Photo: eBay user: northlandtradingco
There's off-road e-bikes, there's chisel-jawed dirt bikes, and then there's whatever the hell this 1967 Norton P11 Desert Sled is. What might look like the front half of a vintage cruiser paired with the rear end of a farm bike is actually an ultra-rare trinket of American motorcycle history most have never heard of, let alone seen in the wild before. Though its looks and demeanor might indicate this is a So-Cal bike of some kind, Norton-Villiers actually called the UK home between 1966 and 1972.
You'd never know it from looking at one because the Desert Sled looks tailor-made for racing across the Mojave. In fairness, this particular example was spent time out in California as a part-time gentleman's racer for a bit in the 70s and 80s. At the heart of the P11 Desert Sled is a beefy 745cc V-Twin four-stroke engine jetting 54 horsepower at full chat. Not much if you're not familiar with older bikes, but for a chassis that weighs just under 350 lbs and a bike not at all built for tarmac, chances are good this bike is just fast enough to excite but not so fast it ensures your death if you really punch it.
Given the company was only around for six years, it makes sense that records of production figures aren't the most reliable in the world. But so far as it can be deduced, around 2,500 examples of the P11 family of dune bikes were manufactured. Of those, the identification numbers of this bike say it's the 218th off the line, a very nice early example. Being a California native since its import from Britain, I believe the elements have been much kinder to this bike than they would've been back in Britain. Or, in truth, just about everywhere else in America as well.
With its cat-free, free-flowing exhaust, aggressive front suspension hardware, and even chunkier rear tire, it's easy to see how miles of rough desert terrain get eaten up like a Magnum V10 Ram truck eats through 93 octane. It helps that whoever owned this bike for so long genuinely loved and cared for it across its five-ish decades of life. How much of that time's been spent locked up in a garage or shed is anyone's guess. One thing's for sure, there's plenty of life left in this bike in the hands of someone with a basic tool kit and some PDF repair guides at their disposal.
For the rarity of what's for sale and how immediately appealing it looks anyone who walks away with it for less than ten grand might as well has stolen it out of a parking lot. Being so capable off-road, it would be a great getaway vehicle.
Given the company was only around for six years, it makes sense that records of production figures aren't the most reliable in the world. But so far as it can be deduced, around 2,500 examples of the P11 family of dune bikes were manufactured. Of those, the identification numbers of this bike say it's the 218th off the line, a very nice early example. Being a California native since its import from Britain, I believe the elements have been much kinder to this bike than they would've been back in Britain. Or, in truth, just about everywhere else in America as well.
With its cat-free, free-flowing exhaust, aggressive front suspension hardware, and even chunkier rear tire, it's easy to see how miles of rough desert terrain get eaten up like a Magnum V10 Ram truck eats through 93 octane. It helps that whoever owned this bike for so long genuinely loved and cared for it across its five-ish decades of life. How much of that time's been spent locked up in a garage or shed is anyone's guess. One thing's for sure, there's plenty of life left in this bike in the hands of someone with a basic tool kit and some PDF repair guides at their disposal.
For the rarity of what's for sale and how immediately appealing it looks anyone who walks away with it for less than ten grand might as well has stolen it out of a parking lot. Being so capable off-road, it would be a great getaway vehicle.
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