1962 Norton 650SS

1962 Norton 650SS sits near the top of Norton's parallel-twin range, built for riders who wanted genuine sporting performance without stepping up to a full-blown racer. This is a motorcycle that rewards commitment: the twin pulls hard through the midrange and stays composed at speed thanks to the Featherbed frame underneath it, a chassis that earned its reputation by making fast riding feel controlled rather than hair-raising. Around town it's a handful compared to modern machines, with heavy controls and a riding position that wants open roads, but that's exactly the point. Owning one means accepting some mechanical fussiness in exchange for a genuinely engaging ride. The 1962 model carried over without significant mechanical changes from the prior year, so buyers comparing it to a 1961 example should focus on mileage, service history, and condition rather than spec differences. Today's buyer is typically an experienced rider or collector already familiar with British twins, often moving up from a smaller Triumph or BSA and looking for something with more presence. Given strong collector interest in the model, well-documented, numbers-matching examples of the 1962 Norton 650SS command real attention at auction and tend to hold value better than average.