1948 Norton 490cc Model 18

Registration No: 599 UYF

Date of registration: 21^st October 1948

Frame no: 35748

Engine no: C3 19275

Documents: V5C

Like the majority of its contemporaries, Norton relied on the side valve engine until the 1920s when the existing and well-tried 490cc unit was used as the basis for the firm's first overhead-valve design.

After debuting on the racetrack, a road-going version - the Model 18 - was catalogued for 1923, quickly establishing a reputation for both speed and reliability. The Model 18 retained its essentially Vintage characteristics until 1931 when the range was extensively redesigned, dry-sump lubrication and a rear-mounted magneto being standardised.

There were numerous improvements made to the engine throughout the 1930s while Norton's own foot-change gearbox replaced the old Sturmey Archer in 1935.

Production of an essentially unchanged 1939 model resumed after WW2 and then for 1947 the Model 18 was up-dated with Roadholder telescopic forks in common with the rest of the Norton range. The Model 18 wasl ast catalogued in 1954.

Purchased by the late owner in 2014, this Model 18 has been stored and will require re-commissioning or possibly more extensive restoration before returning to the road. The machine comes with a V5C document