging-arm frame and was uprated to the Rex McCandless Featherbed frame in 1959, featuring an improved AMC gearbox, revised cylinder head, crankshaft-mounted Lucas RM15 60-watt alternator with coil ignition and an 8-inch front brake with full width hubs. The wideline Featherbed-framed bike was road tested by The Motor Cycle 4 June 1959 and found to have a mean top speed of 82 mph and with petrol consumption of 56 mpg at 60 mph.
For 1961, in common with other large-engined Nortons, the bike was further improved with the Slimline frame with upper frame rails narrowed and a restyled slimmer tank.
The last Norton ES2 was produced in 1964, but a Matchless-based machine with Norton badges was produced for a further two years before final discontinuation, coincident with the commercial failure of the AMC Group.
Bacon, R, Norton Singles, Osprey Publishing, 1983 Power Output: 21 hp Fuel capacity: 2.75 Imp gal (1947–58), 3.5 Imp gal (1958-63
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