The Norton ES2 was one of the most typical and best British 500cc singles. It has a pre-war heritage as a sporting model, but by the fifties was basically a touring machine albeit a little more lively than most other marques. A deluxe version of the Model 18, the ES2 was part of Norton's post-war programme for 17 years. By 1949 the 370lb ES2 was good for around 80mph and would return around 75mpg at a steady 45mph. Years later, despite numerous changes that included substituting aluminium for cast iron as cylinder-head material and raising the compression ratio, the top speed had not improved noticeably.