J-P

JAMES

The pre-war James V-twins were very classy but by the mid-30s they were concentrating on lightweights. The company was taken over by AMC in 1951 and combined with Francis-Barnett in 1957. James was the budget brand, while FB had a better level of trim. Many of the later machines were badge engineered, though it was felt that the FB models were given a better level of finish than the James. The James were consequently cheaper by a considerable margin, not just than their stablemates but generally. In 1952 a 98cc James Cadet was two-thirds the price of a Royal Enfield 125. From the late 50s they suffered from the use of the AMC engine, though James did retain the 98cc Villiers engine for its Cadet. James contained little in the way of technological innovation or sophistication, though they were good, solid little bikes.

NORTON

One of the oldest builders of motorcycles in the UK, Norton had a “good war” making despatch bikes and were successful on the track when peace came. Racing didn’t fill the coffers however, and in 1953 AMC bought Norton. They kept production at the Bracebridge Street works in Birmingham.

There, with antiquated machinery, they turned out side valve and OHV singles and an OHV twin that lasted in production in various forms until the 1970s. The big Norton selling point for much of the 50s and 60s was the quality of the cycle parts and frame design that outperformed pretty much everything else on the road. Nortons had an air of superiority and being largely hand built made them more expensive than their peers. They stayed in Birmingham for 10 years before manufacturing moved to the AMC factory in Plumstead. When AMC