"Mike Hailwood" Manx Norton at Bikers Classics Spa

Action film from a "Mike Hailwood" Manx Norton at Bikers Classics Spa.

[@hubdormans5709]

I have only experience with streetlegal motorcycles,but racing such a pure classic big single on a legendary circuit looks for me one of the most beautiful things you can do in your life!But I like also watching classic races!Please keep the Manxes,G50’s,GoldStars and all the other legends alive!

[@TheThundersprint]

Thank you for kind comments. Yes, riding our Manx is a very wonderful experience - almost on a spiritual level. If you have a look at the other videos on my KZbin channel there are some nice films of the Manx, and our other classic race bikes being used on the track. I hope that you enjoy them.

[@Johnx961]

A work of art that machine.

[@user-ho8my7xk8q]

a fake one

[@josvandencamp8441]

Love the sound of classic race bikes.

[@TheThundersprint]

Thanks. Unfortunately, it had to be silenced because of the 105dba hammer which is used to hit classic race bikes.

[@ambmainman]

OMFG....look at that 60 year old single cylinder legend go.......and that sound is like a lions roar!

[@TheThundersprint]

Thanks. That is very kind.

[@user-bg9dk2lo2o]

Hailwood un mito insieme ad Agostini, Pasolini, Saarinen

[@TheThundersprint]

Good Morning Jerry Thanks for your kind comments. The Ecurie Sportive Norton, a true homage to the original bike, was fabulous around Spa - even with me riding it! I can't imagine what Mike would have done with a Manx this good in 1960!!! Best wishes - Frank

[@bernhards8082]

Well in 1961 he won the TT when Gary Hocking crashed, (it was a Norton 1-2-3 that year) and became the second man to get a 100MPH lap on a 500 single , (after Derek Minter in the same race) as if wining the last Senior TT on a single at the TT is not enough -when it was the world championship.

[@johnhoward563]

@@bernhards8082 hi enjoyed your reply, I had the derek minter book “racing all my life” when I was 16. (72) now I can’t believe they could lap the tt then at a ton with about 50 bhp. True racing legends, had a hard on for a Manx all these years no chance now. You enjoy,

[@johnhoward563]

Hi loved your vid. Do you have Dino readout for that engine would love to know how much power, have you read “ the art of motorcycle racing “ Mike the bike. Thanks John h

[@johnhoward563]

Sorry dyno

[@TheThundersprint]

@@johnhoward563 That engine made precisely 50hp at the rear wheel - which was way better than the Nortons of the day

[@alan1340]

Lovely video, almost feels like you are the rider, I know I was getting stuck into some of the cornering lol Passing some of those 'other' riders out there with you looks to be a somewhat hairy task lol The sound of that zorst is magnificent. TY for the ride.

[@TheThundersprint]

Thank you Alan. The camera was fuel tank mounted which has now been declared a hazard and so, mainly, banned. Here is another film that you might enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXjIpJyVjNmUftE

[@ColinBurnside]

Thank you Frank. I have often wondered why Norton do not still make these bikes. There must be a market for them. Cheap to make and cheap to sell. Mass production they would fly off the shelves.

[@TheThundersprint]

The answer is that brand new Manx Nortons are available but they are not cheap. The best ones are made by Patrick Walker (www.worksracing.co.uk) who built our bike but every Norton which Patrick builds is effectively a one off. As for mass production, I am not sure who would want a 50hp motorcycle which needs constant love and attention, 105 octane race fuel - and its oil changing every time it is run. Owning one of these wonderful machines is a labour of love - and an expensive one too!

[@hhoward14]

And only 500 racing miles for the major components...

[@seivaDsugnA]

"Cheap to make and cheap to sell." No and not so much. You'll see him push 7.5k rpm. That's magic. A labour of love indeed. A good road bike for today in a featherbed would be a twin. Atlas or a Mercury are the best bet. I have an Atlas and I can say it handles like God is holding it.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

They would only be for a limited amount of interested and limited runs in production equals more expensive. Besides, unless you want to putter around at speeds which a pedestrian could follow you’ll got to have some decent suspension and that doesn’t come cheap. I would guess at a price equal to a sport Ducati and they litterally doesn’t fly of the shelves. Besides it would be hard to get them through the Euro approvements.

[@kennethbell54]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@adwest68]

Magnifique🎉

[@Sportsmoto1]

I have a 2015 works racing Manx Norton in Barry Sheena good wood tribute style fairing etc I love it

[@johnhoward563]

Hi I would love to see post a picture please, thanks John.

[@ronvalente65]

Doesn't sound the same without the open Mega! I know they are restricted now but I'm old enough to remember them with out restriction.

[@silasmarner7586]

I have dual open megas on my Triton. The right one is easy to find. The left one (with the bracket welded correctly for left side) is rare as hen's teeth. Open megas or nothing at all! Ya might as well go home!

