Classic test
650cc Norton’s early Sixties combination of tuned of engine and Featherbed frame created one the marque’s finest models
Norton Dominator 650 was one of the marque’s finest motorcycles.
Extremely high maximum speed. Abundant stamina. Pleasant manners. Traditional Norton handling. Real comfort. When Motor Cycling magazine began its test of Norton’s new Dominator 650SS with that list of attributes in February 1962, it was clear at once that Norton’s fastest ever production model had made a big impression. Even many decades later, it’s easy to understand why the 650SS earned so many admirers. Right now the road ahead is clear of traffic, and the previously dull sky has brightened. When I wind back the throttle on the exit of a bend, the Norton pulls forward with a thrillingly strong surge of parallel-twin torque. It’s a magical moment as, with its Featherbed-framed chassis keeping everything stable, the 650SS shows off the blend of acceleration and handling ability which, all those years ago, helped make it arguably the world’s finest sports bike.
At other times this silver Norton is less impressive, partly because it vibrates more than I’d expected even of a solidly mounted parallel twin, despite the fact that I’m keeping the revs down and not approaching the 120mph top speed that was celebrated back when the 650SS was launched. There’s a slight, but persistent oil leak too, which the bike’s owner is planning to fix with a top-end rebuild in the near future.
The effort will be well worthwhile, because the
650SS is one of the most famous and desirable models from Norton’s long history. With its blend of 646cc, twin-carb engine and Featherbed frame, the SS was arguably the first Norton twin to combine competitive straight-line performance with the marque’s traditional fine handling.
To those basic assets, the SS added good looks and reasonable reliability, plus soon the added attraction of success in high-level production racing. It’s no wonder the classy Dominator was much admired back in the Sixties. And given the model’s lasting impact, it’s also no wonder that the current Norton firm has a similarly stylish silver Dominator in its range.
Back in 1962, the 650SS was the latest in a line of Dominator twins that had begun back in 1949 with the Bert Hopwood designed Model 7. The engine had been enlarged to 597cc to power the Dominator 99 in 1956, and in 1961 Norton had introduced an exportonly model called the Manxman 650, its 646cc engine created with a new, longer-stroke crankshaft rather than by enlarging the bore. By this time Norton’s range also included Sports Special, or SS, versions of its 500 and 600cc models, featuring twin carbs and higher compression ratio.
Combining the Sports Special specification with the larger capacity gave an impressive new powerplant, which also incorporated modifications including larger big-end bearings and a heavier flywheel. The 650SS was also fitted with a new downdraft cylinder head, developed from engineer Doug Hele’s
Domiracer production race twin, which had competed in the previous year’s TT. Peak output was 49bhp, with acceleration aided by the use of twin exhaust pipes rather than the siamesed layout as fitted to the other SS models.
The new engine was held in a familiar chassis combining Featherbed frame and Roadholder forks. At 182kg dry the 650SS weighed barely more than the smaller models, and had a racy look enhanced by paintwork in Norton’s traditional silver. Options included chromed mudguards, 18-inch (instead of 19-inch wheels) and the addition of a rev-counter in addition to the Smith’s speedometer.
That speedo was put to good use, because the 650SS was capable of almost 120mph. The bike was also pleasantly flexible and impressively economical (though the downdraft carburettor arrangement caused a few flooding problems), as well as smooth by parallel twin standards. Given Norton’s reputation for handling, it was no surprise that the 650SS excelled in the bends. This was a real sports machine, with a firm ride and a thin seat. Its steering and stability were outstanding, as was the efficiency of its drum brakes.
Predictably the model was given enthusiastic reviews. Motor Cycling praised the ‘sporting top end without the bad manners associated with such urge at low speeds’. Rival mag The Motor Cycle speed-tested the 650SS at 118mph, and applauded a bike whose ‘quietness, smoothness and lack of fuss make speed deceptive; a machine with such superb handling and braking as to make nearly two miles a minute as safe as a stroll in the garden’.
Norton helped emphasise the 650SS’s all-round high performance with a string of successes in production endurance races. Within a few months of its launch, an SS prepared by tuner Syd Lawton had been ridden to victory by Phil Read and Brian Setchell at two of
the season’s most prestigious races, the Thruxton 500-mile and Silverstone 1000-mile events. A Lawton-prepared SS – tuned only with a Manxderived close-ratio gearbox, he later said – also won the Thruxton race in 1963 and 64.
The 650SS gained further recognition when it was voted Motor Cycle News machine of the year in both 1962 and 63. In its early Sixties heyday the 650SS was much admired by the hard-riding Rockers, as a production model that combined Norton’s traditional chassis quality with sufficient engine performance to rival a Triumph.
But although the SS was less expensive than a Triton hybrid, it was expensive compared to rival BSAs and Triumph twins, and produced in relatively small numbers. Despite that, it survived Norton’s acquisition by AMC (Associated Motor Cycles) and the factory’s move from Birmingham to Woolwich in south London. The model remained in production for more than six years, with few changes.
Eventually, in 1968, the 650SS was dropped to make way for the Commando, whose enlarged, 750cc engine was rubber-mounted in a new frame. A fresh and illustrious successor had arrived.
But for many Norton enthusiasts, the Dominator 650SS’s captivating combination of traditional style, punchy 646cc engine and Featherbed frame makes it the finest Norton twin of all.