The now world famous Norton logo first graced the tanks of the infamous bikes way back in 1914 and by the early 1930s Norton had proved itself to be one of the best manufacturers in the business. After winning 78 out of 92 Grand Prix races between 1930 and 1937, as well as winning seven of the nine Isle of Man TT’s between 1931 and 1939 Norton was flying high. 

After the impact of the Second World War and Norton switching from racing to troop supply the company was finally able to complete the new models that had been in the pipeline. The Norton Dominator would be one of these bikes, seeing release in 1949. 

The Dominator was the bike of many young riders' dreams, and the 596cc Dominator 99 (introduced in 1955) was at the top of the pile. The Dominator 99 was a stylish high performance machine with fantastic steering, roadholding and brakes. The 99 boosted the bore and stroke of the older Dominator 88 and it gave the new Dominator 99 the power to exceed 100mph. Norton didn’t just push performance up and leave the chassis in the lurch though, the Dominator 99 offered riders all the attributes of the earlier models but now with more power and greatly enhanced performance. 

This Norton started its life as a 600cc Dominator 99 and was sold initially by a dealer in Cheshire on the 29th March 1960. In 2015 the bike was purchased by the CEO of The Norvil Motorcycle Company in Staffordshire. It was purchased as a restoration/conversion project and was fully restored by the company between 2015 and 2016. 

During this restoration the bike was converted into a Café Racer and the original 600cc engine was replaced with a 1961 Dominator 650cc engine. The bike had been built to show off the Norvil catalogue of new Norton parts and accessories so came fully loaded. All the build details are outlined in a Classic Bike magazine supplement that the current owner will provide. The bike was then purchased by a collector in 2020 but the bike was up for sale again in April 2021 when the current owner purchased the bike. Under the current ownership the bike has undergone significant work at GP Classic Motorcycles. 

This work was completed in February 2022 and included but was not limited to: Replaced inlet valves and guides and re-cut seats, cleaned carburettors, adjusted, pilot air jets changed and set up, new front brake light switch, front brakes stripped, cleaned and adjusted, gearbox stripped, check and adjusted, new Molnar Racing alloy clip-ons fitted and wheel/chain alignment correction.

The Norton comes with a fair amount of paperwork. The paperwork is limited to the work carried out under the current ownership and some detailing the work carried out by the Norvil Motorcycle Company around 2015 and 2016. This part of the paperwork includes a letter to confirm the restoration and modification of the bike by the Norvil Motorcycle Company, the supplement from Classic Bike magazine outlining the build and a Norton Factory record certificate. 

Included in the paperwork are two invoices that detail the work carried out on the bike during the current ownership by GP Classic Motorcycles. There are also a few receipts for parts purchased by the current owner and the current V5 document. Sadly the paperwork does not include any previous or current MOT certificates and there are no invoices/receipts from previous owners pre 2015. The current owner is also including a Haynes manual in the sale as well as a full bike cover. 

The riding area of the Norton is in excellent condition overall. The seat is in excellent shape with very little signs of wear or creasing. The black vinyl is of a nice, rich deep colour and features a lovely bit of red piping that really highlights the shape of the seat. 

The handle grips of the bike are also in excellent condition and show very little wear with no cracks or splits in the rubber. The instrument cluster of the bike is clean and bright with no marks or damage to the gauges. The Norton has clearly been well maintained and garaged stored, it is a very well presented example that is begging to be ridden. 

The Dominator is in excellent exterior condition. This is a real head turner of a bike with that polished metal finish to the tank. The tank does show some sign of wear in the form of a few scratches and marks but these certainly do not detract from the overall look of the bike. The frame is in excellent condition with no marks or damage to either the metalwork or the paintwork. The black frame compliments the polished metal and stainless steel really nicely and gives the Dominator a real presence. 

Both wheels are in excellent condition with no marks or damage. Overall this is a very well presented bike, the subtle alterations to turn this into a Café Racer style bike have worked brilliantly with the Dominator frame and it really looks the part. The restoration work has clearly been carried out to a high standard and has created a bike with fantastic character. 

The uprated 650cc engine in the Dominator is a beautiful engine and a highly desirable upgrade for the bike. The engine itself is clean and tidy and the work carried out on it has clearly been completed to a very high standard. 

The Dominator rides just like it should with that fantastic combination of road-handling, steering and the added punch from that 650cc engine! Even by modern standards this bike is no slouch, it’s swift and fun to ride and the wonderful exhaust note combined with that gleaming body make it catch many admiring glances.

The Norton Dominator represented the hopes and aspirations for many young bikers in the 1950s and 1960s. The famous “Featherbed Frame” gave the Dominator a state of art light but rigid frame that handled beautifully and offered a smooth ride. The upgraded engines in later models made the Dominator a fitting name for such a stand out motorbike that oozed usability and comfort as well as power and performance. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to own a fantastic example of these famous bikes. The uprated 650cc engine gives top of the range Dominator performance and marries wonderfully to that quintessential Café Racer style. It’s a bike that screams cool from every angle and garners attention from all who manage to catch a glimpse!