Model 50 cafe racer - advice on purchase

In my opinion, for a "BITZA", it is grossly overpriced. Without any documentary history it is probably not worth traveling 30 miles to see it, let alone half way across England.

David, you need to do a little more research before you get started. The featherbed framed Dominator was shown at the 1951 Motorcycle Show (although,initially for export only). Previously it had been used for works Manx Norton racers. The story is that Harold Daniels, called it the "Featherbed, after winning the I.O.M. TT, I think in 1948, before Geof Duke became into dominant.

David, count the number of fins on the barrel. ES2 cases are harder to get hold of and so I used model 50 cases for my poor mans Manx. Just the stamp that is different with a 13 instead of the ES2's 4.

Like others have suggested, keep looking.

Looks like it is a 1957/58 350 engine. Some nice touches but over priced by about £2K in my opinion.

Previously John Oldridge wrote:

I live fairly near Shipley, and I know Eddie from way back when he used to have a Triumph/Harley dealership in Leeds,(I bought a sprint from him) if you like I will go and look at it and take whatever photos you would like.

Like the other comments it seems very expensive

I have a nearly bog standard model 50 (1960)

my phone no is 01765 650007

Regards John O

Previously John Shorter wrote:

David, you need to do a little more research before you get started. The featherbed framed Dominator was shown at the 1951 Motorcycle Show (although,initially for export only). Previously it had been used for works Manx Norton racers. The story is that Harold Daniels, called it the "Featherbed, after winning the I.O.M. TT, I think in 1948, before Geof Duke became into dominant.

Harold did coin the ' Featherbed' name after riding the new Rex McCandless framed Manx. The race debut was at Blandford Camp in Dorset in 1950 where the new boy Geoff Duke won at a canter. Artie Bell, who was Rex's partner, won the first IOM TT for the Featherbed Manx in the 1950 350 cc class with Duke second . In the Senior race the order was reversed. Only a series of high speed failures by the Dunlop tyres stopped Duke from becoming double world champion in his first season. A change to Avons for 1951 allowed Duke to achieve this honour.

Dave. 1950 was the last year of production of the Garden Gate Manx, so a Featherbed would be correct for your 1951 engine.

To get a proper replica, though, you need a genuine Manx frame,with a bolt-up rear subframe. These were made from Reynolds 531 tubing, whereas the Inter was from A grade mild steel, and the road bikes from B grade. They are different.... Also, a laydown gearbox is required, not the AMC 'box, which didn't come into use on the Manx until 1958.

Depends how accurate you want to be. No doubt you could gather up later roadbike bits, AMC gearbox etc, and put a bike together which at first glance would look thereabouts'ish, but wouldn't stand close inspection. That would be reflected in it's value. A genuine Manx engine deserves a Manx frame, not a Model 50 frame, imo! To go the originality route would be expensive, some parts may be difficult to source, but at the end you would have a quite valuable machine. If there was a cheap route, we would all be doing it!

Good luck. Ian