Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
26th Mar, 2025 9:00
1961 Manx Norton 500
Beautifully presented 500 Manx
Estimate
£18, 000 - £20, 000
Registration No: Unregistered
Frame No: Not visible
MOT: Exempt
A beautiful example of the legendary Manx Norton
Authentically restored back to factory condition
Quaife 5-speed box and an extensive paperwork file
Norton was founded by James Lansdowne Norton in Birmingham in 1898 and began building motorcycles with French and Swiss engines in 1902. In 1907 a Norton with a Peugeot engine won the first Isle of Man TT race starting a long tradition of sporting excellence. The OHC 350 and 500 singles, initially based on the roadgoing Inter model and later becoming the classic Manx, became the mainstay of road racing for over three decades. The Norton factory race bikes under team manager Joe Craig were experimental models and a version was available for sale from the factory in Bracebridge Street to selected customers. Fitted with the McCandless brothers' Featherbed frame from 1950, the bike was renowned for its fine steering, necessary for the bumpy and very fast racing circuits of the time. Every top road racer from Geoff Duke to Mike Hailwood enjoyed success on a Manx at some point in their career.
This beautiful example has been entered from the collection of Brian Ditchfield, a retired engineer and lifelong motorcycle enthusiast who has in the past run a very successful Sidecar GP team, finishing in the top six for the 2003 World Championship. Bought by Brian in 2014 from a private collection in Germany and ridden by him occasionally in classic parades, it has been restored to a very high standard, keeping it as close to the original 1961 specification as possible. It comes supplied with an extensive paperwork file of technical information and set-up instructions that state the frame was made in May 1961, although the frame number is obscured under a good layer of paint. The engine number is 11M 93769 and it is fitted with an Amal T5 GP2 1 3/ 8" carb and a Lucas 2MTT racing magneto driving through a Quaife close ratio 5-speed gearbox. Not run for a while, it will need the normal checks before use. This is a fantastic example of one of the most iconic bikes ever made and an important part of motorcycle racing history.
