Manx Question

[oldironnow]

The Manx engines started to get used in Formula 3 cars.

Did that make the rolling chassis cheap for the café racers? Or, was the frame buy-in for the build a big proposition?




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[oldironnow]

[Allred]

oldironnow wrote

The Manx engines started to get used in Formula 3 cars. Did that make the rolling chassis cheap for the café racers? 

Are you asking if the use of Norton Manx engines for Formula 3 meant that there were therefore "spare' Norton Manx Featherbed frames on the market? If so I think the answer is a definite "yes". With the craze for Tritons at the time, pretty much any Featherbed was in demand.

oldironnow wrote

 Or, was the frame buy-in for the build a big proposition?

Not sure what this question is..........?

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[oldironnow]

I think you've answered it with the phrase 'craze for Tritons'.

That means demand. So a biker likely had to pay good money to purchase a Manx rolling chassis.  I got involved in a discussion with my brother about the R6 evolving into a race-only motorcycle, and I felt there would be an analogy with the Manx and its lifetime.

Not sure if the parallel will come to pass, or even exists.

Saturdays are often fuzzy for me.

[oldironnow]

I see the Fawn Fire is your area, Allred.

I hope they knock it down fast.

[Allred]

oldironnow wrote

I think you've answered it with the phrase 'craze for Tritons'.

That means demand. So a biker likely had to pay good money to purchase a Manx rolling chassis.  I got involved in a discussion with my brother about the R6 evolving into a race-only motorcycle, and I felt there would be an analogy with the Manx and its lifetime.

Not sure if the parallel will come to pass, or even exists.

Saturdays are often fuzzy for me.

The "Featherbed" frame was used on several Norton models, the International, The ES2, The 500cc Dominator 88, the 600cc Dominator 99, the 650SS and the Atlas, so there were plenty around. But of course they all came, including the Manx, as a complete machine, so if you just wanted the "featherbed" frame (for your Triton) you had to find a Norton with a blown engine that the owner didn't want to spend the money to repair, that way you got it for cheap and basically "threw the engine away" (sold what was salvageable for parts) and kept the rolling chassis for your Triton build. (Obviously a road-going Norton that had been totaled in a road accident usually suffered damage to the frame and was therefore not suitable as a donor).

As we've discussed before, the Manx frame was made of 16 gauge Reynolds 531 manganese-molybdenum steel alloy tubing, and had a slightly more radiused curve to the rearward down tubes, whereas the production road-going wideline and slimline versions were of thicker-walled, mild steel material.

You didn't see many Manx framed Tritons, simply because the "regular" featherbed frames were much more numerous, more available, and much cheaper than a Reynolds 531 Manx version, but some purists did build Tritons with a Manx frame. (the "regular" featherbed was actually a better choice for road-going use as it had all the brackets/attachments for road-going oil tank and battery/tool box etc, and a flatter seat/gas tank support than a Manx).

[Allred]

oldironnow wrote

I see the Fawn Fire is your area, Allred.

I hope they knock it down fast.

Yes, it is about 6 miles north of us (which is very close in out-of-control fire terms!). It started on Wednesday and the smell of smoke was very strong. By Thursday morning the billowing smoke was very visible from our living room window, and with a 20mph north wind blowing we began to prepare for a possible evacuation. Fire planes were (and still are) flying over our house every 15 minutes. During Thursday afternoon the wind moved to North-East which removed the threat a little as the fire's path was now to the west of us. By Friday it had grown from 500 acres to 5,000 acres and by Saturday was nearly 9,000 acres (14 sq miles)  I think they have a handle on it now, although due to the difficult terrain I'm sure it will burn for many, many more days.

They arrested a San Francisco woman suspected of setting the fire, apparently a suspected serial arsonist.

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[Fatfatboy]

Allred, I know you’re not a Facebook fan but there are some folks on the British bike groups that would love to see your knowledge on their pages.
I hope you’re sharing it on some Brit bike forums.

I also hope you and your neighbors stay safe from the flames and smoke.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Allred, I know you’re not a Facebook fan but there are some folks on the British bike groups that would love to see your knowledge on their pages.
I hope you’re sharing it on some Brit bike forums.

I also hope you and your neighbors stay safe from the flames and smoke.

Fatfat, yes, I avoid the facebook thing.....although more and more I am finding that I need to be a facebook or twitter member to access many things.

When I had my CBR954RR I was an active member on the forum of the marque, and I had a long-time presence on the CycleWorld forum, which has lead to this excellent current CycleVisor forum. I also contribute to a current Jaguar (cars) forum, but don't wander much further than that. I don't visit any Brit-bike forums, I guess I figure they already know what I know.

Thank you for the good wishes regarding the fire, it does seem that CalFire has the Fawn Fire situation under control now and we are safe............until some other psychopathic lunatic decides they want to set fire to the world!  

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