I’m bored

I don’t live in a city. I live in a rural area. I don’t mind a 350 or 500cc bike. But I would like it to be light and nimble and must be open megaphone/s.
I’m by no means looking to set any track record times, I’m most interested in assembling / building or restoring / preserving something I’m proud of and can enjoy taking out on my back roads to enjoy the smell, sound, feel and experience something of a vintage.

I definitely want something nobody in my area has and that’s quite easy because around me are crotch rockets and Harley’s.
 
Voodooo said:
Let’s say I found a original featherbed frame with no bends or cracks. How strong are these? I realize the new custom featherbed frames are better and more accurately made.

If I had a new frame it appears I can get it to fit a wider range of engines where the original I’ll have to fabricate mounting etc.

I’ve noticed I can also buy a new roller chassis set up which seems to make more sense.

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If you buy a new frame from Molnar et al it will be as per a Manx, and will therefore come with Manx engine mounts, unless you specify otherwise.

Whereas, if you buy a frame from someone like Dresda, the world is your oyster.

If you give him an engine (plus primary and trans) he can basically build a frame around it.

At the risk of ruffling some feathers, I’m gonna say it... I don’t particularly like Norvin‘s (tin hat and sandbags ready). The engine and frame often look ‘clumsy’ together, partly cos the lower frame rails are too narrow making the motor sit high, and partly cos the lower front bend just doesn’t match the engine. The best Norvin I ever saw was build by Dresda, Degens bent the tubes around the motor and it just looked ‘right’.
 
These make me drool.
 

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oldmikew said:
a good torque to weight ratio? yes certainly, but also in heavy traffic disk brakes
Click to expand...
The stock Norton disc was good enough for heavy traffic, it could do one hard stop.
In the Mountains it overheated and faded to nothing.
A Madass 6 pot 320mm brake solved that.

The Vincents with their dual drums front and rear are ok for city or fast mountain twisties. When set up properly, the Vincent brakes are superb.
Vincents were built in England specifically for use in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia :)
Seems that way at least.

In 2003 I met two Brits out in the Mountains of BC on tour with their Vincents. They had shipped their bikes to Canada for the 03 International Rally and were a week into a month of touring.
These were the first Vincent twins I had seen in the flesh. They were parked in the pullout area so I stopped to chat.
Their smiles were a mile wide talking about riding those bikes on our roads.
" These bikes were made for these high-speed windy roads, it's absolute perfection"
A year later I had the privilege of enjoying that same ride.
I've done countless big tours on the Vincent since then.
It's still my favourite bike to hop on and go, the longer the trip the better.

There you go, find a Vin twin project.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
The stock Norton disc was good enough for heavy traffic, it could do one hard stop.
In the Mountains it overheated and faded to nothing.
A Madass 6 pot 320mm brake solved that.

The Vincents with their dual drums front and rear are ok for city or fast mountain twisties. When set up properly, the Vincent brakes are superb.
Vincents were built in England specifically for use in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia :)
Seems that way at least.

In 2003 I met two Brits out in the Mountains of BC on tour with their Vincents. They had shipped their bikes to Canada for the 03 International Rally and were a week into a month of touring.
These were the first Vincent twins I had seen in the flesh. They were parked in the pullout area so I stopped to chat.
Their smiles were a mile wide talking about riding those bikes on our roads.
" These bikes were made for these high-speed windy roads, it's absolute perfection"
A year later I had the privilege of enjoying that same ride.
I've done countless big tours on the Vincent since then.
It's still my favourite bike to hop on and go, the longer the trip the better.

There you go, find a Vin twin project.

Glen
Click to expand...

Oddly I went to see an Egli Vincent at a London dealers in 1972 , decided it had had a hard life and opted for a brand new Commando.

