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Basically all of the
present day military machines on the road have survived because they were
actually civilianised to cater for the need to have cheap transport in the
post war years. A large number was sold off directly after the war due to
the abundance of motorcycles no longer needed.
Most military users discarded them in
the mid fifties converting to more modern twin cylinder types and the
remainder were again put into the civilian markets.
Late fourties and fifties advertisements
of British firms like Russell Motors (started as Meyers Motors) and
Pride& Clark in London or Cope's of Dudley and many more in the UK
were in the business to sell them. Also abroad as seen in the Canadian
advert.
On the British Isles, the majority of newly
built motorcycles
was exported to provide foreign currency as the British empire was in a state of near banckrupcy caused by the war effort.
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On the European continent, one of the largest resellers of
reconditioned ex military Nortons was the French Norton importer
Clement Garreau in Paris. Clement was also famous for racing Norton's before
the war.
Garreau acquired large amounts of ex military motorcycles
(16H and Big 4) and
spares (likely from the French Army as well) and was still advertising
reconditioned 16H's in the early seventies. Below a line up of
military machines to be converted and already converted machines and adverts from
1946/47 and 1970. |
Many of those reconditioned MC's were using French electrics, Magnéto-France
or Bosch magneto's, Cibie
headlamp, O.S. Ateliers Seignol (Oskar Seignol) speedo and or Amp
meters (accessories), and AMAC or Gurtner carburetters.
Speedo's and toolboxes not added as standard as can be seen on pictures above.Long after the military Norton production seized,
Garreau still needed parts for the ex military machines and commisioned the
manufacture of parts by local French firms, usually having the same function
but differing in details.
Another Garreau specialty was the conversion of ex military rigid frames to
plunger frames (also done in Italy by enthusiasts).
Garreau even adapted the Norton logo to include their name on
reconditioned machines.
Below one of the few surviving Garreau WD16H rebuilts, not yet "vandalised" by
returning it into a military version again.
Fitted with AMAC carburetter, Cibie headlamp, O.S. Ateliers Seignol speedo
and French handlebar controls but with Lucas magneto.
An ex WD16H modified with plunger rear suspension. A modification also
found on several Italian machines.
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