28 April - Isolastic Frame US Patent Granted

[Octoberon]

In 1970, believing the classic Norton Featherbed frame design went against all engineering principles, former Rolls-Royce engineer, Dr. Stefan Bauer, patented his Isolastic frame, known as the GlideRide, around a single 2.25 inch top tube.

With the inclined Commando engine in in mind, Bauer, Norton-Villiers Chief Engineer, Bernard Hooper, and assistant, Bob Trigg, all decided that the engine, gearbox and the swinging-arm should be bolted together and isolated from the frame by special rubber mountings in an attempt to reduce the problem of engine vibration being transmitted through the frame.

It was a great idea, isolating the rider from vibration very well, but it left the engine to vibrate like a B&Q paint can shaker, eventually destroying anything attached to it.

[Dave49]

I remember thinking at the time how daft it was for Norton to ditch the legendary Featherbed frame and keep the vibratory old twin engine instead of keeping the Featherbed and designing a better engine.

[Iron]

Similarly, custom builders didn’t want them as the entire arse end had to be dumped (or that’s what I was told anyway). English builders weren’t building entire frames in those days - unless you were Leon, Wallace, Uncle Bunt (John Read) or Cobra Frames (Cobra and John are still going well I believe).