NORTON NAVIGATOR BACKGROUND
Norton has always been known for big powerful bikes like the Manx and the Commando. But they also had a very ambitious line of smaller bikes that they originally built to respond to a change in British motoring law that was announced in 1958. Starting in 1960, first-time British motorcycle riders would be limited to bikes with 250cc of displacement or less for some period of time. So, everyone in the business rushed to expand it’s line of lightweight bikes. Norton responded with the 1958 250 Jubilee, a nice 250 twin designed by the legendary Bert Hopwood, who would move to Triumph and do big things there also. By 1960, they’d punched the 250 out to a 350 and renamed it the 350 Navigator.
NAVIGATOR GOES PARTS BIN-DIVING
Unfortunately, the rest of the bike was an amalgamation of odds and ends from the AMC parts bin. The frame was from parent-company AMC’s last-generation of middleweights. The front forks, wheels and brakes were from Francis-Barnett, not exactly a name that carried any weight. They even chose to use an older gearbox behind that nice new engine. No doubt done for cost-cutting, but the results were mixed. They weren’t particularly fast, or smooth, or reliable. Nothing stood out as exceptional. The Norton Navigator remained in production until 1966. They also offered an optional special edition called the Navigator Deluxe that had enclosed rear bodywork, very much like a Bathtub Triumphs, but a lot prettier.
ABOVE: The Navigator Deluxe added enclosed bodywork to the Navigator. It added weight and made maintenance more difficult. But they were meant to make the bikes easier to clean up after riding in the hostile English weather.
Norton Navigator YEAR-BY-YEAR
1962 NAVIGATOR
349cc OHV twin
Norton’s middleweight 350 twin Roadholder forks.
1962 NAVIGATOR DELUXE
350 OHV twin
The Deluxe added enclosed bodywork to the standard Navigator. Roadholder forks.
Check out these NORTON BOOKS
Norton Motorcycles: From 1950 to 1986 (British Motor cycles since 1950)
Norton Commando: The Complete Story (Crowood Motoclassic Series)
The Norton Commando Bible: All models 1968 to 1978
The Illustrated History of Norton Motorcycles (English and Spanish Edition)
Norton (Osprey Collector’s Library)
Norton Dominator Performance Portfolio 1949-1970
Norton: The Complete History (Crowood MotoClassics)
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