Description
Norton 1959 Model 99 “Dominator” 596cc OHV twin frame & engine # 83143 14
“Powerful, good looking, comfortable to ride, the Dominator 99 is a big machine with a big performance.
The 600cc vertical twin engine is the most powerful in the Norton range.
This model has a large following of enthusiasts who demand, not only high performance , but the built-in stability of Norton roadholding and braking qualities”, says the introduction of the Dominator 99 in the 1961 catalogue.
The model is first introduced for the line-up for 1949 and is developed year by year.
The 596cc Dominator 99 twin is outwardly identical to its 500cc Dominator 88 brother.
Endowed with greater power and higher gearing, which enables it to top the magic ‘ton’, the 99 nevertheless retains all the excellent handling and steering characteristics associated with the Featherbed chassis.
One of the Rockers’ favourites, the 99 remains essentially unchanged – apart from gaining alternator/coil-ignition electrics for 1958 – until dropped in 1962.
Motor Cycling publishes a road test of the 99 in the January 24, 1957 issue.
The 68 x 82 bore x stroke engine delivers 31 hp @ 5,750 rpm and the maximum speed the tester attains is just above 160 km per hour.
The testers are pleasantly surprised with the petrol consumption, which averages about 25 km to a litre. “General handling quality was excellent right up the speed range and the combination of a broad, resilient seat and sensibly located adjustable footrests resulted in a high degree of rider comfort. (…) Weather protection was up to the best standard obtainable without leg shields, and other general equipment, including the comprehensive tool kit, also deserves a good mark.
The lighting was adequate for a 60 m.p.h. night cruising speed, and the brakes, particularly that at the front, were such that, night or day, one could indulge in the most spectacular qualities of the “99”in certain knowledge of having full control and the ability to stop. With the “99”, Nortons attain a new standard of excellence.”
This 1959 model has as optional extras a fully enclosed rear chain and twin carburettors, both mentioned in the 1959 brochure.
It was bought from dealer Roestenburg Motoren in Eindhoven, The Netherlands and registered on July, 20 1959.
The first owner was very careful with the machine and when his daughter inherited it in 1992 it had barely run 23,000 km.
The machine was then dry stored but not used till the year 2000.
The current owner has added some 3,000 km to the odometer in 20 years’ time. He claims the engine has never been apart and it runs excellently with a top speed of 170-175 km per hour.
Twenty years ago both mudguards and the petrol tank have been newly enamelled, the rest of the paintwork and the chromed parts are all original.