Norton Motorcycles Mercury 1968-1970
The Norton Mercury was made, and dispatched, from engine and frame numbers129146 to the last one being 129896.
They were dispatched in the years,1968,1969 and in 1970. There was some of them dispatched in February 1970. Get a copy of Roy Bacon's Norton Twin Restoration, and look on pages 75 and 164. There it is clearly shown, the front mounted reflectors fitted to a Norton Mercury. As for the dates, well if it was dispatched in 1968 or Decemeber 1968, it would have been sold as a 1969 model year. If it was dispatched in February 1970, it would have been sold as a 1970 model year. That is why the P11A Ranger 750's even thougth they were all dispatched in October 1968 they were all sold as 1969 P11A Ranger 750 model years. By the time they reached Berliner, in New Jersey, were assembled, sent out to dealers it would have been 1969. Only about 100 Mercurys were sold in England, as all the rest went for export.NORTON MERCURY BACKGROUND
The Norton Mercury-series ran from 1968 to 1970 and represents the last model in the Dominator family. With Featherbed Frame production having ended in 1968 with the death of the Dominator 650SS and Atlas 750, and the launch of the new Commando. Production records indicate that all Mercury's were built in 1968, right up to the end of the year, and that those that went unsold were retitled as 1969s and 1970s.
The Mercury used the Dominator's 650cc twin cylinder engine, set vertically in the Featherbed Frame. But this time it ran a single Amal carburetor, had 12-volt electrics with a capacitor that allowed running it without a battery, and being the last development in the Dominator lineage, it was made to run on unleaded fuel.
Norton Mercury SPECIFICATIONS
- Engine type Air-cooled OHV twin
- Displacement 646cc / 39.5 ci
- Bore & stroke 68mm X 89mm
- Compression ratio 9.0:1
- Horsepower @ RPM 47 hp @ 6,800 rpm
- Fuel system 1- Amal Concentric carburetor
- Ignition system Coil capacitor
- Primary drive Single-row Chain
- Clutch Multi-plate, wet
- Gearbox 4-speed, right-foot shift
- Final drive Chain
- Frame type Double cradle “Featherbed”
- Front Suspension Norton Roadholder forks
- Rear Suspension Swing arm w/2 dampers
- Front brake TLS drum, 8-inch / 203mm
- Rear brake SLS drum, 7-inch / 178mm
- Front tire 3.00” X 19” UK; 3.25” X 19” US
- Rear tire 3.50” X 19” UK; 4.00” X 18” US
- Wheelbase 55.5 in / 1,410mm
- Seat height 31 inches / 787 mm
- Curb weight 408 lb / 185 kg
- Fuel capacity 3.5 US gal / 16 L
- Top speed 119.5 mph / 192 km/h