Norton has recently made a high-profile return to motorcycle production, unveiling a new range of twin- and four-cylinder models with the marque’s traditional silver paintwork and the famous old names Manx and Atlas.
If the modern models make as positive a first impression as this well-preserved Dominator 88, Norton’s latest revival will be off to a promising start.
This 497cc parallel twin, dating from 1960, fired-up with a single, gentle prod of its kickstarter. Its aircooled engine was eager and responsive, ticking-over happily, snicking into gear effortlessly and feeling generally sweet. And from the moment I pulled away the Norton just got better and better.
A few minutes later I was cruising along with a big grin on my face, impressed by the parallel-twin motor’s smoothness and even more so by the bike’s effortless handling. In corners the Norton Dominator felt light, responsive and manageable. And on the straights it combined unshakeable stability with an uncanny ability to glide over rough tarmac.
Having recently ridden down this road in Kent on another similarly old bike that had highlighted every bump and pothole with painful clarity, I suddenly understood how the Norton Dominator 88’s frame had earned its nickname years earlier. For this Norton’s claim to fame is that it was the first roadster to be fitted with the marque’s legendary Featherbed frame.
The Featherbed had been created for Norton’s single-cylinder works racing Manx, piloted by stars including Harold Daniell and Geoff Duke. Daniell had famously given the frame its name in 1950 by saying that racing his new Manx was “like riding on a feather bed”.
Irish racer/engineer Rex McCandless, who had designed the frame and built the first ones with his brother Cromie, had always intended it to be capable of housing various types of engine and gearbox. Sure enough, the Featherbed’s distinctive double-loop design also proved ideally suited to Norton’s twin-cylinder powerplant.
The Dominator dated back to 1949, when Norton had introduced a 500cc-class parallel twin to compete with Triumph’s Speed Twin, which had been a huge hit following its introduction in 1938. The 29bhp motor of that original Dominator Model 7 had been designed by Bert Hopwood, who had worked at Ariel and Triumph with famed Triumph boss Edward Turner.
Hopwood had left Norton by the time the Model 7 reached production. But his twin-cylinder engine design, with a single camshaft positioned in front of the cylinders, would serve the company for well over two decades.
The Model 7 had a traditional “plunger” chassis (with sprung rear hub) similar to that of Norton’s single-cylinder ES2. Although it handled reasonably well, the bike was overshadowed a few years later by the Featherbed-framed Norton Dominator 88, which was launched on the export market in 1952 and in Britain in ’53, initially with the name Dominator De Luxe.
Norton uprated both the engine and chassis through the 1950s. In 1955 the 497cc powerplant gained an alloy cylinder head, higher compression and Amal Monobloc carburettor. At the same time the rear subframe was welded on, rather than bolted, and fitted with a revised dual-seat.
A year later came the Dominator 99, with its engine bored and stroked to increase capacity to 600cc. Like the 88, the larger-capacity model was fitted with a race-developed Daytona camshaft, which helped increase its top speed to around 100mph – a genuine “ton”.
Another significant change came in 1960, when both the Norton Dominator 88 and 99 were fitted with a new “slimline” Featherbed frame, along with narrower fuel tank. Some riders over the years have argued that the earlier “wideline” frame is more rigid and gives better handling under racing conditions. But for roadgoing use the difference is minimal, and the slimmer Dominator is more manageable for shorter riders.
This bike was built in 1960, making it one of the first slimline 88s. The silver Norton was original apart from its later-style headlamp, chromed primary chaincase and the rev-counter that was offered as an option, along with rearset footrests, a year later. The unrestored bike was in good condition externally and also internally, because its engine had recently been rebuilt.
The low-compression twin burst into sweet-sounding life with a single gentle swing of the kickstarter, before idling as reliably as any modern bike. The compact, fairly light (184kg ready to ride) Dominator felt very manoeuvrable as I pulled away, stretching forward slightly to the near-straight handlebars.
Reports on the Dominator’s engine performance depend on what its rider is expecting. The softly-tuned 497cc twin was no tarmac-wrinkler even in its heyday, its peak output of 30bhp at 7000rpm being enough to give reasonably brisk acceleration and a top speed of about 95mph. Riders who demanded straight-line thrills were better off elsewhere, even back in 1960.
But I had no Triumph-riding mates to keep up with, and found the Dominator’s docile nature made it a great bike to ride at a reasonably relaxed pace. The motor was responsive at low revs and notably smoother than most parallel twins, making for very pleasant cruising at 60mph or slightly faster.
Admittedly, the response when I wound open the throttle to overtake was generally rather underwhelming; the bike accelerating gently rather than ripping forward with enthusiasm. Vibration become increasingly noticeable by about 70mph in top gear, too, so the Norton didn’t exactly encourage me to explore the upper reaches of the black-faced Smiths rev-counter or the 120mph speedometer alongside.
Despite that, the little Norton’s ability to cruise smoothly and reliably meant it could maintain respectable average speeds. This bike’s recently rebuilt four-speed gearbox was excellent, too, requiring only a light flick of my right boot, and not missing a change throughout.
And if the 88’s engine didn’t provide much excitement, its chassis made up for that.
The Norton showed its breeding even on a straight main road, shortly after I’d set off. When I saw some typical urban potholes and drain covers up ahead I instinctively stood up slightly on the footrests to avoid the smash in the kidneys delivered by the crude suspension of most old bikes.
But I soon realised there was no need, because the Norton’s Roadholder forks and Girling shocks were doing their jobs very efficiently. I’m not sure I’d describe the sensation as like riding a feather bed, but Harold Daniell’s enthusiasm was easy to understand.
On a showery day the roads stayed too damp to let me explore the limits of the Dominator 88’s ground-clearance, particularly with an elderly Avon Speedmaster tyre on the 19in front wheel. Even so, the Dominator felt outstandingly taut and well balanced. No wonder this agile bike contributed to Norton’s reputation for fine handling.
Even its brakes impressed. The 8in, single-leading-shoe front drum was an original item that had recently been re-fitted, in place of a later twin-leading-shoe drum (sourced from a Commando twin) that had been grafted on by a previous owner. That common replacement had doubtless given a bit more stopping power, but the standard brake worked pretty well, in conjunction with a smaller 7in drum at the rear.
Rumbling around Kent on the Norton, I couldn’t help concluding that a large part of the reason that the bike was so enjoyable to ride was the fact that its handling and brakes seemed a fair match for its straight-line performance, even on today’s much busier roads.
Most classic bikes’ chassis have aged much less well than their engines. The fact that the Dominator 88’s illustrious chassis originally outclassed its motor means that all these years later the balance is just about right.
Did you ever own or ride a Norton Dominator 88, or have a soft spot for the Featherbed frame? Drop a comment below – we’d love to hear your story.
