James Lansdowne Norton, was born in Birmingham in 1869 and raised in a strictly religious middle class family. He was unknowledgeable to a toolmaker when he down school and was immediately involved in making bicycle derbies. Work was interrupted when he suffered a severe bout of rheumatic fever when he was 19. The outbreak was therefrom bad that the doctor advised that a sea trip would be the best contour of convalescence, and in 1888, he went to New York and back on one of the new Trans Atlantic liners.
The trip helped but he suffered ill health all his life which prematurely aged him and led him to be nicknamed Pa whilst still a TT competitor. His adjacent adventure came in 1898, when he set up the Norton Manufacturing Company in Bromsgrove Way, Birmingham.
One of his friends was Charles Riley Garrard, a wealthy entrepreneur, who decided that the new lust was a likely green stuff - spinner. At that time, the French were pioneers, and in 1902, Garrard complete a deal to import Clement engines which he would frame into bicycles and market as the Clement - Garrard.
Norton was these days building frames for Garrard and in November 1902 advertised the primitive Norton, called the Energette. It was claimed to be the example doctors bike and suitable for business, sailing and rapid.
In addition to building frames for Garrard, and his own Energette, Norton had been expanding the components side of the business. It was overt that Norton had decided to diversify. The agnomen Energette was dropped in November 1903 and this was the first hint that a larger machine was on its way.
The 1907 TT marked a turning point in motorcycle history. Until then, French machines had largely dominated the racing scene. The international rules of the day had led to some strange machines being developed. The authorities refused to change the regulations, which had led to such dangerous machines being built.
No one gave Rem Fowler or the untried Norton much of a chance in the TT - until the race started. Fowler shot ahead and led the whole field at the end of the first lap. However, trouble struck with Fowler coming off and some mechanical problems. His time would have placed him third had there been an overall classification, beaten only by Charlie Collier on a Matchless and Jack Marshall on a Triumph.
The Norton Company was growing up. During 1908, the Norton twin was enlarged to 76 x 80mm and 725. 8cc and a production machine was prepared for Fowler to ride at the TT. Two Nortons entered, ridden by Fowler and F C Perryman. Both failed to finish, Perryman ran out of fuel and Fowler suffered stretched valves.
By 1910, Norton was well known to enthusiasts throughout the UK, the big four was in production, and Norton turned his mind to a little single cylinder two - stroke engine to power a true lightweight. It had dimensions of 55 x 65mm, 154cc. The complete bike, which inherited the Nortonette name, weighed 65lb. The engine went on display at the Olympia Show in November 1910.
Norton Manufacturing Company became Norton Motors and the company moved to new premises in Sampson Road North. Bob Shelley, a well - known executive in Birmingham who purchased the company at auction, had saved the company. Sensibly, he realised that Norton was the companys greatest asset and he kept him on as joint managing director.
Initially, World War 1 made little difference to Norton. The factory had not been invited to the War Office trials of 1912 held at Brooklands, as it seemed that the powers to be did not consider the little Birmingham factory to be worthy of a trial.
Without the need to concentrate on producing military models, Norton were left to pursue a normal development programme, and in November 1914 announced the 1915 range, which marked a big step forward. For the first time a proper countershaft gearbox and all chain drive were fitted to the two main models - the 633cc Big Four and the standard 490cc.
In 1915, there was no shortage of bikes for the civilian buyer, and no lack of petrol. The motorcycle buyers guide listed over 250 machines, registrations had risen to 138, 496 and Norton were selling all they could make. The War Office had done them a favour by ignoring them, for the profits to be made by private sales were in excess to those generated by Government contracts. Norton launched deluxe and sports sidecars, which, after a brief period of being on sale fitted only to new Norton machines went on general sale.
1916 began with the launch of a model that was to be the backbone of the Norton range until 1954 - the 16H. It was a 490cc TT model fitted with the Sturmey - Archer 3 speed gearbox and clutch and a fully enclosed chain primary drive. In May, Norton moved to Phillip Street in Aston, Birmingham that was a far bigger premises.
July 1916 saw petrol rationing introduced, which limited the majority of people to half a gallon. There were vague mentions of a military model being produced by Norton with press stories relating to a military Norton model.
The machine was the Model 16 with colonial specification, ground clearance was increased to 6 inches, it had a stronger frame, bigger fuel tank and increased space between the tyres and the mudguards to allow for the build up of mud. However, the War Office did not appear to have been impressed, as it is believed that no orders were placed. The Russians, however, placed an order for machines that were powered by the 633cc Big Four engine. However, events were overtaking Russia and the export of motorcycles was put on hold.
