1967 Norton P11

In England by Mathieu Guyot-SionnestLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This P11 did not get any interest at the BIN of $12,000.


The American off-road motorcycling market has a very interesting history since the sector was pretty competitive. Indeed, every maker, especially the British, tried to find the best mix of chassis, weight, and power to win trophies. To that extent, Norton P11 story is pretty odd.

In 1966, the West Coast Norton Distributor, Bob Blair, asked the US importer, Berliner Motor, to see if it was possible to build a motorcycle with the Norton Atlas engine and Matchless G85CS frame – basically, a G85CS with a 750cc twin instead of the 500cc single. Blair’s request was understandable since off-road races in America were faster than the ones in Europe.

However, AMC refused. They did not think the engine could fit in the Matchless’ chassis. Despite that refusal, Blair and his team of mechanics decided to go for it and build the bike. In three weeks, the bike was done. Since the machine was very promising, Blair sent the bike to AMC so they could replicate it and make some for the 1967 season. Despite the arrival of much lighter bikes (from Husqvarna, for instance) the P11 still won the #1 plate in some desert races and earned a reputation as a great desert racer.

The P11 presented here is in great condition showing just above 9.5k miles. The bike seems original, very clean and in good running condition like this video shows:

Find this Norton P11 in Teanec, New Jersey with a BIN of $12,000 or best offer