Street legal Norton Manx? Has anyone done it?

Bloody daft on old Brits when in most cases you can barely hear the horn (if at all!) over the exhaust noise. Which is the better: 'Audible warning of approach?' My old BSA had the squeezy bulb type

EstuaryBoy said:

Bloody daft on old Brits when in most cases you can barely hear the horn (if at all!) over the exhaust noise. Which is the better: 'Audible warning of approach?' My old BSA had the squeezy bulb type

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Oohh! You must have scared a few horses and old ladies when out with that bulb horn

Matchless said:

My MOT bloke says all that's required is a horn & rear reflector, but no MOT if older than 40. I have two old bikes with no lights & am in the process of building another.

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Thanks for that.

speirmoor said:

Any lucky contributors here have a street legal Manx? If so I'd love to see it and tell us how you got around the "legalities"

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There is a replica ie Molnar engine with featherbed frame tobe seen near me in Derbyshire... The owner always starts it on the centre stand and it always goes first kick... Just as well as it has no valve lifter . Sounds amazing..
Reg Orpin used to help the 500 Velos he prepared start with a squirt of easy start ... Might be of interest to anyone struggling with a Manx without a valve lifter..

Steve Tonkin makes the Tornado with 500 Manx/Molnar engine, exhaust pipe tucks under gearbox for kickstarter to be fitted. 12 volt alternator 4ls front brake. Google it.

As an old racer told me, setting the compression ratio on a Manx is a fine balance between speed and get it started.
Back in the days when as the flag dropped, you push started the engine.

Back in about 1987 at the since closed Oran Park, I was lined up for the start on my Manx and the clutch was grabbing and for some reason they kept us there for some time, since it was grabbing I could not select neutral resulting over heating and the clutch lever coming back to the bar stalling the engine, two older flag marshals told me to stay on and they would push start me, I thought this is bad because they just pushed with out pulling the bike onto compression, but bugger me it turned over and after about 10 feet it fired up, at what seemed like a fire every 5 five feet or so, until it started to motor on it's own took the full length of the straight before it started to get the revs up high enough to motor properly.
Did a couple of laps without use of the clutch, then I started to get some feel back on the lever as the clutch cooled down, then away I went, pretty lonely run all by myself though as the others had disappeared by then.
So Mike40M it must have been pretty close to that fine line, or a bit too much to the starting line, because the engine was turning over slower than what I could normally keep it running when just sitting there, it was geared for about 75mph in first gear.

Burgs

Bernhard said:

Steve Tonkin makes the Tornado with 500 Manx/Molnar engine, exhaust pipe tucks under gearbox for kickstarter to be fitted. 12 volt alternator 4ls front brake. Google it.

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I did and asked for the brochure via email and one showed up last week. I asked Steve to sign the brochure for me but he did one better and sent me this photo.

Here’s some pics and facts from the Tonkins Tornado

Like to have the money to buy one, the 5 speed gearbox and kick start would be great.

Burgs

They are beautiful! That primary looks like it's from a commando.

Manx streetbike.

I take it that this has the exposed, uncovered rockers and top tops of valves?

speirmoor said:

Any lucky contributors here have a street legal Manx? If so I'd love to see it and tell us how you got around the "legalities"

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Easy. Submit a registration packet to VT. 6% of value (Bill of Sale or NADA, whichever is greater) + $48. Wait a month, your plate & paper come in the mail. At present VT is waiving the official VIN inspection step, so get it done!

speirmoor said:

Any lucky contributors here have a street legal Manx? If so I'd love to see it and tell us how you got around the "legalities"

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Dave Pagano in Sydney Australia regularly rides his registered '61/62 Manx in full race trim on the road.

I saw one in the South Lakes around 4 years ago near Gilpin Bridge, with a recent registration number, so assumed to be a replica.
I understand it belonged to an old enthusiast who has since passed away, but I don't have any more details

the Works Racing Manx engine can be set up for road, and can have a solenoid operated decompressor fitted. I could kick over that engine without using the decompressor when I tried last year, but carb was flooding badly at the time, so wouldn’t start on rollers either!

Just looking up Dave Pagano that @ES234 mentioned in #35 above and came across this (quite interesting):



Cheers

Fast Eddie said:

I’ve had bikes without lights MOT’d before. But does anyone know the process with an old bike now they no longer need to have MOT tests?

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Instead of taking your bike to the MoT testing station, you do nothing.

Triton Thrasher said:

Instead of taking your bike to the MoT testing station, you do nothing.

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Well yeah, I kinda got that!
But is it the same for a daytime only bike?
Just seems kinda strange that we can ‘self declare’ a bike as roadworthy with no lights etc!

Or does raking the lights off constitute significant enough modification to make it require an MOT ??