Norton Manx Matchless 650cc Racing Motorcycle

Frame no. none Engine no. 59/G12L X0646

Developed from a design by Rex McCandless and first used by Norton on the works single-cylinder racers in 1950, when Geoff Duke rode it to a debut victory at Blandford, the legendary Featherbed frame - especially in its Manx form, as seen here - has long been the special-builders' favourite. New standards of steering, roadholding and comfort were set by the frame, which was immediately dubbed 'Featherbed' by Norton works star Harold Daniell. Although designed with a single-cylinder engine in mind, the generously proportioned Featherbed would in time prove capable of accommodating a wide variety of different power units: twins, triples, fours and v-twins, all could be made to fit with a little ingenuity. This Matchless-engined racing special has a full Manx Norton chassis with Fontana 4LS double-sided front brake and Manx conical rear hub. The engine is a 650cc G12 8-fin unit fitted with the very rare factory speed kit comprising two chopped Amal Monobloc carburettors, separate inlet manifolds, and production race camshafts. Compression ratio is 8.25:1. Ignition is by Lucas magneto and the transmission consists of a Norton Dominator all-alloy clutch conversion and standard AMC four-speed gearbox. Last run at Santa Pod in October 2019, the machine is presented in full working order and comes with bills, templates, technical drawings, and notes relating to its construction.