1993 Norton John Player Replica
1993 Norton John Player Replica
Reliving a victory
Few race-replicas have been more faithful to the original than this version of the John Player Norton Commando. It won the 500- mile production event at Thruxton, England, in 1973. That was because the roadster’s creator, Norman White, had also built the original race bike – and ridden it to victory.
Mechanic and Rider
In 1973, White was Norton’s mechanic and development rider, and he competed at Thruxton because factory star Peter Williams was racing elsewhere. Twenty years later, White – now with his own Norton tuning business based at the Thruxton circuit – produced a kit to convert a Commando roadster into an exact copy of his successful racer.
Based on the Norvil
The bike’s lines were basically those of the Norvil, the Commando-based sportster that Norton built for production racing in the 1970s. Its 745cc parallel-twin motor sat in a double-cradle frame, secured by Norton’s trademark Isolastic System for mounting rubber. Exhaust pipes ran down the right side of the bike for added ground clearance, and the replica matched the way the factory racer secretly (and illegally, under production racing rules) held its engine higher and further to the right for the same reason. White used a works PW3 camshaft, a ported cylinder head and bored-out Amal carbs. Despite traditionally slow steering, the Commando handled well and stopped hard, thanks to its big front disc brake. The Norton didn’t win any production races in 1993, but it was a quick and charismatic roadster.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 745cc (73×89mm) air-cooled parallel twin
Power Rating: 72 hp @ 7000 rpm
Valves: pushrod; 4-valves
Fuel System: 2×33mm carburetors
Transmission: 4-speed, chain final drive
Suspension: telescopic forks (front); twin shocks (rear)
Brakes: disc (front); drum (rear)
Wheels: 19 inch wire (front & rear)
Weight: 400 lb
Maximum Speed: 135 mph
Only a handful of road-going necessities, such as the side stand and rear light, differentiate Norman White’s replica Commando from his race-winning factory machine.
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