[@davideverett838]

Wonderful.

[@jerrygsxr]

Nice video Frank!

[@fanch4727]

Machine mythique sur un très beau circuit, les images sont très belles.

[@user-ho8my7xk8q]

rien a voir avec la Manx d'hailwood...

[@robdickie9215]

Now that's a day out!!

[@TheThundersprint]

It certainly was. I didn't stop smiling until we arrived home two days later - in fact, I didn't even stop for the rest of the week: it was fabulolus.

[@johnhoward563]

Your one lucky guy if you can afford such an iconic riders bike, enjoy John h

[@TheThundersprint]

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the Manx Norton is in the past. It was/is a very expensive indulgence to own not just a Manx, but an exotic one like the ES Manx, and in the end it all became too much. We had wonderful times with the bike, absolutely magic and unforgettable, but it was getting so just the thought of something going wrong was dwelling on the minds of both me and my wife who supports me so much. The last issue we had was catastrophic and so we called it a day and reverted to our faithful Seeley Suzuki which is much more in our income bracket - as well as being a truly lovely bike to ride. Here is a film of the bike in action: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faPcZKyte9aGe5I Let me know what you think

[@pickleboat45]

I have Manx 102816, last batch built January 1963. Had it for almost 40 years now, original unaltered, covered in my shop haven't even looked at it in many years. Raced it a few times in 1980's but was mostly racing modern bikes back then, Expert license AMA and WERA. Raced Manx in C Superbike Expert against modern (then) 4 cyl and beat most of them which always fun. A 500cc single beating 400cc 4-cyl. Bike in video doesn't sound right, has a muffler (silencer)? Doesn't seem to be revving very crisp or quick - maybe rider. Doesn't seem to be pushing it. I have a 5-speed gearset but never installed it - once I learned to ride it, didn't need 5 speeds. Where the Manx really put it on the modern bikes was acceleration and top end - they couldn't stay with me on the straightaways. Top end depended on sprockets, but usual set up would do about 130 which was 7,000 rpm. Two close friends also had Manx, one gone now, the other still has his original as raced with full fairing.

[@TheThundersprint]

Thanks for your observations Bill. To answer your questions. Yes, the bike was silenced. This is 2018 and there is almost no-where in the world where you can run a Manx on an open pipe. Having said that, I think that our Manx sounds absolutely lovely. The bike is absolutely crisp and will rev to really ridiculously high rpm when needed. Spa was a parade so I was just cruising round. You could not race a Manx today with a four-speed gearbox because you would be left for dead in corner to corner drag races: this is fact. As for my riding ability, I am just an amateur wobbling round. Having said that, the film shows that I did a lot more passing than being passed so it seems that there were many more riders even less competent than me! In my case, the older I get the slower I am!!!

[@fredgrove4220]

@@TheThundersprint The magic of a racing 500, be it Manx, G50 , Goldstar et al, is the sound of that big thumper on song. Silencers kill it.

[@davidpatterson9107]

2Stroke Gone 🏁🏁👍👍

[@jesseshepherd10]

My God. The sound up around red line. Lightened crank etc ?

[@kevinjohneddysapienza4771]

picks up the revs quickly

[@paulcheeseman1437]

What speed would the manx be doing at 7 thou revs in top gear?

[@coopermg3498]

Can ride!

[@netharad-cx1nb]

The BEST, capable de fermé la bouche à Augustini✔️😍, sans MANX 😂

[@TheThundersprint]

Paul, thanks for the question about the speed of the ES Manx. On Spa gearing, I guess that the bike would do around 130mph flat out so 7,000rpm is probably 120mph(ish) - which is plenty fast enough for me but can feel a bit slow at Spa because there are such huge straights. Here is a link to another film of the bike at the much slower, but still great fun, Anglesey Circuit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIGcn5xmhpWEqaM Best wishes Frank

[@netharad-cx1nb]

Avec du CB 🙌🌟🎆

[@MrMagistik]

how many gears did a manx have as im counting 6 on a lot of the ones on here and iom.

[@TheThundersprint]

Our Manx has a six-speed gearbox which is pretty standard today. The gearchange on modern classic gearboxes is as good as any Superbike. Original, standard, Manx Nortons came from the factory with four-speed gearboxes but the top riders used five or six speed gearboxes even in the 1960s. The best of these gearboxes were produced by Austrian Michael Schafleitner. You can read the full story of our bike here: www.ridersdomain.com/magazine/motorcycle-features/mellings-motorcycle-world/a-true-modern-classic-mellings-ecurie-sportive-manx-norton Thanks for your interest Frank

[@reinerb8047]

Cheeky move to up front!!! Rider sez "FU, this is a HAILWOOD bike!!

[@allenmckenzie6010]

Some lap!

[@silasmarner7586]

Ya gotta have an ATRC tach or it ain't worth a ding-dang-doodle..

