1966 Norton 750cc Atlas, Dean Collinson restoration, superb! Great rider

1966 Norton 750cc Atlas
Frame number 20 114357
Engine number G15CS/M108678
Gearbox number NA8752
Norton’s parent company, MC, ntent on making a profit, ecided that rationalization of the brands was the key to their success. To the continuing melancholy of Norton fanatics, hey decided to close the ancient home of the marque and transfer production of the entire Norton range from Birmingham's Bracebridge Street to the larger Woolwich home of AJS and Matchless. The next stage of the inexorable process of rationalization was the often-criticized incorporation of bits of Norton motorcycles into the AJS / Matchless range. First of these hybrid machines was the Norton Atlas Scrambler, ith Atlas 750cc twin mounted in the AJS/Matchless frame from their single cylinder machines, nd strangely, roduced for export only. In the early ‘60s, ther variants on the theme were produced for export. The launch of the hybrid onto the home market waited until the appearance of the Matchless G15 Mk2 in 1964. It featured the 750cc Atlas engine, ith its twin Monobloc carbs, pair of chromed mudguards of generous dimensions, orward-mounted footrests and the fitting of Dunlop K70 tires. Motorcycle Mechanics described the machine as 'a good honest performer'.
By example of the inter-changeablity of parts, he bike offered here consists of the rolling chassis of Norton’s 1966 Atlas fitted with the Matchless G15 powerplant. The bike was the subject of a ground-up restoration in the hands of marque expert, ean Collinson. I have had numerous bikes from Dean, nd his knowledge and abilities are truly unsurpassed. He knows exactly how to make these machines run well, nd for a long time. Starting with a full engine rebuild, ean refreshed all the engine’s internals from the crank up. He offset the balance of the engine in this bike to counter the vibration, aking this one of the most pleasurable bikes to ride. With adjusted gearing, he bike is good for an all-day cruise at 80mph+. For additional reliability and ease of maintenance a single carb head was installed. Attention was then given to the gearbox, lutch and all the cycle parts, efurbishing or replacing them as needed. There are a couple of other diversions from stock, amely the electronic ignition, hough the bike still runs on an magneto, nd a belt drive system. A couple of different systems were employed but the best one for the application was the Steve Maney kit, eemed as the most durable, nd coupled with a belt sourced in Germany, as proven to be an incredibly reliable system. Also a 200 Watt alternator was installed for greatly improved lighting.
Mechanically, he bike is in excellent condition. The engine starts easily, dles well and has good, esponsive power. The bike shifts well through all gears with a good clutch. Brakes, nd suspension, he inimitable Roadholders at the front, ll work perfectly, s do the electrical systems.
The bike is as good cosmetically as it rides. It has held up well since the full restoration in 2012, aving covered only 1036 miles since.
This is an excellent example of a piece of quirky British motorcycling iconic history, ffered in excellent condition and ready to ride anywhere.

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