First Manxman

For those people following the rebuild of this historical bike I can add a few more snippets of detail to its chronology. To begin with.....Mike's bike, like all of the 1960/61 Mk1 Manxman, was built at Bracebridge Street in Birmingham. It was most likely then briefly ridden round the local roads before going into store prior to shipment to the USA, 2 months later.

The 4 bikes immediately preceding, 93597 to 93600, were actually built as ES2 Singles and sold with sidecars attached. The 30 plus bikes before these were almost certainly 99SS models. Most of the latter went into storage and were not delivered to agents for between 6 and 30 months. The records mention about half a dozen of these bikes (from 93581 on) as having twin carb special cylinder heads. For decades there were rumours that these machines had been constructed with proper SS heads. But later dismantled to provide spares to complete batch orders on the 650 lines. If this story sounds familiar checkout the first 50 Commandos built.

In his video Mike displays the engine and gearbox numbers as well as his dating certificate which also records some of the other shop numbers for various parts. In those days major components were built/assembled and stored in in different sections of the factory. The consequence of this being that forks, engine, gearbox and frame would be given shop numbers before going into storage. Then left for months (even years) before being picked at random for assembly into a complete machine. This to some degree explaining why consecutive frames did not always have other parts in numerical order.

For example Mikes Manxman has forks with S/N 901 and Gearbox 19642. The next 650 built used forks S/N 906 and Gearbox 19741.

The BIG question.  If Mike's Norton is the first true Manxman 650.......which was the last???

Hi Mike.......I.D. numbers as follows are general and not tablets of stone.

 Norton Dominator - Top Yokes

Wideline                     -  19019  or  L122/174

Slimline                      -  030027                                  

Sidecar                      -  030402 or 21593

 Crown & Stem 

Wideline                     -  50259

Slimline                      -  030026

Sidecar                       -  030340  or 21508

It looks to me like the tope yoke (Head Clip) does match the numbers in this table. You may need to remove a little more paint to discover the one on the lower yoke (Crown & Stem)

Attachments show variations of serial stamping positions.

Hi Mike

I watch your U/Tube videos they are great.

I have ridden a 1961 Norton Manxman for the last 10 years.

Pictures of my Manxman can be seen at "The Gathering Of The Nortons" at Washington        Crossing PA.

Thanks for your interest in the Manxman.

  Geoff Craig

Hi Peter.......your numbers match my records. As follows are the other numbers as listed.

Job Number - 15670 

Engine - 93617                           

Engine Shop Number - 20                   

Gearbox  - 20103             

Dispatch Date - 07/11/60         

Destination  - Tozer Berliner USA 

Of interest is the Job No which is 18 before that of Mike's bike. Was your bike built before Mike's but did not receive its engine until later? The story goes that the first two production lines of Manxman 650 bikes were held up while engine issues were sorted. There is also evidence suggesting that two bikes were completed and used for road testing the month before full production actually began. That these two machines were given later ID's and then slotted into a later shipment.

Your bike and Mike's headed out of the Bracebridge gate along with 16 other 650 Manxmans. But 28 others had preceded this, including the two test bikes. All of these machines along with another 100 plus were transported up to Liverpool before  shipping over the pond to the States in early January. A second equally large consignment followed at the end of that month.

Some of the second consignment were re-routed to the US West Coast ,Canada and Europe. By the time 280 bikes had been produced they were being shipped all over the world but not the UK. From February onwards a good number of 650 machines headed to Europe but dressed-up in the style of the later 650SS. In essence they were standard 99 frames with 650 twin carb engines in them. Some had Blue tanks but many were all Black.