Military 16H detail variations

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This page intends to categorize all variations found on military 16H's, divided for Army and RAF M/C's. Its based on pictorial evidence and contemporary spare parts lists. It has to be kept in mind however that the spare parts lists show replacements, which do not necessarily mean that the M/C's were originally made with the same parts. Another uncertainty is the fact that M/C's were modified during the production run. One very obvious example being the pannier toolboxes. They were apparently applied to C6653 and the early part of C7353 only. Late C7353 M/C's did not have them! There are indications tthat the information in the spare parts lists lagged in relation to the real motorcycle production.
I do not pretend to have it complete, but it will cover most variations. If anybody can add more ("proven" with preferably original photographs or other original spares parts lists) I will be glad to hear. 

Arbitrary subdivision of variations of military 16H Nortons for the British and Canadian Army

For ease of reference I have subdivided the (WD)16H's in a number of variations in which the motorcycles were initially produced. If there were others, or the differences can be made more specific, I would be glad to hear the details! I do not have all "Spare parts lists" for the different contracts. Looking at what I do have, there seem to be inconsistencies in parts used and the expected time of application.  It also seems that bikes were not always delivered as shown in the spare parts lists.
This list is not exact. And it is very likely that changes were made while production for a certain contract was still running, for instance when using up old stock.  The differences can be seen in the WD16H detail variations page. Sequence of variations is from "early" to "late", where early is 1936 to 1939 (variation one and two), 1940-41 (variation three) and "late" 1942 upwards (variation 4) and "last" (variation 5). Again this is not exact, and will be updated when information becomes available. Finally some remarks are made on the rebuilding of motorcycles.

Variation one:
Basic civilian looking motorcycle with rubber handlebar grips and foot rests, civilian type rear number plate with rear light mounted in the right hand corner and front number plates, no pillion arrangements, toolbox with school bag type lock, oil tank with weldings at the rear, Speedometer mounted in the middle of the fork, 1 inch handlebar, headlamp 7"aperture, painted black out/black Manilla paper black out (blackouts introduced after September 1939), forward facing horn, round ribbed head tappet cover screw. The prop stand was mounted onto the left pillion footrest lug, on bikes which required pillion footrests, they were fixed to a clamp fitted around the chainstay tube in front of the original lug.
A number of these were equipped with dust filters mounted at right hand side near the rear axle (for use in Palestine).

Variation two:
Basically similar to variation one, built for use in the Middle East. It was provided with a special air filter, mounted at the right hand above the rear axle. This variation sometimes were provided with a crankcase bash plate, approximately 1,5 times wider than those later used. Another difference was the application of a handgrip on the front mudguard, not found on any of the other variations. Pictures do not show Speedometers.
There are however also versions like this without speedometer and crankcase shields.
A variation of this one is the use of the tank top mounted Vokes filter around 1939. This version is rather peculiar as pictures show these bikes to have the right hand rear corner of the petrol tank cut-off. This was apparently only done on these early contracts. Later in the war, when the tank top Vokes was "re-introduced" the "standard, non-cut-off tanks" remained where other brands like BSA and Triumph did change to right hand rear cut-off tanks. As far as found, Norton was the first to use the tank top Vokes filters and the spare parts lists of even the BSA and the VAOS lists all refer to Norton part numbers.

Variation three:
As variation one, but with two "pannier" toolboxes mounted high up on the rear mudguard stays. These boxes were mounted at least on Contracts C6653 and V7353. Spare parts list for Contract C9062 also notes these boxes but it is unlikely that they were ever fitted. Pictorial evidence suggests that the boxes were only mounted on an "early" part of contract V7353. The deletion of pannier tool boxes under V7353 came between C4391955 (W31929) and C4392670 (W32644).
Speedometer mounted at left hand side of the fork instead of in the centre.
Pillion footrest lug added to lower left chain stay.  

Variation four:
As one but with pannier carriers and bags, pillion seat and footrests, canvas handlebar grips, round bar steel footrests, winged bolts on toolbox and tappet cover, 6 inch aperture headlamp, headlamp blackout mask, horn mounted facing left, no civilian type number plates, blackout type tail light, oil tank welded at the side.  Speedometer mounted on left hand of the fork. Based on the spare parts lists, I come to the conclusion that the panniers were added starting with contract C10217. This was also the last contract on which the front fork rubber buffers were mounted.

