Getting through the pandemic, with the accompanying isolation and worry, was difficult for many people.
Mike Rettie managed through fly fishing, gardening and finishing the restoration of this 1948 Norton International, a very fast bike for its era and an unusual find in the United States. Mike’s International is not only fast, but therapeutic. “It got me through Covid and transitioning to retirement,” he says.
Norton Internationals come from an era where the English Norton company was a top road racing contender and built technologically advanced machinery. In the 1940s, Norton riders were on the podium in most international events. While most 1940s motorcycles made do with a side-valve or overhead valve engine, the Manx factory racers had dual overhead cams. The postwar production racers had telescopic forks and, from 1951, the Featherbed frame, which set new standards in fast handling. Although production racers had a single overhead cam, racers with a good resume might be allowed to buy a DOHC Manx from the factory.
Power to the people
If you wanted something that was street legal, but looked and performed like a Manx, you bought an International, basically a detuned Manx with lights. It came in both 500 and 350 versions, and was aimed at amateur riders who wanted to contest the Clubman’s TT race on the Isle of Man. One of the benefits of organized road racing in postwar Britain was access to gasoline.
Although the war was over, Britons were still dealing with the aftermath. England had huge war debts, and manufacturers were ordered to export as much as possible. Many items were rationed, but
