Norton Lightweights

I was fascinated to read ‘Norton Navigator Cafe Racer’ in the September magazine – congratulations to Paul Cross for producing this smart bike and doing something a bit unexpected.

The observations about the development of the Navigator from the Jubilee 250 and the poor reputation of that bike don’t tell the whole story. I think I can add to this from my own experiences, going back to the ownership of a 1960 Jubilee in 1963/64 and current ownership of another, a 1962 standard version, which I bought and restored in 1994. I’ve just put that back on the road after 10 years under a cover in the garage due to preoccupation with other things. My brother runs a 1962 Navigator.

To say that the Navigator was massively improved from the Jubilee is misleading. It was certainly bigger, with increased bore