Yes Vincent brakes are very good. but were disks score is their immediate effectiveness... Ie some bozo pulls out on you a few feet away then you are better off with disk, otherwise I am not much of a fan . My commando has the TLS drum and its fine ,doesnt fade and will pullme upfrom 90mph . But where it is not so good is when traffic conditions preclude a few wheel rotations and the drum doesnt warmup . Heart in mouth moment.

I think the Vincent a superb bike ,certainly it will laugh at high cruising speeds, but how much acceleration do you have at 90mph?

Two incidents helped me bite the ZZR bullet. I was on the the M25 rushing uphome the week end my dad was dying in hospital. It had just stopped raining and i was doing about90mph in thew so called fast lane .. 20 over the legal limit and frankly as fast as i would ever want to go in those conditions. To my amazement , a car tried to overtake between me and the barrier and push me out of his way . The commando doesnt have the acceleration to get out of harms way of cars attempted tsideswipe., so heavy braking and I dropped behind

The other was not on motorway but a fast dual carriage way . I had just changed into top doing about 80 when could see car a few feet behind me in my mirror .. Worse he is flashing his lights for me to get out of his way... What is scary isthat when one pulls over the gap between the bike and the car decreases. basic geometry , but the car driver unless he/she is euclid wise will accelerate into a shrinking gap and kill you.

Now these scenarios are where modern kit comes into its own ... even my zzr600 will leave them as dots in the mirror and scoot you offout of harms way . unless of course a camera picks you up doind 130mph , but better to risk that .

Nowadays I avoid such roads as far as possible..
 
Norton only ever put an International on the road never a full blown Manx. Those of you who say it was a manx, don't realise it had softer cams , a plate under the barrel to lower the compression e.t.c. and lights. . . . . .
 
The roadgoing Manx I referred to was a full on late model Manx racer made road legal by the owner. Not an International.
BTW, another friend had an International project bike for years. It had been found in pieces, laying in a chicken run in 1985. His dream was always to restore it. Then in about 2002 on a UK visit he was offered a ride on an expertly restored perfect International.
After that he sold the project on.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
The roadgoing Manx I referred to was a full on late model Manx racer made road legal by the owner. Not an International.
BTW, another friend had an International project bike for years. It had been found in pieces, laying in a chicken run in 1985. His dream was always to restore it. Then in about 2002 on a UK visit he was offered a ride on an expertly restored perfect International.
After that he sold the project on.

Glen
Click to expand...
Which Inter was the bike?
A f/bed or garden gate version?
 
I can’t believe this is actually a thing. I know it’s been in the works but......

 
Scott you have put a toe in the Italian waters with your Diavel so to speak, how about a Magni Guzzi project or if you prefer to keep to original 'classic' road bike then perhaps a Laverda Jota. Two bikes on my bucket list but probably beyond my reach now, who knows :)

www.bikeexif.com

Magni Arturo 1000

Arturo Magni is best known for his racing exploits with MV Agusta. While managing MV’s racing department, the team won a remarkable 75 world championships and over 3,000 races in several classes. After MV retired from racing in the late 70s, Magni and his sons set up a factory to build...
www.bikeexif.com www.bikeexif.com
 
I have just 'found' the Harley SX250 that I stashed away 25 years ago, thinking of getting that on the road this Winter.... aaahh the smell.... the noise.... the blue haze :)
 
If you are that bored it might be time for the greatest no other bike or design like it 1949 to 1955 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe.
 
MxMartin said:
Scott you have put a toe in the Italian waters with your Diavel so to speak, how about a Magni Guzzi project or if you prefer to keep to original 'classic' road bike then perhaps a Laverda Jota. Two bikes on my bucket list but probably beyond my reach now, who knows :)

www.bikeexif.com

Magni Arturo 1000

Arturo Magni is best known for his racing exploits with MV Agusta. While managing MV’s racing department, the team won a remarkable 75 world championships and over 3,000 races in several classes. After MV retired from racing in the late 70s, Magni and his sons set up a factory to build...
www.bikeexif.com www.bikeexif.com
Click to expand...
Lol. Where would I even find one ?
 
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