1963 Norton 750 Atlas - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1963 Norton 750 Atlas - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
NORTON 750 ATLAS
ONE YEAR AGO, give or take a few days, we were
given a Norton Manxman to road test, and while
there were a few things about the machine that we thought
could be improved (we think every motorcycle can be
improved), it still left us very impressed indeed. Now,
after the passage of twelve months, and after the testing
of a great many more motorcycles, we have been given
another Norton, the Atlas, and we are pleased to report
that it is even better than the Manxman.
The major (and virtually the only) difference between ;
the Manxman and the Atlas is the engine. The Manxman's |
engine is a stroked version of the original 500 Dominator, j
and with a “sport” camshaft and dual carburetors it pro- ’
duced a claimed 52 bhp at 6500 rpm. The Atlas is much ;
the same engine, but with a bore enlarged from 2.68 to
2.98 inches, boosting its displacement to 745cc; up from |
the Manxman’s 646cc. We have no specific engine data
beyond a vague statement that the Atlas has “in excess of :
60 bhp at 65 rpm,” but we believe that little has been !
done but the increasing of the displacement. If that is true,
it has been enough. The Atlas is, if memory serves us !
correctly, a less fussy machine than was the Manxman:
more willing to run very slowly and more agreeable about |
starting when cold. It seems to be utterly without tempera- I
ment, and is equally willing to slog along at less than 1000
rpm, in fourth gear, or to scream down the road making
buzz-saw noises. The power peak is at 6500 rpm, and the ;
makers recommend that no more than 6800 rpm be used, ,
but the power does not really drop away until well past j
the 7000 rpm level. Valve float occurs at just under ;
8000 rpm.
Taken strictly as a piece of design work, there is no
reason why this engine, which is decidely long of stroke,
should accept so much punishment with so little protest.
It has the same general lower-end layout as most other j
vertical twins, and the valve gear — actuated by a single
camshaft on the exhaust side of the engine — is a bit more
heavy than, for example, the Triumph. However, one...
d63ca04 RL- 12884-AL-6303-08