KIWI RIDER JANUARY 2018 VOL.1 | Page 66

Classics Words & photos: Rhys Jones Evolution and legacy of the Manx Norton F ollowing a look at the Matchless G50 in the last issue it is almost impossible not to think about the most celebrated ‘over the counter’ single cylinder race bike in racing history, the Manx Norton, the ultimate single-cylinder racing machine. Although not in the Norton catalogue, the appellation ‘Manx’ apparently came from the job-cards accompanying engines through the assembly shop. The result was that although it became common to call the first overhead camshaft model CS1 a Manx, the true catalogued Manx didn’t appear until 1949. Norton’s golden years were perhaps the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Although 1954 saw the final factory commitment to Grand Prix racing, it most certainly wasn’t the end for Norton at the very highest level of international road racing. Parent company AMC announced they would continue to develop and produce production race models for the following year. This brought some very talented independent engineers and tuners into play. In 1961 Mike Hailwood and Phil Read won 500 and 350cc Isle of Man TT’s on Manx Nortons prepared by Bill Lacey. Doug Hele, a pioneering British motorcycle engineer, who worked in Norton’s experimental division was faced with a modest budget to get more reliability and speed from the production machines, but then AMC announced the closure of Bracebridge Street in 1962 and a move to South East London. Hele left in 1963, and the writing appeared to be on the wall, especially when the last batch of Manx Nortons were built in 1963. In 1966 the racing department’s stock of Norton, AJS, and Matchless were sold to Colin Seeley. He in turn sold the manufacturing rights to John Tickle, but the Tickle Manx soon faded, and independent engineers such as Ray Petty were left to prepare race machines. Such was the fertile mind of Petty that many interesting, innovative ideas found their way onto his bikes. This was followed with the, inevitable, complete ‘Petty Manx’. A number of specials were built by tuners as they attempted to keep the ageing British single 1952 Ray Petty Manx Norton 350cc long stroke Brian Thomas hand built Manx Norton Desmo 350cc 1962 500cc Manx Model 30 (350cc also available) McIntosh Manx Norton at 2000 motorcycle show