1974 Norton John Player Special
1974 Norton John Player Special Background & History
The 1974 Norton John Player Special was a one-year-only ‘special’ that turned heads everywhere it went. Norton’s stock Commando had lots of ‘eyeball’ itself, starting at its introduction as a 1968 model. Very quickly, racing versions were beginning to dominate Grand Prix road racing in Britain and Europe. British cigarette maker John Player took notice of the Commando’s success and the attention it was drawing with its racing program. Legendary riders Peter Williams and Phil Read were stacking up trophies at places like the Isle of Man TT, which Norton won in 1971, with Williams at the helm. John Player wanted some of that action, and as was the custom for cigarette companies in those days, they sponsored Norton’s racing effort in exchange for the publicity they gained by having their name splashed all over Norton’s gorgeous racing bikes. It must have been a good relationship for both companies because it lasted from 1972 to 1975, an eternity in the racing business.
It was only a matter of time before Norton, well known for it’s preponderance of variants on the bones of the evergreen Commando, came up with a street version. The John Player Special, or JPS for short, was the result. Not to be confused with the John Player Norton (JPN) which was a pure racing machine with a racing frame nothing like the road bikes. Underneath the JPS, it’s just a stock 850 Commando with a smaller rear sprocket. But the stunning bodywork set it apart from anything else being sold at the time. Today, fully-faired sport bikes that look like race bikes are quite common, but in the mid-70s almost all motorcycles were ‘open’ or ‘naked’ as they call them today.
Limited Production
Only 200 1974 Norton John Player Specials were built, of which 120 came to the US. It was an expensive bike at around $3,000 USD which was $500 more than a standard Commando, so sales were slow. Norton had hoped to sell 1,000 JPS’s. Production started in late 1973 and the first bikes hit dealer showrooms in April 1974. While most 1975 Norton John Player Special were 850s, the optional short-stroke 750 engine was optional, in both road and race tune. It’s not known how many were built.
The entire British motorcycle industry was dead or dying, and Norton just couldn’t keep it going any longer. The looks of the stunning 1975 Norton John Player Special faded from view and remained quite unique, until the mid-80s, when Honda launched the 750 Interceptor in 1983. From then on, the look became quite common. But, in the context of the mid-1970s, the John Player Norton was a total stand-out, if you were lucky to see one, they were so rare. However, many young lads had posters or pictures torn out of magazines of the bike plastered on their walls and ceilings, much like kids did with the Lamborghini Countach.
1974 Norton John Player Special Design
The 1974 Norton John Player Special was essentially an ‘appearance package’, meaning there were no major mechanical changes or performance upgrades made to the base bike. This had been Norton’s practice for years, turning stock Commandos into cool variants like the Roadster, the Fastback, the SS and the Hi-Rider by hanging on different sets of bodywork. So this was a natural for Norton. Only this time, the bodywork was out of this world! Built on the 1975 Norton 850 Commando Mk2A, the only mechanical change was a smaller final drive sprocket which gave the bike more ‘highway legs’ and the expense of acceleration. Of course GP (Grand Prix) bikes are all about high speeds, not acceleration off the line.
The gorgeous JPS fiberglass bodywork was designed by Norton’s stop stylist Mike Oldfield. It was originally conceived as a cafe racer with a half-fairing and twin headlights but things evolved very quickly and the JPS was the result. At the time, fiberglass petrol tanks were illegal so a steel Roadster tank that was stretched complied with the law, but the fiberglass shell that covered it completed the look of the bike. The single-place seat flipped up to expose a handy storage compartment hidden in the large tail hump. The entire exhaust system was finished in black chrome.
John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons, also known as Player’s, got their start as a British tobacco and cigarette maker in Nottingham in 1820. Player’s sponsorship of auto racing began in 1968 with their backing of Team Lotus in the Tasman Series. This began a long relationship with Lotus in 1972. They also sponsored JPS Team BMW in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1981 to 1987. Player’s sponsorship of motorcycle racing began in 1971 with Norton, and continued until 1974 when Norton began to take on water. Commando production ended in 1975. During the 1980s Norton was building small numbers of twin-rotor Wankel-powered motorcycles, and took them racing. John Player resumed its sponsorship of the Norton team which continued through 1991. As the result of these highly successful racing programs, in 1974 Norton produced a limited-edition special called the John Player Norton wearing Player’s classic red, white and blue paint scheme. Underneath, it was stock 850 Commando all the way, but its full bodywork made it appear absolutely exotic. There was nothing else like it on the road at the time.
1974 Norton John Player Special Specifications
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Years in production Engine type Displacement Bore & Stroke Compression Carburetors Ignition Engine output Oil system Oil capacity Primary drive Clutch Gearbox Ratios, overall: 1st, bottom 2nd 3rd 4th, top Final drive Frame type Suspension, front Suspension, rear Brake, front Brake, rear Wheelbase Seat height Weight |
1974 Air-cooled OHV parallel twin 828cc 77mm X 89mm / 3.03″ X 3.503″ 9.0:1 2- Amal Concentric, 32mm Battery & coil, Lucas 60 bhp @ 6200 rpm Dry sump 6 pts Triplex chain Multi-plate diaphragm, wet 4-speed constant-mesh, right-foot shift – 12.40:1 8.25:1 5.90:1 4.84:1 Chain Double cradle, Isolastic Suspension Telescopic fork, hydraulic damping Swing Arm, 2 dampers, Isolastic mounts 10″ disk, 2-piston hydraulic caliper 7″ SLS drum, full width 57.1″ 31.3″ 435 lbs |
1975 Norton John Player Special Books
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