Manx Norton special

baz · Mar 30, 2023

Does anyone on here know of a Manx Norton with a single oil in frame front down tube?

robs ss · Mar 30, 2023

I've looked at many Norton race singles (350 & 500) and photos across the years but never seen one that fits your description.

t ingermanson · Mar 30, 2023

Could you even fit enough oil in there? Seems you'd need both entire cradles. Maybe the only one who tried, seized his motor up solid!

baz · Mar 30, 2023

t ingermanson said:
Could you even fit enough oil in there? Seems you'd need both entire cradles. Maybe the only one who tried, seized his motor up solid!

In the photo I saw the downtube looked between 3 and 4" diameter
And was very upright

t ingermanson · Mar 30, 2023

baz said:
In the photo I saw the downtube looked between 3 and 4" diameter
And was very upright

Huh... I wonder what would be achieved with that? Couldn't have been much lower than a central tank, and any lower would be offset by a somewhat asymmetric center of gravity.

Was it a privateer or a factory effort?

baz · Mar 30, 2023

t ingermanson said:
Huh... I wonder what would be achieved with that? Couldn't have been much lower than a central tank, and any lower would be offset by a somewhat asymmetric center of gravity.

Was it a privateer or a factory effort?

I don't have hardly any information on it
I've never seen one like it before

Chris · Mar 30, 2023

I have Baz it was featured in a classic mag but my memory doesnt shout anything else. I know it had a very low headstock.
Got this will keep the wheels turning tonight lol.

mean gene · Mar 30, 2023

1.9 quart of oil in the top tube of a Commando frame, 2 inch ID x 31 inches long, for compare!

baz · Mar 30, 2023

Chris said:
I have Baz it was featured in a classic mag but my memory doesnt shout anything else. I know it had a very low headstock.
Got this will keep the wheels turning tonight lol.

Ok thank you

Fast Eddie · Mar 30, 2023

t ingermanson said:
Huh... I wonder what would be achieved with that? Couldn't have been much lower than a central tank, and any lower would be offset by a somewhat asymmetric center of gravity.

Was it a privateer or a factory effort?

I’d guess his thinking was that it’s up front, in the air, so is acting as a cooler.

It’s also ‘racer logic’ to try and have one component do two things. Or three if you count the cooler function.

Or maybe he was just tired of his alloy oil tank cracking ?!?

t ingermanson · Mar 30, 2023

Fast Eddie said:
Or maybe he was just tired of his alloy oil tank cracking ?!?

Ooooooh! Burn! I asked for that one, didn't I? HA!

acotrel · Mar 31, 2023

A properly mounted alloy oil tank is less likely to crack. Every part of a featherbed frame has a function.. Oil in frame is usually pretty horrible. With an oilt tank, you simply take it off the bike to flush it. With oil in frame, you need to put petrol in the frome to rinse the tank and pick the whole bike up and shake it.
'Because I can' is never a good reason for doing anything.
Some guys think the 'Drain-pipe' frame might be good. - It is just ugly.
Featherbed frames are inferior to Seeley frames, but if I did not have a Seeley frame, I would use a Featherbed, The Featherbed framev was excellent in it's time. The Triumph oil in frame attenmpt was horrible.
I think the Commando frame is a good idea for a twin cylinder road bike which is going to be used for touring. But for fast pleasurable riding, a featherbed 650 SS might be more fun.
I would like to try Ashley's Featherbed 860. I once saw a race bike like that. It was being raced against Manx Nortons in historic races. - A bit obvious ? You could tell it was not a Domiracer from about 200 metres away.

Fast Eddie · Apr 16, 2023

Baz, did you manage to unearth any info on the Manx Special ?

baz · Apr 17, 2023

Nope
I've not seen the club member since
But when I do I shall ask

jan nelder · Apr 17, 2023

baz said:
In the photo I saw the downtube looked between 3 and 4" diameter
And was very upright

that rings a bell.. a photo I saw somewhere.... but where?

ES234 · Apr 29, 2023

baz said:
Does anyone on here know of a Manx Norton with a single oil in frame front down tube?

Maybe the one built for Geoff Duke by Ken Sprayson.

Fast Eddie · Apr 29, 2023

ES234 said:
Maybe the one built for Geoff Duke by Ken Sprayson.

Blimey, if so that’s special !

jan nelder · Apr 30, 2023

ES234 said:
Maybe the one built for Geoff Duke by Ken Sprayson.

yes, that’s the photo I remember seeing!

baz · Apr 30, 2023

ES234 said:
Maybe the one built for Geoff Duke by Ken Sprayson.

Yes that looks very like it but I think the downtube was straight
I only saw the picture briefly on my mates phone

t ingermanson · Apr 30, 2023

That's cool! Interesting features on that one.

Manx Norton special

baz

robs ss

t ingermanson

baz

t ingermanson

baz

Chris

mean gene

baz

Fast Eddie

t ingermanson

acotrel

Fast Eddie

baz

jan nelder

ES234

Attachments

Fast Eddie

jan nelder

baz

t ingermanson

Similar threads