Classic Norton Bikes: Svend Aage Sorensen

–SG– I believe it will be no exaggeration to say that Denmark and its sporting riders are higher identified for Speedway prowess than for street racing actions. However there’s an exception to this generalization: Svend Aage Sorensen.

S. A. Sorensen was born in 1903, the youngest of six youngsters, and died in 1980.  He lived his whole life in the identical avenue – maybe a bit uncommon now however much less so then!  I’m significantly indebted to his son Allan for these biographical particulars and images from his father’s albums. Allan is fortunate to have the albums as three of them got away within the minor home upheaval following Sorensen’s demise and thankfully one of many later house owners of them contacted Allan almost thirty years later and provided them again!

S. A. Sorensen is healthier identified for his reference to Excelsiors – for whom he was an unofficial and really profitable works rider – than Nortons however none the much less, he rode Nortons extensively in Europe earlier than and after the struggle.  That he was held in excessive esteeem by the Norton administration is proven by the truth that on his retirement from racing in 1954 he was introduced with a gold medal.

His profession began in 1924 on Armager trotting course in opposition to a horse!  The bike needed to cowl two laps and the horse one!  Historical past doesn’t relate what he rode however by 1929 he had a flat tank OHV Norton which he utilized in all branches of the game.  His subsequent Norton mount appears to have been a 1931 CJ of which three had been shipped to the Danish distributor  early within the 12 months – nonetheless fitted with the ES Druid forks in line with the data. His successes with this machine had been quite a few, to say the least, as proven by his 1933 Trophy Assortment {photograph}.

In 1934 he visited the IOM for the primary time – not truly to compete.  None the much less he was allowed to do 4 practise laps – Norton mounted. From 1935 to 1939 he rode within the Light-weight and Junior TTs on works Excelsiors, his finest inserting being eighth within the 1936 Light-weight. He was Nordic Champion on his Mechanical Marvel Excesior in 1935 and in addition received the Saxtorp GP in Sweden. Excelsiors had been a fairly beneficiant firm – later within the thirties, Sorensen was given a brand new Manxman yearly and was allowed to do what he favored with the earlier 12 months’s ‘free situation’ – promote it or maintain it!

In Denmark, nevertheless, it seems that his allegiance to Nortons was agency and though it’s not fully clear to me when he up to date to later OHC fashions, he undoubtedly did in order the last decade progressed.

Allan has despatched numerous scans from his father’s albums and we’ve completed our greatest to pick out these of finest readability and curiosity from the thirties. We are going to create an additional posting protecting his post-war actions within the close to future.

Sorensen at Korketrekkeren close to Oslo in 1933.  Appears to be like like a flat tanker!

This younger man engaged on the bike shouldn’t be Sorensen however the son of his subsequent door neighbour

This was taken at Saxtorp in 1932 and seems to point out Sorensen and his CJ

One other Saxtorp picture from 1932

This was additionally taken at Saxtorp in 1932 –  seems to be an early Inter – has three keep body

A 12 months later, identical place!  Sorensen on proper of group sporting tennis sneakers

The Danish workforce on Bror Persson’s farm, Saxtorp in 1933. Sorensen sitting on quantity 57

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