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When Italian enthusiast Giovanni Crozzolin contacted TCM to ask about the telescopic front fork fitted to the 1938 Senior TT-winning Norton, ridden by Harold Daniell, we thought it’d make an intriguing topic for an article, giving us an opportunity to dash through front fork landmarks leading to the undamped telescopic design.
Firstly, the Norton story leading to Harold Daniell’s 1938 Senior TT victory: Norton first tasted IoM victory in 1907, when Rem Fowler won the multi cylinder class at the first TT races. A sidecar and two Senior wins were added to their tally in the 1920s, before an enviable run that rival makers could only dream of – seven successive Junior victories (1931-1937) and six wins from seven Seniors. During this period, team manager Joe Craig, although not a qualified engineer, focussed his and the expertise of others on wringing ever-more power from single cylinder ohc Norton engines.
Reports suggest 50bhp was measured at the crankshaft of the 500cc singles by late 1937, but Craig knew that to keep in front of the pack he needed to make not only the engine go faster, but the frame too. When cornering hard at high speed, team riders reported the Nortons (with cradle frames and girder forks) hopped sideways and even violently stepped out, forcing them to ease off, when with better handling they could keep the power on. And improved brakes would allow them to slow later than rivals.
The first inkling of a redesigned machine appeared tucked away in The Motor Cycle’s TT Notes and News. But the brief covered only the 1938 Norton race engines, with revised dimensions: 75.9x77mm (350cc) and 82x94.3mm (500cc). Craig wanted to reduce piston travel to enable the new engines to rev faster, without appreciable piston speed increases.
Although true and interesting, this report missed the mark by a country mile. When Norton works men Freddie Frith and Crasher White wheeled out their new mounts for the North West 200 in May, the press suddenly realised they’d missed a scoop, and promptly embarked on a face-saving appraisal.
Engine dimensions apart, many other modifications and improvements were made to the 350/500cc Manx engines, but as this feature’s topic is undamped telescopic fronts forks, we’ll
