The Norton ES2 is a Norton motorcycle produced from 1927 until 1964. It was a long-stroke single, always with a 79 x 100 mm bore and stroke, launched as a sports motorcycle but gradually overtaken by more powerful models. It remained popular because of its reliability and ease of maintenance.
Norton ES2 at a glance
| Maker | Norton Motorcycle Company, Birmingham |
|---|---|
| Production | 1927-1964; ES2 Mk2 1965-1966 |
| Type | overhead-valve single, long stroke |
| Bore x stroke | 79 x 100 mm |
| Front fork | hydraulically damped telescopic from 1947 |
| Rear suspension | plunger; swinging arm from 1953 |
| Frame | Featherbed from 1959, slimline from 1961 |
| Electrics | Lucas RM15 60-watt alternator and coil ignition from 1959 |
| Road test | 82 mph mean, 56 mpg at 60 mph (The Motor Cycle, 1959) |
| Famous machine | 1939 ES2 used by Ernesto Che Guevara |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Norton ES2.
History of the Norton ES2
Development
The ES2 was a long-stroke single, always with a 79 x 100 mm bore and stroke. It was originally launched as a sports motorcycle, but throughout its long life it was gradually overtaken by more powerful models. It stayed popular thanks to its reliability and ease of maintenance, as well as its traditional design. From 1947 the ES2 had an innovative hydraulically damped telescopic front fork and race-developed rear plunger suspension, and from 1953 it used a single-downtube swinging-arm frame.
The Featherbed years
From 1959 the ES2 used the Rex McCandless-designed Featherbed frame, with upgrades that included an improved AMC gearbox, a revised cylinder head, a crankshaft-mounted Lucas RM15 60-watt alternator with coil ignition and an 8-inch front brake with full-width hubs front and rear. The wideline Featherbed-framed bike was road tested in the 4 June 1959 issue of The Motor Cycle, which reported a mean top speed of 82 mph and petrol consumption of 56 mpg at 60 mph. For 1961, in common with other large-engined Nortons, the ES2 was further improved with the slimline frame, whose upper rails were narrowed, and a restyled, slimmer fuel tank.
The end
The last ES2 was introduced in late 1964. It was a Matchless-based machine with Norton badges, produced for two years before final discontinuation, coinciding with the commercial failure of the AMC Group. A report in a 1980 British magazine described how the slow but immensely likeable Featherbed-framed 350 Model 50 and 500 ES2 overhead-valve singles were dropped and replaced by the Model 50 MkII and ES2 MkII, which were effectively the Matchless G3 and G80 with Norton badges hastily tacked on; they failed to fool the buying public, and by 1966 the heavyweight singles were all but a memory.
Che Guevara and The Motorcycle Diaries
A 1939 ES2 Norton, christened la poderosa, the mighty one, was used by the Argentine medical students Ernesto Guevara, later the leader of the Cuban Revolution, and his friend Alberto Granado to travel extensively in South America. The epic voyage proved a founding experience for Guevara, who measured the poverty and underdevelopment of rural Argentina and Chile, and it shaped his later political engagement. The hard-strained motorcycle did not last until the end of the planned journey to San Francisco, so the machine on show in the Che Guevara museum in Alta Gracia, Argentina, is a replica.
Design and features
- Long-stroke engine: 79 x 100 mm, tuned for torque and reliability rather than peak power.
- Easy maintenance: a traditional design that kept the single popular even after faster twins arrived.
- Modern cycle parts: telescopic forks from 1947, a swinging-arm frame from 1953 and a Featherbed frame from 1959.
- Famous journey: a 1939 ES2 carried Ernesto Che Guevara and Alberto Granado across South America.
Norton ES2 versions
- Early ES2 (1927-1946): the original sports single with girder forks.
- 1947 ES2: hydraulically damped telescopic front fork and plunger rear suspension.
- Featherbed ES2 (1959): AMC gearbox, revised head, alternator and full-width hubs.
- Slimline ES2 (1961): narrower upper frame rails and a slimmer tank.
- ES2 Mk2 (1965-1966): the Matchless-based machine with Norton badges.
The ES2 was the single-cylinder mainstay alongside the Norton 16H, and its engine provided the basis for the Norton CS1 cammy racer and the cycle parts of the first Model 7 Dominator. More Norton motorcycles are in the Norton collection.
Video: Norton ES2 1960 kickstart
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Norton ES2, English Wikipedia: development, specifications, Che Guevara
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