1958-1960 Norton Nomad: A Special Desert Sled

The term desert sled has now become cemented into the motorcycle lexicon alongside café racer, chopper, bobber, adventure, cruiser and the rest. But the desert sled wasn’t born in a marketing meeting: it was in the Mojave Desert.

America’s western deserts are unforgiving places full of surprises. Rocks, sand dunes, sinkholes, dry rivulets, levees, all with a side of cactus and rattlesnake. But they also lack speed limits and intersections, making them ideal for off-highway racing. Perhaps the highest profile proponent of desert racing in the classic era and one of its fiercest competitors was, of course, Steve McQueen who, in the movie Le Mans, espoused the racer’s philosophy: “Racing … it’s life. Anything that happens before or after, it’s just waiting.”

Perhaps the archetypal desert racer of the era was the 650cc Triumph Trophy. The Trophy started out as a rigid-framed 500cc trials bike using the all alloy, square-barrel “generator” engine that had been installed as an auxiliary power unit in Britain’s World War II bombers. The 500 proved itself in the 1948 International Six-Days event, when the British team won the top prize on Triumphs (hence the name “Trophy”).

But trials are relatively slow speed events, and more power was needed for desert racing. That arrived with the 650cc Trophy-Bird, using the engine from the Thunderbird. But there was another problem: The Triumph sprung hub frame fitted to their street bikes was unsuitable at speed on the rough. Then in 1954, the Trophy specification solidified around a new swinging arm frame. With appropriate modifications to stock machines by the customer/racer (relaxed steering rake, a longer swingarm, removing mufflers and other extraneous parts and strengthening what was left), the desert sled as it became known was born.

Meanwhile over at Norton, race supremo Joe Craig’s focus was circuit racing and the single-cylinder Manx; but his control over the race department ended with his retirement in 1954, freeing up funds for development of the Dominator twins. This resulted in the launch of Norton’s own Desert Sled, the 596cc Nomad in 1958.

The Nomad’s engine was developed from the Dominator 99, and featured dual Amal 276 Monobloc carbs and an alloy cylinder head with bigger intake valves and high compression pistons. In this spec, the Nomad made 36 horsepower at 6,000rpm compared with the Domi 99’s 31 horsepower at 5,750rpm. It featured magneto ignition, 6-volt alternator electrics and was topped with a gas tank borrowed from the Matchless G80CS scrambler. (Norton had been part of Associated Motorcycles since 1952.)

The non-unitized drivetrain with Norton/AMC gearbox was housed in a new frame developed for strength and based on that of the sidecar-tug Model 77, but with a tubular engine cradle rather than the 77’s forged item. A new oval-tube swingarm was designed to fit around a wider rear tire. The front fork was a hybrid using Roadholder components (long stanchions, short sliders, external springs and alloy damper rods). Wheels were 19-inch rear and 21-inch front with knobby tires. Alloy fenders, wide handlebars, full-width alloy hubs and siamesed exhaust completed the specification.

In all, around 350 Nomads were produced between 1958 and 1960 almost exclusively for the North American market with a limited number going to Australia. A batch of about 40 were built in 1960 around a tuned version of the 500cc Dominator 88 engine. The 500 differed from the 600 in its frame number prefix (16 for the 500cc, 15 for the 600). The 500 Nomad also had a black seat with white sides, with this pattern reversed for the 600.

One of the first Nomads to arrive in the U.S. was entered in the challenging Big Bear Run in 1958, finishing eighth out of 822 starters, proving its off-road chops. But the Nomad only lasted three seasons, eventually replaced by the Norton P11, 750cc Atlas Scrambler, and N15CS.

The challenge with finding and restoring a Nomad is the small number produced, and its use of many unique parts, some of which are unobtainable and may have to be fabricated. That has limited the appeal of Nomads, and therefore restricted their resale value. But the rising awareness and collectibility of classic desert racers means now may be the time to buy! MC

Alternatives to the 1958-1960 Norton Nomad

1958-1961 Matchless G11CS/G12CS

• Years produced: 1958 G11CS/1959-1961 G12CS
• Claimed power: 37hp @ 6,800rpm/42hp @ 6,600rpm
• Top speed: 100mph/106mph (est.)
• Engine: 593cc (72mm x 72.8mm bore and stroke)/646cc (72mm x 79.3mm) air-cooled, OHV parallel twin
• Transmission: Chain primary, wet multiplate clutch, 4-speed AMC gearbox, chain final drive
• Weight (dry): 381lb/390lb
• Price now: $6,000-$12,000

Matchless also enjoyed early success in the Big Bear Run, finishing first, second and third in 1954 using G80CS singles with Bud Ekins in front. But as a clue to the future, Gene Fox finished fifth on an AJS Model 20 “Spring Twin,” sister to the 500cc Matchless G9 twin.

So for 1958, AMC launched its own Desert Sled, the G11CS with a tuned 600cc twin developed from the G11 of 1956, installed in a motocross-style frame derived from the G80CS scrambler. The CS model featured a siamesed exhaust system, “western” handlebars and knobby tires. There was a choice of small or large gas tanks, and 19-inch or 21-inch front wheels. The G11CS lasted just one year before being replaced by the longer-stroke 650cc G12CS.

The G12CS came with a 3-gallon alloy gas tank, alloy fenders, 5-pint oil reservoir, modified front fork based on AMC’s Teledraulic units, dual rear shocks and high-level exhaust. But in spite of running on three main bearings, the crankshaft proved inadequate for the power demands made on it, and future AMC big twins, like the G15/N15 CS and P11 were built around the 750cc Norton Atlas engine.

1956-1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy

• Years produced: 1956-1962 (Pre-unit construction)
• Claimed power: 42hp @ 6, 500rpm
• Engine: 649cc air-cooled, OHV parallel twin, 71mm x 82mm bore and stroke
• Transmission: Chain primary, wet multiplate clutch, 4-speed gearbox, chain final drive
• Weight (dry): 370lb (168kg)
• Price now: $5,000-$18,000

The TR6 Trophy was essentially a grown-up version of the 500cc TR5 with a 650cc Tiger 110 engine. However the TR6 featured a new alloy cylinder head for better temperature control, a smaller 3.25 gallon gas tank, a shorter seat quickly dubbed the “ironing board,” a 20-inch front wheel and a waterproof Lucas KF2C competition magneto. The headlight assembly was quickly detachable, and exhaust was handled by siamesed high pipes on the left side.

Three stock “Trophy-Birds” were entered in the 1956 Big Bear Run with Bill Postel, Bud Ekins and Arvin Cox riding. The trio finished 1-2-3. The TR6 quickly became the winning machine for desert racing. Cycle magazine tested a 1956 TR6 over the course of a week and found it to be completely reliable with only an occasional cough from the carburetor.

For Eastern U.S. enduro competitors, Triumph introduced the TR6/A with a 19-inch front wheel, 8-inch front brake with air scoop, low level exhaust and magneto with auto advance. The original TR6 continued in the West as the TR6B until it was replaced by the unit construction TR6SR and T120C from 1963 onward.

Originally published as “Special Sled: 1958-1960 Norton Nomad” in the September/October 2023 issue of Motorcycle Classics magazine.