1954 Norton Manx
1954 Norton 350 Manx F Horizontal
Facing the Italian challenge
The famed Manx Norton, the most successful racing bike of the postwar period, reached the height of its fame in 1954 as the Italian multis began to demonstrate their superiority in the world championships. Lacking the means to launch a projected twin-cam four cylinder, Norton then worked on this curious horizontal-engined Manx prototype. It was a program that started too late and Norton decided to drop out of works participation in grand prix before this intriguing prototype was finished.
Rube Goldberg Methods
Britain’s reputation as a nation of traditionalists is belied by the country’s long record of inspired inventiveness. It was this slightly Rube Goldberg philosophy which helped the British industry to survive. An excellent example of this is the successful Norton Commando, a brilliant cocktail of an obsolete engine flexibly mounted in a frame descended from the famous “Featherbed” unit. The “Flat Manx” was just as clever, but not at all successful.
Notably Compact Design
The trick lay in making the most of the engine’s potential by creating a notably compact bike. The solution was radical: lay the engine down flat. Norton made the most of the idea by creating a unit-constructed engine-gearbox with the uncommon feature of an external inertia flywheel. The frame was reduced to a single tube which doubled as an oil tank and was covered by a huge saddle tank. The engine was suspended from it by two thin tubes at the front.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: air-cooled 348cc (78×73mm) single cylinder four-stroke with dry-sump lubrication and magneto ignition
Valves: twin overhead camshaft driven by shaft, 2 valves
Fuel System: 36.5mm Amal carburetor
Transmission: 5 speeds
Suspension: telescopic forks (front); swinging fork (rear)
Brakes: 8in leading shoe drum (front/rear)
Wheels: 19in
Though the “Flat Manx” never made it to the starting line, it was a hold attempt to counter the Italian challenge by using Norton’s unique resources.
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