Ex-works, Jack Blackwell, Francis Beart, 1949 ISDT, 1949 Norton 490cc Trials Motorcycle Project

• Gold Medal winner at the 1949 ISDT
• Offered for reconstruction
• Well documented

'Off road' authority Don Morley has confirmed that this motorcycle was one of four used by the Norton factory for the 1949 International Six Days Trial, held that year in Wales. The rider was A J 'Jack' Blackwell, who won a Gold Medal (see results on file).

For each year's ISDT, the ACU would invite the top British factories to submit their machines and riders for what were known as Selection Tests. These were usually run by the Army and involved several days of competition over a series of very tough courses resembling what would be encountered come the ISDT itself.

Norton's top rider in 1949 was Rex Young, who could not be picked as he was an Australian; hence none of Norton's riders were picked to represent GB in the Trophy squad, though pre-WW2 star Jack Williams was chosen for the ACU team in the lesser Vase competition. There was also a separate manufacturers team trophy, which Norton considered worth contesting and so they fielded a three-man team comprising Rex Young, Jack Blackwell and R Clayton. Additionally there was also a Sidecar Award and for that they entered Arthur Humphries.

The accompanying original RF60 logbook shows that 'JOV 758' was registered to Norton Motors on 5th August 1949, with legendary Norton tuner/entrant Francis Beart listed as '1st change' on 28th August 1950. The machine had matching numbers at that time (the engine was changed in 1953).

A VMCC dating letter states that the engine currently installed was dispatched to Ray Petty in 1948. Registered to '2nd change' owner John Robert House in 1951, 'JOV 758' was back at Beart's shop in 1959 (see second RF60 logbook on file) and was sold on.

Sadly, Francis Beart's records are unavailable; however, there is a hand written notebook on file labelled 'Norton 500T Log Book JOV 758' and annotated 'taken from Francis Beart's logbook' – detailing a comprehensive rebuild of JOV in October 1959 (examination highly recommended).

No doubt the new owner will have great pleasure researching the history of the machine in Beart's ownership.

Sold strictly as viewed, this Lot consists of a frame and an incomplete engine only. Also included in the sale are an old-style V5; the second RF60 logbook; the aforementioned VMCC dating letter; copies of The Motor Cycle and Motor Cycling's 1949 ISDT editions; and a photograph of Jack Blackwell competing in the 1949 ISDT.
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