Did you see these other Classic features?
40 YEARS OF CLASSIC RACING
THE ‘R’ FACTOR
The slim elegant lines of the JPS race bike Peter Williams negotiates Parliament
Square on his way to his famous Isle of
Man victory in 1973
Peter Williams ahead of team mate Dave
Croxford, both JPS mounted JPS Replica. One of the first over
the counter café racers
Comments made by Peter Williams regarding
what makes a successful race bike are
interesting, especially at a time when many
believed that the days of vertical twins were
over. He said “The John Player Norton proved
that a racing motorcycle really isn’t just all
about horsepower. Like the Guzzis before us,
or the 350 Yamahas, when faced with the 750
Suzukis and Kawasakis, we demonstrated that
a 78bhp four-stroke twin could be competitive
with two-strokes producing 120bhp and
more, simply by ensuring a clear advantage
in other areas. Look at Taglioni’s TT2 600
Ducati beating RG500 Suzukis in open
competition, because it adheres to the same
precepts we struggled so long to uphold at
John Player Norton”.
British motorcycle journalist Alan Cathcart
tested the bike at Donnington Park and noted
“My first reaction was how incredibly small it
was. Interestingly, I’d literally hopped off my
XR750 Harley straight on to the JPN, and the
Norton seemed extremely low and little, more
like a 350 even than a 500, let alone a 750”.
He went on to say, “I can quite see how Dave
Croxford, (Peter Williams team mate at the
time) used to sail around the outside of his
two-stroke rivals with such consummate ease”.
As a former Commando owner I remain a
fan of the bike in all its guises; standard 750cc,
828cc, 750cc Production Racer, John Player
Race bike, or road-going 850 John Player
Replica. It remains one of the most durable
British classics of all time.
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