48th ABR Highlight – Norvin café racer

For its 48th edition, the All British Rally welcomed hundreds of veteran, vintage and classis British motorcycles. Organised by the BSA Motorcycle Owner’s Association (BSAMOA), this year’s All British Rally (ABR) was one of the biggest in the event’s long history, with more than 800 entries.

While predominantly a show for classic British motorcycles, the ABR welcomes new bikes that are either British-built or have British heritage. That’s why the latest from Royal Enfield were on show, joined this year by the all-new BSA models, which were making their first official public appearance.

Held in late April at Newstead in central Victoria, the three-day ABR features organised rides, a popular public display at the nearby town of Maldon, and camping on-site at the Newstead Racecourse, where the bike shown here was photographed.

Of the various “hybrids” created from British motorcycles by enthusiasts over the years, the Norvin is arguably at the top of the tree, rivalling the Egli-Vincent for prestige - and price. Combining Norton’s Featherbed frame and suspension with a 998cc Vincent v-twin engine, most Norvins also tend to run a Norton Manx fuel tank, along with café racer staples like a solo seat, clip-on handlebars and rearset pegs.

Who produced the first Norvin is unknown, although one source cites four-time 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion, John Surtees, as the father of the concept. Regardless, Norvins are far less prodigious than the similar ‘Triton,’ which combined the Norton frame with a Triumph parallel twin. This is largely due to the scarcity and cost of Vincent engines, but enough have been built for the Norvin name to become part of the motorcycling vernacular.

With an early, pre-unit Vincent engine, the Norvin featured here carries all the model’s signature styling cues, from the Manx tank and clip-ons to dual Smiths gauges. Some modern additions visible on this creation include K&N pod filters and an oil cooler, with the bar-end mirrors being aftermarket items. The primary cover appears to be a hand-made piece, with the oil tank most likely bespoke to this bike, too.

Although it had plenty of competition at the ABR in terms of eye candy, the immaculately polished engine and chromed 2-into-1 exhaust on this Norvin made it a standout. 

For JUST BIKES’ report on the 48th All British Rally, click HERE.