The ex-David Dixon
c.1950 Norton 490cc 500T Trials
Registration no. OMU 519
Frame no. 29298 E3T
Engine no. 29298 E3T

Norton's post-WW2 trials campaign got off to a false start in 1947 but after a season of extensive modification and experimentation the factory came up with the legendary 500T. Shortened rear frame stays and a modified lower fork yoke reduced the wheelbase to a more-manageable 53" while an alloy cylinder head and barrel helped reduce weight to around 300lbs. Numerous works and privateer successes soon confirmed that Norton had produced a machine as good as, if not better than, any other rigid-framed trials iron.
This Norton 500T belonged to the late David Dixon until his death earlier this year and is offered for sale by the Dixon family. Born in Dublin, David Dixon spent virtually his entire life working with motorcycles. He began competing in trials in his native Ireland before moving to the UK in 1958 to take up a post as staff writer for The Motor Cycle, a dream job that not only involved riding the latest models but also track testing exotic works race bikes. An accomplished racer himself, David Dixon well qualified for the latter role and when The Motor Cycle ceased publication he set up a racing school with fellow Irish road-racer, Tommy Robb. This led to the formation of Dixon Racing, a tuning company that eventually became a mainstream motorcycle dealership. When the next economic downturn sank the latter, David moved to a public relations company working for the Motor Cycle Industry Association, becoming its spokesman.
David had owned and competed on a 500T during his formative years in Ireland, and around 1976 bought the machine offered here from Keith Dopson, intending to restore and ride it. Despite his best intentions, the project remained firmly on the back burner for many years before being entrusted to ex-racer and professional restorer, Brian Kettle. The non-standard machine had been bodged and modified, causing Brian more than a few headaches before the rebuild was completed in the autumn of 1995. The following year David wrote an article about his beloved 500T for The Classic MotorCycle (May 1996 edition, copy on file) which prospective purchasers are urged to read. Last taxed and MoT'd to 2004, OMU 519' will require re-commissioning before returning to the road. The machine is offered with three expired MoT certificates and an old-style continuation logbook (issued 1964). It should be noted that the frame number is incorrectly recorded in the latter.