Three batches of the 650cc Norton Manxman were made for export in 1961, mostly to America. If you were working in the Bracebridge Street factory in Birmingham, England on this day ( a Thursday - it’ll soon be the weekend!) then the third and last batch of 150 bikes would have started moving across your bench. As you deftly wielded your spanners, you may have wondered why a bike never raced at the Isle of Man TT was called the ‘Manxman’ - it was a request from the American importer.
To satisfy the US preference for bigger engines and to match offerings from competitors, the Manxman came with an enlargement of the 600cc engine used in the Model 99 Dominator and a new alloy cylinder head, derived from the 500 Domiracer that Tom Phillis had ridden to 3rd place in the 1961 Isle of Man TT Senior race, achieving the first 100 mph (160 km/h) lap of the island on a pushrod machine.
The new head, twin Amal Monobloc carbs, sports camshaft and 8.9:1 compression ratio enabled the 646cc engine to produce a claimed 52 bhp (39 kW) at 6,800 rpm.
The slimline featherbed frame and Roadholder forks used on the Dominators were reused for the Manxman. “…the finest frame and-suspension package that can be purchased today,” stated Cycle World in their road test
Styled for the American market, the bike was fitted with a small 2.5 US gallon (9.5 litre) petrol tank and high bars.
