Manx Norton

Remarkably well preserved 350 Manx with provenance.

Fresh from the workshop after a technical appraisal and recommissioning/restoration work to bring this fine machine back to something really special. An interesting and well documented history is presented with the bike and results of further research confirm the bike has race-winning history with first owner Ken Bills. The last owner has known of the bike through his father since 1957 and he’s kindly detailed the ownership history in a handwritten letter which comes with the bike. This bike was delivered from the factory to Daniells of London for Ken Bills to ride on the Isle of Man and it is here that the engine was reportedly changed by Norton to a factory spec race engine as Ken was riding so well. The engine number is one of two missing from factory despatch records; manufactured in August 1938; so it fits with allocation to the race department. Remember production stopped during the war and 1946 was the first post-war production model so the race shop would have been using engines in stock from that period. It’s all confirmed by a VMCC letter and extracts from Norton Factory Records provided with the bike and documentation so any potential buyer can satisfy themselves of the provenance. Check this out… https://youtu.be/Jcr-RVx_1g0. 
First registered in 1951 in Northern Ireland by the second owner who raced it a little at first but then used it mainly for weekend runs to his Sister’s house in Larne. After he died in 1960 his sister sold it to a gentleman who appears as the second owner on the old RF60 log book and he owned the bike for over 50 years, using it for “occasional parades and runs”. He had the engine rebuilt by a respected local engineer; again named in the letter; approximately 10 years ago, since when it has hardly been used. The rebuild included a new piston from memory and the engine internals were obvserved to be in excellent condition by the next and last owner, who helped with the rebuild. When the bike eventually came up for sale he bought the bike his father wanted when he was 19 years old and in so doing fulfilled a lifelong dream. Since then the bike has been well preserved in very original condition and only recently sold to enable the completion of other projects. The original registration number plates and dual seat come with the bike.