1967 750cc Norton p11
Although built by Norton Villiers at the former
Associated Motor Cycles factory in Woolwich,
Southeast London, the Norton P11 was conceived
in the USA. In the late sixties, piont-to-point
desert racing was booming in America's far-Western
states but while the AMC-designed 750cc Matchless
G15 and Norton N15 scramblers had ample power,
they were being outpaced by lighter and more
nimble machines.
Encouraged by Norton Villiers' US distributor
Berliner Motor Corp, Californian Norton dealer
Bob Blair built a prototype of the desert sled
his customers wanted. His mechanics took an
accident-damaged Matchless G85CS scrambler and
replaced its single-cylinder engine with a 750cc
Norton twin. After successful testing in the
Californian wilderness, the hybrid was shipped
to London with a request from Berliner to create
a production model on the same lines. Eager
for transatlantic business, Norton Villiers
obliged and set to work on Project 11, able
to use or adapt many parts already in stock.
The first production P11s were shipped to the
USA in the spring of 1967 and the latest Norton's
capability was proved by desert racing successes,
notably when ZDS-sponsored rider Mike Patrick
won a 1968 Californian championship.
By the late sixties, the rise of light yet
powerful two strokes spelled the end for big
four-strokes in America off-road sport. But
the P11 also made an exciting street scrambler,
offering lean and rugges looks for the youthful
road rider. One of the Norton's strongest selling
points was its ability to out-accelerate every
car on the highways of America except AC's 5-litre
Conra.
This example, with high exhaust pipes for maximum
ground clearance is one of the earliest P11s
to be shipped to the Berliner Motor Corp. The
lusty big twins sold as quickly as Norton Villiers
could make them and the specification was continually
updated until the final Norton Ranger version
of 1968. For 1969, Norton Villiers replaced
its P11 with the scrambler-style 750 S version
of the Islastic-framed Commando.
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