650ss

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This is the 1964 Norton Dominator 650ss that my Dad and I have been working on for the last year or so.

We've been collecting parts from shows and jumbles, and this is what we've come up with.

She's finally finished and ready to hit the streets!


650ss
This is how it looked when we got it in 2015 - no paperwork, and lots of bits missing (to say the least!!!!)


650ss
But the frame was in good condition, and the bottom half of the engine was actually very good!


650ss
And four years later, after keeping an eye on the shows and jumbles for parts.


650ss
It's fully registered as a 1964 bike and of course if both Tax and MOT exempt!!!


650ss
Cafe Racer look, we've built this as a Domiracer tribute bike - lots of period parts including Akront rims, Tomaselli clip-ons, John Tickle Yoke etc...



Sounds awesome with the swept back downpipes and goldie "silencers"


650ss
Triumph conical hubs front and rear for that Manx look!


650ss
Great view from the driving seat over the Smiths Chronometrics!


650ss
1 of 1 primary case hiding the Bob Newby belt drive and clutch.


650ss
Rear sets for that racing riding position - helps you get from the beard trimmers to Starbucks as fast as possible!!!
 
@t ingermanson we got the bike exactly as you see it in the first two pics - so there wasn’t much there to start with!!!

Kept the frame, forks, bottom yoke (triple tree), swinging arm, stand, engine bottom end (including the conrods), gearbox and magneto.

...although every single part was stripped and rebuilt.
 
Awfully nice, but how about the "long version" of the story, and the 384 photos in between the "before" photo, and the "after" photo? hee hee
 
gtiller said:
@t ingermanson we got the bike exactly as you see it in the first two pics - so there wasn’t much there to start with!!!

Kept the frame, forks, bottom yoke (triple tree), swinging arm, stand, engine bottom end (including the conrods), gearbox and magneto.

...although every single part was stripped and rebuilt.
Click to expand...

Whew! That's a lot of holes to fill! Nice it came with that beautiful wiring loom so you weren't starting from scratch (add winking emoticon here).

I keep buying featherbeds thinking I've got all these Dominator parts laying around. Once it comes to bolting it all together, I think, "well, if I just get a new ____," and then end up buying so much there's still pretty much the same parts laying around waiting for another featherbed to follow me home...

Working on a 650ss now, and I'll be pleased as punch if it comes out half as well as yours! Looks very well sorted with all the parts in the right place.

@grandpaul is right! more pics between then and now! Any interesting mods?
 
@gtiller nice. This isnt the bike you had a build thread on is it I thought that one had some trick Motogadget stuff you did? Couldnt find that thread...or what happened to the bike when the build was paused for a move?
 
The very best engine ever put into a Featherbed frame was the revvy little 650ss.
Nevermind Vincents, various Harleys, Austins or 350 cubic inch Chevvies.

Just give me a Norton 650ss in there, every time!
 
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Hmmm… if you’re talking road bikes I’ll concede.

But, obviously, THE best engine ever to grace a featherbed frame is a Manx …!
 
Fast Eddie said:
Hmmm… if you’re talking road bikes I’ll concede.

But, obviously, THE best engine ever to grace a featherbed frame is a Manx …!
Click to expand...
Although-
The aluminium cased 500 twin engine that Doug Hele used at the IOM was 13kgs lighter than a Magnesium Manx engine, plus had a lower cog than the tall Manx engine. They were being careful with the rpm but later found it could be revved higher and could safely make 70 bhp.
I had to double check that 13 kg figure because it is so high.
The 650ss engine would be a bit heavier than the 500, but not a lot.

Glen
 
Last edited:
worntorn said:
Although-
The aluminium cased 500 twin engine that Doug Hele used at the IOM was 13kgs lighter than a Magnesium Manx engine, plus had a lower cog than the tall Manx engine. They were being careful with the rpm but later found it could be revved higher and could safely make 70 bhp.
I had to double check that 13 kg figure because it is so high.
The 650ss engine would be a bit heavier than the 500, but not a lot.

Glen
Click to expand...

Please triple check that 13kg figure and share it. When I looked at this I concluded the engines were probably much closer in weight. I really struggle to believe the twin engine could be 29lbs lighter

I don’t think the COG aspect was ever proved was it? Yes, the twin unit has a lower COG as a stand alone unit. But it is mounted higher in the frame. So I’m not sure what the final effect is.

But more to the point… shall we just look at their respective race win records… both engines have been around for at least 70 years… should be clear to see the trends…
 
Here is a bit from our local track.
Pete set the track record on the Manx in 62. That held until Dave Matheson broke that record on a new race modified 650ss ( remove the lights) in 64. The Matheson record held for many years, right thru to 1980, IIRC. The article doesn't mention Matheson's record, only that other bikes were too much for the Manx in the late sixties.
Doug Hele's disappointment was that Norton didn't further develop the 500 and 650 twins for racing. He felt that those engines had much more racing potential than the Manx engine did. He was qualified to speak on that as he had a lot to do with later year Manx design and of course also the 500 and 650.

Peter Kellond - Class of 2014 | Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame | Temple de la Renommée de la Moto du Canada

canadianmotorcyclehalloffame.ca canadianmotorcyclehalloffame.ca
 
If Mathersons record held from 64 to 80 then clearly he was an exceptional rider and his lap record was more due to his talent than the bike. As even the most ardent 650SS enthusiast must concede that many bikes were produced in the intervening years that were more capable than a 650SS.

The twins raced at Daytona in 51 believe. So there was ample time to prove their worth.
 
From Mick Walker's book " The Dominators"
650ss
 

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Fast Eddie said:
If Mathersons record held from 64 to 80 then clearly he was an exceptional rider and his lap record was more due to his talent than the bike. As even the most ardent 650SS enthusiast must concede that many bikes were produced in the intervening years that were more capable than a 650SS.

The twins raced at Daytona in 51 believe. So there was ample time to prove their worth.
Click to expand...
Guiness book of World Records lists the 650ss as the World's fastest production motorcycle in 1963.
It also happened to have arguably the world's best handling frame at the time.
The later 60s thru 70s brought some more powerful engines in a lot of very ill handling chassis.
Matheson's 650ss was a strong engine in a great chassis ridden by an excellent rider, I suspect that is why his record held so long.

Glen
 
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