what engines fit featherbed frame

alan hodge

alan hodge

Joined
Oct 10, 2017
Messages
1,120
Country flag
not sure which category to pose this question in but will start here...what engines will fit a featherbed frame? wheels are turning in my head for a new project
 
alan hodge said:
not sure which category to pose this question in but will start here...what engines will fit a featherbed frame? wheels are turning in my head for a new project
Click to expand...
Depends on the plates obviously and I believe at least some of the OHC singles need upper tube or tubes flattened to clear cam box ..
All of the pushrod single OHV engines and Model 7 based parallel twin engines were offered in featherbed frames , both wideline and slimline IIRC
 
The only triumph engines that will are pre unit ones
An A65 will not fit
Nothing Japanese will fit
No Harley engine will fit
A Norton big twin engine will fit quite well
And an ohc Norton or any big Brit (pre unit) motor with fit with some top tube flattering
 
i'm just thinking out loud swore i would never do another project after finishing commando and 1949 Fergie farm tractor but hands/mind/soul need to stay busy...
 
  • Thumbs Up
Reactions: baz
robs ss said:
What will physically fit and what looks "right" are two different things.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Cheers
Click to expand...
And what works right…

Engine location in terms of weight fore / aft vs sprocket location for good chain run, and height vs good COG means many engines are too short or wide to be ‘right’ in a featherbed.

Its kinda like the difference between a ‘bitsa’ and a ‘special’.

Bitsa’s were built from the bits that were at hand, when money was tight and transport was needed.

Specials are built when the builder makes a deliberate decision to use parts from different manufacturers in order to build a bike that is (to the builder) better than any of the donor machines.

I am a huge fan of the featherbed, but it’s not magic, it can’t outweigh things like bikes built with poor engine location and shoddy suspension etc, etc. A well set up stock bike will always out ride a poorly set up ‘special’ !

Alan, tell us what you have in mind, what you want to achieve, what tickles your fancy, etc. You’ll get more opinions that way. If you’re lucky, some might even be helpful…!
 
Last edited:
I spent a day last summer riding on the local mountain roads with the light, quick and revvy little 650ss.
It occurred that the best engine in a Featherbed might just be the Norton 650ss!
Obvious bias acknowledged.


Glen
 
Last edited:
worntorn said:
I spent a day last summer riding on the local mountain roads with the light, quick and revvy little 650ss.
It occurred that the best engine in a Featherbed might just be the Norton 650ss!
Obvious bias acknowledged.


Glen
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly - why not just build something with Norton power …
 
We had a similar thread here a few years back. I couldn't locate it, but this is a list I made at that time.

Engines Used in Norton Featherbed Hybrids (With non-Norton engines)

Triumph singles, twins and triples.
Vincent singles and twins.
Harley Davidson V-twins.
Ariel square fours.
BSA singles and twins.
Hillman Imp four automobile engine.
Yamaha XV920 V-twin.
Kawasaki triple 2-stroke.
JAP V-twin.
Honda four automobile engine.
Fiat four automobile engine.
VW flat four.
JAWA singles.
Velocette singles.
AJS Singles.
Honda CB72 twin.
Turbocharged Ford Cortina four automobile engine (from RohanB).
Kawasaki W2 (650 OHV twin) (from Charles Lipton).
Yamaha 400 (OHC single) (from Charles Lipton).
Horex Imperator / Zundapp Citation (OHC 500) (from Charles Lipton).
Horex Columbus Regina (either a 500 or 350 OHV single) (from Charles Lipton).
Mini (BMC A-series engine block) (from Charles Lipton).
NSU auto four (home brew Mammut wannabe) (from Charles Lipton).
Buick/Rover aluminum V-8 (from Tom Graham).
Corvair flat six (from Doug McGuire).
Royal Enfield twin (from peterlgay).
Indian Chief (from RohanB).
Excelsior Manxman (from RohanB).
Ariel Red Hunter single (from RohanB).
Yamaha RD400 2-stroke twin (from Triton Thrasher).
Sunbeam 500 single (from Steve aka Mr. Sweetie).
Honda single cam four (from Colin Sharpe).
Honda RFVC single (from Brett ONeil).
Suzuki Savage 650 single (from Brett ONeil).
Fitzpatrick BSA V-twin, two BSA singles on custom crankcase (from Christian Larsen).

Ken
 
There is this thread on the subject.

V-Twins in Featherbeds

With humble apologies if this has been posted before; http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/featherbeds.html V-Twin-Obsession http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/vtwinobsession.html
www.accessnorton.com www.accessnorton.com
 
lcrken said:
We had a similar thread here a few years back. I couldn't locate it, but this is a list I made at that time.

Engines Used in Norton Featherbed Hybrids (With non-Norton engines)

Triumph singles, twins and triples.
Vincent singles and twins.
Harley Davidson V-twins.
Ariel square fours.
BSA singles and twins.
Hillman Imp four automobile engine.
Yamaha XV920 V-twin.
Kawasaki triple 2-stroke.
JAP V-twin.
Honda four automobile engine.
Fiat four automobile engine.
VW flat four.
JAWA singles.
Velocette singles.
AJS Singles.
Honda CB72 twin.
Turbocharged Ford Cortina four automobile engine (from RohanB).
Kawasaki W2 (650 OHV twin) (from Charles Lipton).
Yamaha 400 (OHC single) (from Charles Lipton).
Horex Imperator / Zundapp Citation (OHC 500) (from Charles Lipton).
Horex Columbus Regina (either a 500 or 350 OHV single) (from Charles Lipton).
Mini (BMC A-series engine block) (from Charles Lipton).
NSU auto four (home brew Mammut wannabe) (from Charles Lipton).
Buick/Rover aluminum V-8 (from Tom Graham).
Corvair flat six (from Doug McGuire).
Royal Enfield twin (from peterlgay).
Indian Chief (from RohanB).
Excelsior Manxman (from RohanB).
Ariel Red Hunter single (from RohanB).
Yamaha RD400 2-stroke twin (from Triton Thrasher).
Sunbeam 500 single (from Steve aka Mr. Sweetie).
Honda single cam four (from Colin Sharpe).
Honda RFVC single (from Brett ONeil).
Suzuki Savage 650 single (from Brett ONeil).
Fitzpatrick BSA V-twin, two BSA singles on custom crankcase (from Christian Larsen).

Ken
Click to expand...
Well yeah, but what else…
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top