Norton ES2
THE LAST TRUE Norton big single, the ES2, rolled out of Bracebridge Street in Birmingham in 1963, shortly before Norton production moved to Plumstead in London. Despite having an engine that had endured since the late 1920s, the ES2 was still a solid performer and was wrapped in the frame of a racer in its last but one incarnation.
This last real Norton 500 single had arrived in 1959, with the introduction of an alternator and coil ignition. More significant than the updated electrics were the updated chassis. The old lugged frame was replaced by the Featherbed, which was originally used on the Manx Norton and, subsequently, by all Norton’s bigger machines until the arrival of the Commando. A Wideline was used at first and this was followed by the Slimline in 1960 until production ceased. The height of the ES2 engine meant the Wideline was used at first, the head and crankcase fitting into the spaces between the top and
