Building a scrambler based on a ES2 W/Featherbed

Previously karl_haacker wrote:

Hi,

I have a bike that has been put together from many parts. The frame seems to be a 1953 Featherbed, wideline. The engine is from an ES2. Otherwise the bike looks like a 1959 ES2, but in reality it is a bastard.

Lately I have thinking of converting this bike into a scrambler, but I am not sure what to do with the suspension. I have seen a Ceriani 35mm fork for sale, but would it fit? Does anyone know what forks would fit in to the frame?

With regards to the rear swing arm, I am tempted to leave it as is and upgrade the suspension as well as adding a custom made subframe for a short solo saddle. I will make a bash plate to protect the engine and frame. Will also install a fiberglass Manx replica tank for endurance.The footrests will have to be hinged somehow. Tires will probably be Kenda Trackmaster.

My intention is to take the bike on a week long trip in Morocco next year. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions?

Best regards

Karl Haacker

Norway

'53 Wideline??? Wouldn't that make it a Manx frame?

Mike

No other forks will fit straight off the shelf but pretty well any can be made to fit with varying degrees of engineering work.

Les Archer rode a camshaft Featherbed scrambler that is mentioned in several of the Norton histories bu t it looks as if the Featherbed was just a starting point (or did the curved downtubes come from a heavy landing ?)

http://www.pbase.com/coreyl/image/64508011

Previously michael_sullivan wrote:

Previously karl_haacker wrote:

Hi,

I have a bike that has been put together from many parts. The frame seems to be a 1953 Featherbed, wideline. The engine is from an ES2. Otherwise the bike looks like a 1959 ES2, but in reality it is a bastard.

Lately I have thinking of converting this bike into a scrambler, but I am not sure what to do with the suspension. I have seen a Ceriani 35mm fork for sale, but would it fit? Does anyone know what forks would fit in to the frame?

With regards to the rear swing arm, I am tempted to leave it as is and upgrade the suspension as well as adding a custom made subframe for a short solo saddle. I will make a bash plate to protect the engine and frame. Will also install a fiberglass Manx replica tank for endurance.The footrests will have to be hinged somehow. Tires will probably be Kenda Trackmaster.

My intention is to take the bike on a week long trip in Morocco next year. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions?

Best regards

Karl Haacker

Norway

'53 Wideline??? Wouldn't that make it a Manx frame?

Mike

Not necessarily, the model 88 was around by 52, infact, it was I believe, on show at the 51 motorcycle show. However, the pushrod singles didn't get into a Featherbed until 59, so if it's a single frame, ie the inside of the r/h top tube flattened out, it must have been an OHC, so would have been a Manx or possibly an International which gained the Featherbed in 53 I think.

Regards, Tim

Previously tim_gostling wrote:

Previously michael_sullivan wrote:

Previously karl_haacker wrote:

Hi,

I have a bike that has been put together from many parts. The frame seems to be a 1953 Featherbed, wideline. The engine is from an ES2. Otherwise the bike looks like a 1959 ES2, but in reality it is a bastard.

Lately I have thinking of converting this bike into a scrambler, but I am not sure what to do with the suspension. I have seen a Ceriani 35mm fork for sale, but would it fit? Does anyone know what forks would fit in to the frame?

With regards to the rear swing arm, I am tempted to leave it as is and upgrade the suspension as well as adding a custom made subframe for a short solo saddle. I will make a bash plate to protect the engine and frame. Will also install a fiberglass Manx replica tank for endurance.The footrests will have to be hinged somehow. Tires will probably be Kenda Trackmaster.

My intention is to take the bike on a week long trip in Morocco next year. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions?

Best regards

Karl Haacker

Norway

'53 Wideline??? Wouldn't that make it a Manx frame?

Mike

Not necessarily, the model 88 was around by 52, infact, it was I believe, on show at the 51 motorcycle show. However, the pushrod singles didn't get into a Featherbed until 59, so if it's a single frame, ie the inside of the r/h top tube flattened out, it must have been an OHC, so would have been a Manx or possibly an International which gained the Featherbed in 53 I think.

Regards, Tim

What's the frame number? This will identify what the frame is.

regards Ian

Back in the days when there scrambles instead of moto-cross, the featherbed was never considered suitable for competition use. There were issues of strength and frame geometry. The only one I know of had the frame heavily modified and wasn't successful. If you aren't going toride in top-level competition, it should be OK nonetheless.

After reading "Norton a racing legend" by Jim Reynolds I can tellNorton won a Manufacturer`s Team Price at the ISDT in Italy on wideline featherbed twins. Picture in the book of one ofthe bikes.

Still the best single regards from Svein Marken.

Norway.

Previously svein_marken wrote:

After reading "Norton a racing legend" by Jim Reynolds I can tellNorton won a Manufacturer`s Team Price at the ISDT in Italy on wideline featherbed twins. Picture in the book of one ofthe bikes.

Still the best single regards from Svein Marken.

Norway.

The year was 1951.

Previously svein_marken wrote:

Previously svein_marken wrote:

After reading "Norton a racing legend" by Jim Reynolds I can tellNorton won a Manufacturer`s Team Price at the ISDT in Italy on wideline featherbed twins. Picture in the book of one ofthe bikes.

Still the best single regards from Svein Marken.

Norway.

The year was 1951.

A couple of interesting Nortons here:

http://speedtracktales.wordpress.com/index-of-isdt-events/isdt-1951-italy/

Superb picture of the Les Archer scrambler. The frame doesn't bear much resemblance to a normal Featherbed though - look at the massively strengthened headstock amongst other things. The pictures of LOL 474 show just how little ground clearance a Featherbed has when off the tarmac. Good enough for the ISDT when scooters were in the same contest, not so good for scrambles though. I have ridden my 99 over the Corrieyairack Pass, part of the old SSDT course.Theycan go off road after all!

Looks like a splendid adventure! I wouldn't dismiss the Roadholders. If you search for fork upgrades on the forum you should get some useful hints and tips. When off-roading, I find the topping-out annoying but that is fixable. Otherwise, the roadholder forks work well enough. My 99 gets ridden in the Beamish Trophy Trial from time to time quite successfully. Not the same as your proposed trip, but it does show that you can mix it with the pre '65 trials bikes and not disgrace yourself. It will be great to see a proper bike amongst the Adventure Trail brigade.