The First Norton F1R (P55) Racer is up For Auction
Iconic British racing motorcycles don’t get more important than the Norton F1R, and the first one to roll out of the factory is up for sale
Billed as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ H & H Auctions has just listed a historically very important Norton F1R in its National Motorcycle Museum autumn sale.
The provenance of the machine comes from it being the first F1R (Type P55) to roll off the Shenstone production line. Completed on April 1 1990, the bike cut its teeth on the continent, racing in the 'Battle of the Twins' class in Germany. Racing across the channel in a German class that was open to prototypes (unlike the British championships which required bikes to be production homologated), meant the team could gain valuable knowledge and data that could be used at a later date. In the meantime it gave Norton some time to get the necessary pieces in place to begin production of road bikes, therefore enabling them to go racing in the more lucrative series back home.
The bike’s European performances weren’t stellar, though, thanks to a rider, best described as ‘average’ by H & H, who was unable to unlock the bike’s full potential and push forward its development. The project was also hampered by a lack of funding and sponsorship, and with the German series not being featured on TV, getting money for fairing advertising space was a tough task. It did manage a reported five seasons in the Battle of the Twins series, and even the ‘average’ rider employed to pilot it managed the occasional win. H & H reports that the bike’s life after racing saw it ridden in parades with Tim and Joe Seifert behind the bars.
Technically speaking, the bike is a bit of a ‘BITSA’, featuring a gearbox from a Yamaha OW-01, while the WP front fork comes from an older P56 rotary racer. The rear swingarm, frame, exhaust and engine are all true-blue prototype racing kit, though. The engine was refreshed by Richard Negus a few years ago, with him adding the traditional exhaust system, and checking over the specially machined high-compression rotors, aero twin-plug trochoids and Mikuni flat-slide carbs.
The bike will be rolling over the auction block on October 30 at 11am. The estimate is between £52,000 and £56,000, and you can view the full listing on the official website.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
