At a remarkable 84 years of age, the Norton CS1 you can see in these pictures is currently the oldest race bike still regularly involved in racing activities in the United Kingdom.
This lively jewel does not only boast the longevity record though, it also has more than 400 victories in ‘classic’ races under its belt and is currently owned by Ian Bain, a Liverpool-based rider that takes it on the track thanks to the support of the helmet manufacturer Davida.
The historic CS1 500 was designed by Walter Moore and produced by Norton between 1927 and 1929.
This very model was built in 1928 and bought ‘for a song’ in 1957 by Ian’s father Geoff, who had found it in a scrapyard near Liverpool.
After completing the purchase, it seems that Geoff had to push it for 15 miles (24 km) to bring it home, but given the amount of thrills and chills that this bike was about to provide his family with in the coming decades, it was definitely worth it.
It goes without saying that a motorcycle of this age requires a lot maintenance, and from this point of view the fact that Bains own a foundry is definitely an advantage, as many parts of the engine had to be replaced over the years, and they could basically replicate all they needed.
The carburettor has been handmade by Ian himself, while the 8-inch front brake was lifted from a BSA of the 60s.