Norton Mercury

The Norton Mercury was a 646 cc air-cooled overhead-valve parallel twin motorcycle made by Norton-Villiers from 1968 to 1970, and it was the last Norton to use the Featherbed frame. After the collapse of AMC and the formation of Norton-Villiers, the company was concentrating on the new Commando, and a large stock of parts from earlier models would not fit it, so the Mercury was conceived to use them up. It was introduced in October 1968 and around 750 were made, most of them for the United States, and the Nigerian Police also used it. Its engine descended from the 650SS and so from Bert Hopwood's 1948 Model 7 Dominator twin, with an alloy head and a single Amal Concentric carburettor, 12-volt electrics and a four-speed gearbox, and the slimline Featherbed frame, Roadholder forks and a humped dual seat completed the machine.