NYC Norton Seeley Commando | Formula 750 Racer
1968 Seeley MK2 Chassis with highly tuned Norton Commando motor – The pivotal bike from NYC Norton.
It has taken 4 consecutive AHRMA BEARS National Championships.
Key build components include:
1968-spec Seeley MK2 Chassis and tanks, built by John Wood Racing in the UK, from T45 alloy
JS Motorsports Lightweight Long Rod/Raised Piston Pin setup
Hemmings PW3 Cam
Reinforced Maney Crankcases, Crankshaft, Cylinder Barrels, and Exhaust
Fullauto Cylinder Head
TT Industries Close-Ratio 5-speed Magnesium Gearbox
Hemmings Norvil Disk Brakes, AP Racing Calipers, Brembo Master Cylinders
Cosentino Engineering fork internals
Triumph 4-Bolt Rear Hub with disk and sprockets
Molnar Kirby Fairing
Dunlop KR825 front and KR164 rear tires
Featherbed Norton Commando | Billy Joel Custom
1966 Norton Atlas frame with heavily updated 1975 Norton Commando motor built for musician Billy Joel. Billy required three fundamentals that directed this build:
1) Must shift on the left, as do all his many other bikes
2) Must have electric start. Billy does not love high compression kickstarts
3) Must have belt drive/vented primary
While it seemed obvious that a MK3 Commando would fill all the above criteria, the electric “assist” on a MK3 was never reliable to begin with, and now running a sprag gear dry with no oil bath in the primary would destroy it in short order. Therefore a custom belt drive/electric start setup was created through intense work with Fred Eaton at Old Britts, fitting one of his new starter units (designed for PRE MK3 bikes) into a MK3 motor/primary all housed within custom Featherbed engine plates. No short order. But the result was spectacular in looks, rideability, and performance.
Rev’It Seeley Commando | Formula 750 Racer
1968 Seeley MK2 Chassis with highly tuned Norton Commando motor. Commissioned by Dan Rose and Rev’It Leathers, the bike that spurred 5 film shoots for Cafe Racer TV. NYC Norton was proud to do up this bike for Dan and Rev’It, and even prouder to see it win Daytona 2011 with Maria Costello on board.
This bike is the obvious sibling to our own Seeley Commando, with a few go-faster upgrades.
Key build components include:
1968-spec Seeley MK2 Chassis built by Roger Titchmarsh for Minnovation Racing
JS Motorsports Lightweight Long Rod/Raised Piston Pin setup
JS Motorsports Stage 2 Radius cam, lightweight lifters and beehive valve springs
Reinforced Maney Crankcases, Crankshaft, Cylinder Barrels, and Exhaust
Fullauto Cylinder Head with larger inlet valves and porting
TT Industries Close-Ratio 6-speed Magnesium Gearbox
Hemmings Norvil Disk Brakes, AP Racing Calipers, Brembo Master Cylinders
Cosentino Engineering Fork Internals
Triumph 4-Bolt Rear Hub with Maney Cush, Minnovation disk and custom sprockets
Minnovation Kirby Fairing
Dunlop KR825 front and KR164 rear tires
Dan Rose and Rev’It have done up a stunningly beautiful web page and timeline of the entire build and tuning process, chock full of info. See it by clicking here
McIntyre Matchless G50 | 500 Premier Racer
NYC Norton’s friend and colleague, Jamie Waters, presented us with a very unique opportunity – to work up a McIntyre Matchless G50 to campaign in the esteemed 500 Premier class, using a period replica chassis (jury is still out on the provenance of this frame) with some of the best 500GP classic racing components available available today. Naturally, a Minnovation G50 short-stroke motor was worked up for the build, as well as a Mick Hemmings front end, built to the same specs as Mick’s own original McIntyre Matchless. The bike posed certain challenges that had to be considered before final assembly, as the chassis is comprised of lateral bracing around the motor which can prevent access to some components, necessitating dropping the engine and gearbox for repairs or tuning changes.
Key features include:
Bob McIntyre lightweight GP chassis
Minnovation Racing 92-bore Short-Stroke Replica G50 Motor
Gardner Carburetor
RTD Programmable Ignition
Hemmings Magnesium Drum Selector 6-Speed Close Ratio Gearbox
Hemmings Roadholder front end (incl. magnesium yokes, cast sliders) with Cosentino Engineering Internals
Oldani 4LS Front and 2LS rear drum brakes
Bob Newby Racing lightweight clutch and belt drive
Barleycorn Rearsets
Dunstall Lowboy Dominator | 500cc Racer
Again, another special project presented by Jamie Waters – a genuine Paul Dunstall lowboy frame, direct from Dunstall’s acquisition of the Norton works racing department. As this bike was being pieced together, almost serendipitously, famed UK racer Maria Costello (Female TT Lap record holder for 5 years from 2005 – 2010) was spotted riding a similar bike at Goodwood’s Revival, and a deal was set in place to have her campaign the bike here in the US for high-profile meetings (thus the “MC” number plate).
Key components include:
Genuine Paul Dunstall Lowboy racing chassis and tanks
500cc Dominator Motor
Nourish one-piece crank
Carrillo steel rods
GPM Hi-compression pistons
Porting by Comstock Engineering
Hemmings 5-Speed Close Ratio Gearbox
Bob Newby Racing Clutch and Belt Drive
Fontana Replica 4LS Front Brake
Manx conical 2ls Rear Brake
NYC Norton 1974 Commando | 850cc Roadster
Kenny’s personal street bike and battle-axe could easily chock up 7 or 8k miles a year of hard riding in times past. But sadly, since the racing has taken over, this bike sits much more quietly in our shop than it probably should. It has been modified for reliability with the pertinent upgrades without excessive changes to the original aesthetic or intention of a Norton parallel twin. The documentation of its restoration and modifications became the basis of nycnorton.com in the mid-90s, and is still the bike that garners more correspondence than any other on our list. It speaks to the true Norton Commando enthusiast, and is the template for all Norton street-bike work we do for our clients.
NYC Norton Featherbed Commando | BEARS 750 Racer
After several years of development (of both rider and bike) we were able to take an old, rusty street-going, mild steel, Featherbed frame and turn it into a championship-winning racebike.
This 1962 ES2 Frame was meant for single-cylinder motors putting out mid-2os horsepower. Instead, we shoehorned in a highly-tuned 750cc Commando motor and put it to its paces. Without question this set us on the path to a higher level of understanding of bike development – strengths and weaknesses, rights and wrongs – and parlayed these teachings into our current competition and high-performance bikes we build. Sadly, this bike was sold in parts to help finance our first Seeley racer. The frame and front-end first, then the motor and gearbox. Its current owner has returned the bike to us for a restoration of sorts; to build it up to its championship-winning version with a few aesthetic changes and upgrades.
Key Components include:
1962 Slimline Featherbed Frame, highly modified and gusseted
MK3 Cases and crankshaft
Carrillo Rods/JE Pistons, cut for optimum squish
750-Thru-bolt barrels
Hemmings big valve head
Maney exhaust
Maney belt drive and outrigger bearing
Grimeca 4ls Front and 2ls Rear hubs
