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Check this out Racing Light Twins!

Submitted by john_hall1 on Sun, 13/05/2018
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Light Twins

https://www.facebook.com/sonnyangellegend/photos/a.457822717706484.1073741828.457797254375697/942028622619222/?type=3&theater

Submitted by nicholas_clarke on Sun, 13/05/2018

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I'm guessing it's a Jubilee engine but can't quite count the barrel fins - I like the neat twin carb set up!

Submitted by dan_field on Mon, 14/05/2018

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When les Emery tried to tune the jubilee, they turned the head 180 degrees so they could use the exhaust ports for the intake, this put the two headers close together but didnât cause a problem. I think the biggest issue was difficulty in working the heads because of valve angles etc.

Submitted by john_hall1 on Thu, 17/05/2018

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Norton's future may have been/should have been putting money in to develop a more powerful tunable 250/ 400 twin, I have never ridden a Light-twin but Road tests always commended their handling!

After all Honda built their reputation on Lightweight twins especially in the 200-400cc range!

Brand loyalty seems to work when someone starts off on a small machine and then buys a larger model off the same company, the British manufacturers were slow to pick up on this, but I suppose not winning a 250cc TT since 1936 on a British built machine, didn't exactly help!

Submitted by dan_field on Thu, 17/05/2018

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I think I read that Burt Hopwood wanted to build a high reving overhead cam 250 for just that reason, But was held back by a lack of development funding.

Submitted by john_hall1 on Thu, 17/05/2018

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Someone, did build one a high revving 250, but I read the jigs and castings were ordered to be smashed up by the Management, the engine is intact with hammer blows on it and I think is in Sammy Miller's museum!

Cannot trace where I read it now, but I think it was a AMC product!

BSA had the MC1 Racer, but management refused to race it, because it couldn't be guaranteed to win! www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/bsa-mc1-250-racer-zmcz12ndzbea

And apparently the first development of the Sunbeam S7 was fast.. so it was detuned and redesigned to be slower and more ponderous!

 


Norton Owners Club Website by 2Toucans