Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs

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jseng1

jseng1

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Here's some interesting 920 Norton racer pics. 290 lbs, Owner Steve Wall

Michael (Steve's son) demos the light weight
Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs



Very simple Dunstall spine frame (oil in down tube)
Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs
Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs


Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs
 
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Nice, I went a little crazy and added some Ti, though mainly time spent with the bench drill, it can get a little addictive!!
 
Nice. And judging from the picture, it clearly works pretty well.

Ken
 
I like the simplicity of the frame and the oil "drain pipe" in the down tube. Another feature is the possibility of laying down the rear shocks by moving the upper mounts into the gusset area similar to Commando - would probably make it illegal for classic racing but sure would smooth out the bumps.

Might need to move the oil filler cap up to the steering neck to give it more volume and give a little more distance between the full oil level and the cap so it can breathe without making a mess ( I don't know if thats a problem or not).

On the face of it - looks cleaner than a Seeley.

Another version of this frame

Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs
 
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That one on Bikeexif is sweet.
www.bikeexif.com

Dunstall Drainpipe: A rare Norton resurfaces in the USA

Modern race bikes are shiny, perfect things: they have the air of being extruded from 3D printers in a hermetically sealed laboratory. But in days of yore, the typical racer was usually a little battered and bruised, with unique welding marks and bodged-up brackets and bodywork. We have to admit...
www.bikeexif.com www.bikeexif.com
 
gortnipper said:
That one on Bikeexif is sweet.
www.bikeexif.com

Dunstall Drainpipe: A rare Norton resurfaces in the USA

Modern race bikes are shiny, perfect things: they have the air of being extruded from 3D printers in a hermetically sealed laboratory. But in days of yore, the typical racer was usually a little battered and bruised, with unique welding marks and bodged-up brackets and bodywork. We have to admit...
www.bikeexif.com www.bikeexif.com

a friend has a sweat shirt with “swallow my pride “ on it. Depending how the folds in cloth lie, it can say “wallow my ride”.... but that won’t be happening with that bike!
Click to expand...
 
I know Mike Wall and his dad well, they race at Aintree. Mike is very slim actually.
His dad Steve has started racing again at the Three Sisters circuit.
 
Beautiful bike! Looks like it goes well.

How durable is this design known to be? The lack of cross bracing or gussets in the headstock and swingarm pivot area are remarkable. Even the Seeley mk3 and 4 have more bracing.
 
t ingermanson said:
Beautiful bike! Looks like it goes well.

How durable is this design known to be? The lack of cross bracing or gussets in the headstock and swingarm pivot area are remarkable. Even the Seeley mk3 and 4 have more bracing.
Click to expand...

Yeah but Seeley’s don't have the huge spine. I think that’s designed to take the load instead of bracing.
 
The Seeley Mk3 usually has the ladder bolted in front of the motor. If it is ridden hard, a good rider can feel the front wander slightly. I have a gusseted piece of chrom- moly tube bolted in there and have never felt the wander. The whole bike is completely rigid regardless of how hard I ride it.
 
What a fabulous bike. I've mentioned before that I took a Drainpipe to the Stafford show in 2004. Later Rob sold it to the National Motorcycle Museum. Narrowest bike I have ever sat on. At Stafford I met a man who raced one with the CRMC, something I never knew. No oil problems with the drain pipe. Love to see that racing. Especially if I ever manage to get to Aintree! At Mallory Ray had a cuppa with Rob & said "that's my bike I loved it!" Signed the tank for him.
 
Chris said:
What a fabulous bike. I've mentioned before that I took a Drainpipe to the Stafford show in 2004. Later Rob sold it to the National Motorcycle Museum. Narrowest bike I have ever sat on. At Stafford I met a man who raced one with the CRMC, something I never knew. No oil problems with the drain pipe. Love to see that racing. Especially if I ever manage to get to Aintree! At Mallory Ray had a cuppa with Rob & said "that's my bike I loved it!" Signed the tank for him.
Click to expand...

Steve raced iot with CRMC in the late 80s
 
Hi John
Could not remember Steve's Surname but was thrilled when he saw the bike at Stafford & told me he raced one!
It was beautiful when Rob sold it but the Museum still took two years to "restore it"
Did a nice job though.
Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs
 
Fast Eddie said:
Yeah but Seeley’s don't have the huge spine. I think that’s designed to take the load instead of bracing.
Click to expand...
The Seeleys were famous for directly tying the headstock swingarm pivot, held in stiff box sections, where as the Drainpipe has a much more circuitous route from headstock to swingarm pivot tube, which is a relatively cantilevered spindly thing.

I mean, if it gets 'round the track good and fast and doesn't break, then that's all that matters, but it's interesting to see what's held in high regard next to something else held in high regard for seemingly the same reasons, but quite dissimilar in design.

Still can't decide which I'd rather have based on looks alone though!
 
t ingermanson said:
The Seeleys were famous for directly tying the headstock swingarm pivot, held in stiff box sections, where as the Drainpipe has a much more circuitous route from headstock to swingarm pivot tube, which is a relatively cantilevered spindly thing.

I mean, if it gets 'round the track good and fast and doesn't break, then that's all that matters, but it's interesting to see what's held in high regard next to something else held in high regard for seemingly the same reasons, but quite dissimilar in design.

Still can't decide which I'd rather have based on looks alone though!
Click to expand...
Yes it is very interesting that there were different approaches. Especially in the 50s and 60s, and into the 70s, there were LOTS of different frame makers and many different approaches.

The spine frame concept was more popular than we perhaps remember. Egli, Monty and Ward, Jim Lee, Trackmaster, and more all played with them. Factories did to inc Commando‘s Tri/BSA OIF models, Hinckley Triumphs, etc.

I suspect that for bikes up to a certain weight / power, the idea that the large diameter spine can handle the stresses is probably fine.

I also suspect that the reasons it’s not popular today is partly becasue bikes are so much more powerful and partly because of ‘packaging’ And the requirement for large air boxes and such like.
 
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Here's another view. I think someone should be offering this frame. Eliminating the oil tank is very attractive.
Intresting 920 racer - 290 lbs
 
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