Yes I think your right there, but when there is such a large margin of difference to begin with, even adding my 95kg into the equation, the Manx still wins.
However, if we were talking a road going Manx with more weight and less power, they‘d probably be neck and neck.
On the road there’s no doubt (in my mind) the Commando would be, by far, the nicer bike to ride. In fact I could easily imagine a Manx would be quite horrid on the road.
But on the track, the light weight of the Manx must give huge dividends in terms of handling and braking even if you ignore the power to weight ratio!
When I first started racing, a chap called Doug Jones (RIP) was racing one of the first Molnar Manxes (stock bore and stroke too). He’d enter it in all sorts of classes just for fun. The lads in the Pre 72 unlimited class even complained about him “it’s not fair, it’s a GP bike” even though they were on Tritons, Nourish engines, Commandos, Tridents, Rob Norths, etc !
As a mate of mine who’s spent decades racing Commandos, but recently added a Manx to the stable said “it’s just a marvellous thing to ride. It makes me a better rider”!
As you can tell, I’m quite smitten !!