Variation five:
As four, but with 7/8 inch handlebars on contract S5161 and probably all after that. Also the petrol tank mounted Vokes filters were fitted at the factory. Latest versions did not have a fork steering damper. 
 

Rebuilds:
In case of severe wear or damage of a motorcycle, they were completely stripped to the smallest parts.
Good parts were kept, damaged parts restored (if usefull), worn parts scrapped. Out of the kept, restored and new parts, complete "new" motorcycles were built. These motorcycles were built to the latest standard as valid during the reassembly.  There were special workshops turning out machines at a rate of one each hour!

The rebuilt practice also means that engine and frames were mixed without scrupules. The motorcycle was provided with a new Army census number, and off it went, to be worn out again, scrapped or to be sold to the civil market after the war. It also explains why there are few machines left with matching engine and frame numbers. (Of these, some are known to be "fabricated").

Common upgrades:
During the operation of motorcycles, modifications were introduced as cure for common faults (fracturing of front petrol tank lugs) or improvements (adding of panniers). For the Army, these modifications were documented in  "circulars", prepared by the Director of Mechanical Engineering (DME). From these lists, modifications for the Nortons can be found. It is however quite certain from pictorial evidence that these modifications were not by definition introduced on all bikes. 

Arbitrary subdivision of variations of military 16H Nortons for the RAF

The RAF purchased over 3500 Nortons, a large part of those provided with a Norton Model G (Swallow body?) sidecar.
Two categories can be described:

Early solo and sidecar machines:
Basically, these machines were identical to the Army machines upto late 1944, with the same frame and engine parts.

Late sidecar machines:
Machines specifically used for sidecar work changed after late 1944.  18" x 4.00" wheels became standard on these M/Cs, replacing the std 19" x 3,25 " wheels.
These late machines did have the pannier carriers as also found on the Army bikes after 1941. RAF machines retained the 1" handlebar where the Army changed to 7/8th "handlebars around 1944/45. Universal saddles did find their way to these machines, but only on the very late ones. The normal saddles were phased out during the manufacture and use of these bikes.

Common upgrades:
As for the Army, the RAF M/C's were also  upgraded when necessary. The RAF used AP1726 coded documents to introduce the modifications.

India and Australian versions

The British Army in India purchased their own equipment as from 1937. It appears they did not go for standardisation as the British Army did. The 1937 bikes were identical to the ones as built for the Brirtish Army. In 1938, they purchased a number of 1938 model bikes with the enclosed, oil lubricated tappets, horizontally mounted saddle springs and the 1938 civilian style oil tank. These bikes did however nothave the "cows udder" silencer but the "standard" cylindrical one, but now with an extended and upswept exhaust.

In late 1939 they however received the standard British Army again, but again with some other modifications in the form of the upswept exhaust, cut off right hand petrol tank and Vokes filters. Contrary to the British Army M/C's, these also had oillion footrestlug on the left hand side and pillion equipment. They also had an rearward extended rear carrier, which by the shape of it must have been the pattern for te pannier carrier racks introduced 2 years later.

Pictorial views of the differences:
First variation mentioned in each row is the oldest, variations in one column not necessarily same time frame between rows.
The contract numbers given in the list below are based on the spare parts lists available.
Where an original picture was not at hand, a present time picture is used. If somebody wants a bigger picture of some part, please drop me a line through the E-mail.
Parts which to my knowledge have not changed are not mentioned.
 

