Norton Atlas

Norton Atlas

Manufacturer	Norton Motorcycles
Engine	745cc air cooled twin
Power	55 bhp (41 kW) at 6500 rpm
Transmission	Four-speed, chain final drive
Suspension	Telescopic forks dual shocks (5-way adjustable)
Brakes	Drum, 203 mm (front) 178 mm (rear)
Weight	185 kg (410 lb) (wet)
Fuel capacity	13.5 l (3.0 imp gal; 3.6 US gal)

The Norton Atlas was a Norton motorcycle made by between 1962 and 1968, until it was replaced by the Norton Commando.^[1]

Development

The Mark 1 Atlas was launched as the 750SS in the early 1960s. Designer Bert Hopwood’s 497cc Dominator engine was bored and stroked out to 745cc, via 600cc and then 650cc versions, to appeal to the American market and initially was only produced for export. The styling was also aimed at the US market with high-rise handlebars, small 2.5-gallon petrol tank and valanced chrome mudguards and chain guard. The look was completed with a heavy-duty WM3-18 rear wheel and a Lucas Competition magneto was supplied as standard.^[1]

The engine had lower compression than the Dominator (at 7.6:1) and was fitted with a single 376 Amal monobloc carb giving 55 bhp (41 kW) at 6500&nbps;rpm. However the design also produced excessive vibration at high revs, so the compression ratio was reduced. The Atlas shared many cycle parts with the last of the Domminator twins and had Norton’s four-speed gearbox and heavy-duty clutch. Electrics were 6-Volt and it had Roadholder forks, adjustable Girling rear shocks and a slimline Featherbed frame.^[1]

In 1964 the Atlas was upgraded to 12-Volt electrics, gained an extra carburettor and wider yokes. A UK version was launched with flat bars and twin instruments. The Atlas continued to be built until 1968 but by then the Norton Commando had taken over.^[1]

Specials and hybrids

Specialist tuners such as Dunstall produced Atlas based racers and the Metisse, and the factory-built Atlas-powered AMC-Norton hybrids even included an Atlas based off-road scrambler.^[2] Over seven thousand Atlas hybrids were produced at Plumstead between late 1963 and late 1968 using Atlas engines and various Matchless frames. Most of these machines had complicated designations of numbers and letters instead of names.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "1962 Norton Atlas". http://www.realclassic.co.uk/nortonatlas1962.html. Retrieved 2008-12-19. 
2. ^ "Forbidden Fruit". http://www.ajsmoc.com/hybrids.html. Retrieved 2008-12-20. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Morin, Paul. "Norton Hybrids". http://www.mc-albion.dk/AMC/Editorial/Scramblers/The_Atlas_Hybrids__From_G15CS_to_P11_(Paul_Morin).pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-20.