Item	Variation  one	Variation two	Variation three	Variation four	Variation five	Variation six
Front number plates	Civilian type given for bikes upto and including C9062	No numberplate from C10217 onwards
Rear number plate	Civilian type single top bolt, actually used upto and including C9681. According to spare parts list it was still used upto and including C5109.	Civilian type double top bolts from C1666 upto C9062	None as from C10217
front mudguard handgrip	Part of front stay, India office contracts only?	None, standard on all others
Rear mudguard	central rib	Plain, unribbed
Rear mudguard  flap	Long curvature	Short curve (C5612 and upwards)
Leg shields		First 500 bikes from Contract C14498 only!
footrests	Rubber D shaped All contracts upto and including C9062	Round steel C10217 and upwards
pillion footrests	None added, lugs present	Rubber, covered	Steel, uncovered
Pillion seats	None	Spring frame	Loaf
Speedometers	None	Centrally mouted	Centrally mounted top view	Left hand mounted (C5612 and upwards)	Left hand mounted top view
Speedometer Fork Attachment brackets	upto and including first part of contract C5612 (changed inbetween C4153287 and C4154277), part no 3884	Later part of C5612 and higher,  part no 4114	from contract C14498 to end, part no 4114a
Toolbox(es)	Single boxes	Double boxes	Both, believed to be a personal "modification"
Tool box locks	School bag type	close up of schoolbag type	Round knob	Winged "gravity" knob
Rear carriers	Rear carrier without pillion, basic as from 1936	Pre war rear carrier with pillion option seen in 1937/38	Panniers std as from 1942	Rear carrier without pannier frames
Air filters	Rear mouted (1936 and later)	Vokes model D.7226 but non adjustable straps to knee grip bolts and non adjustable elbow fitted to carburetter 1938/39	Vokes model D.7226 with adjustable fixing and adjustable aluminium elbow to fit to carburetter 1940 upwards if fitted.
Handle bar clips	Aluminium 1" only	Cast/Forged steel both 1" and 7/8th "
Handle bars	1 inch all contracts except S5161	7/8th inch, S5161 only
Handlebar levers	prewar upto 1939?	1939 upto 1942?	1942 upwards?
Steering damper	present on all contracts except S5161	no steering damper on S5161
Fork buffer	All bikes upto and including contract C10217 have buffers	All bikes from C11082 (W60001) no buffers
Head lamp	8" outer diameter,  7 1/2" aperture	7" outer diameter,  6 1/2" aperture
Head lamp switch	OLH (Off, Low, High)	OTLH (Off, Tail, Low, High
Dimmer switch	Civilian dip switch on left hand side of handlebar	Dipper switches removed as from end of 1940, replaced by 4 position Head lamp switch
Black-out mask	None	Black Manilla paper circular mask with half circular cut out. Bottom portion of reflector painted black	Quadruple slotted without overhead cover, probably locally made	Tubular, interim version mostly used on UK home defense bikes and civilian bikes.	Single slot overhead covered	With parking light
Rear light	Civilian type MT110 with blackout Manilla paper tube blocking most of numberplate lighting.	Military type
Horn	Mounted forward facing on clamp around front down tube	Mounted sideways facing on extending stud on engine bolt
Magdyno platform	Aluminium casting	Iron casting  replacement to conserve aluminium for aeronautical use?
Tappet cover	Cast aluminium upto and including C12426	Pressed steel as from C14498
Engine tappet cover screw	Round knob	Winged knob
Crankcase shield	None	Wide version	Narrow version, most used
Oil tank	Rear welded	Side welded
Petrol tank	With knee rubbers	With righ hand rear cut off to cater for Aircleaner hose. Specified for 1939 India contract and contract C9062	Without knee rubber bolt fixing holes, only on very late production machines
Petrol lead(s) to carburetter	Copper (upto W18000)	Rubber (after W18001) with two sided banjo on float chamber	Rubber (after Wxxxxx) from left tap and copper crossfeed line between petrol taps
Rear brake rod	Rear end adjustable, all bikes pre 1942/panniers	front end adjustable to be used in combination with the pannier racks (from C10217 onwards and rebuilts)
Wheel bolts	Reduced thickness shank	Cylindrical shank
Front brake cam lubrication	through centre of cam	by additional lubricator on side of bush (C10217 and upwards)
Gear position indicator	moulded/cast part and indication of  neutral by I on gearchange mechanism cover	At least from C7353 sheet metal pointer and gear positions on brass strip on top of gear change mechanism cover
Gearbox drain plug	Not on early and civilian machines	on machines after contract (C10217 and upwards)