[@silasmarner7586]

... as it does.. I wanted to be clear on that!

[@guyotine1529]

Ça prend les tripes Merci

[@TheThundersprint]

Merci mais non, pas du tout. Le Norton était facile à conduire à Spa. Malheureusement, il a eu une défaillance mécanique majeure. Il était trop cher à réparer, nous avons donc dû lui dire adieu.

[@henriruiz1428]

dommage que le son ne soit pas d'origine . les mégaphones c'était génial mais les silencieux sur une moto de course c'est inacceptable . j'ai une Mv Agusta d'usine je préfère rouler avec sur une route déserte avec tous les risques que ça comporte plutôt que de lui infliger un silencieux qui ferait perdre tout l'intérêt de cette superbe mécanique . Henri RUIZ

[@TheThundersprint]

Merci pour vos commentaires Henri. Excusez mon français insuffiçant, s'il vous plaît. Parce que vous êtes français, comme Voltaire, vous apprécierez peut-être l’équilibre entre questions philosophiques et pratiques. Oui, bien sûr, vous avez raison, le Manx sonnerait bien avec un échappement ouvert. Donc, philosophiquement, vous avez raison. Le problème est que la moto ne courrait jamais. Il resterait silencieux et mort - même avec le bon échappement - si philosophiquement avez-vous maintenant raison? Je n'ai pas accès à des routes calmes libres de la police! La seule solution pratique consiste à faire fonctionner le Manx avec un magnifique silencieux et à le laisser revivre. Peut-être que c'est maintenant la meilleure solution philosophique à la vie au 21ème siècle? Amicalement Frank

[@henriruiz1428]

je ne critique pas ton français tu écris comme tu peux et tu t'exprimes très bien et ta réponse est compréhensible vu que tous les circuits ne baignent plus dans la grande musique des mégaphones mais il faut savoir que beaucoup de spectateurs venaient plus pour entendre que pour voir vu que la vision ne dure que le moment du passage devant soit mais que le son s'entendait de très loin mais je peux quand même comprendre ton esprit de faire revivre ces vieilles mécaniques donc de ton côté tu as raison aussi . il faut avouer que le choix est difficile je me suis fais virer en 2004 du circuit de Nogaro et du circuit de Mérignac parce que ma 350 Honda Racing dont j'avais fabriqué arbre a cames et boite de vitesses , faisait trop de bruit . ( aberrant non ? mais vrai )

[@henriruiz1428]

petite information . j'ai eu un moteur Manx et j'ai constaté que le piston est beaucoup trop lourd . la moitié de son poids serait très bénéfique au bon fonctionnement de ce moteur .( voir pistons formule 1 diamètre 100 mais moins de moitié du poids d'un piston pour moteur Manx ) . a savoir petite expérience sur ma Mv Agusta avec un piston de 20 grammes de plus je cassais les ressorts de soupapes pendant la chauffe du moteur .en remettant un piston plus léger le problème de ressorts n'existait plus . la relation n'est pas directe je sais mais la fréquence des vibrations engendrées faisait beaucoup de casse .

[@henriruiz1428]

pour ceux qui ont des Ducati a renvoi d'angle je peux régler les arbres a cames à 1;5 degré près sans faire de clavette décalée . il faut une machine a calculer pour savoir ou placer l'arbre vertical . le Manx a des verniers de réglages c'est plus facile .

[@TheThundersprint]

Merci pour vos commentaires intéressants, Henri, mais vous vous rappelez que je ne suis qu'un « Sans-culottes« qui aime seulement piloter son Manx - avant que les aristos de Bruxelles ne les bannissent complètement. Lorsque cela se produira, et que nous ne pourrons plus utiliser nos motos avec ou sans silencieux, tous les problèmes seront résolus. Ensuite, nous pourrons tous marcher pour la liberté de la musique de course de moto classique ensemble. Vous avez déjà d'excellents mots pour nous Aux armes, pilotes de course classiques Formez vos bataillons, Marchons, marchons! Amicalement en course Frank @@henriruiz1428

[@Dannyvirk]

This has been a religious experience.

[@TheThundersprint]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am so glad that you liked it. Here is our Seeley Suzuki, playing with an early Ducati World Superbike. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faPcZKyte9aGe5I. Let me know what you think.

[@375GTB]

Only 7K?? That's gentle...c.8.5 back in The Day... Wot?

[@TheThundersprint]

There are two elements to your question. First, Spa was a parade - not a race. The bike will rev much higher than 7,200rpm if I ask it but why wear out the motor on what was a relaxed Sunday tour? The second thing is that neither the Manx nor the G.50 revved to 8,500rpm in the day - they really didn't. A roller big-end would have been destroyed at this rpm. The normal rev limit was 7,200rpm with a bit more spare for the dash to the line on the final lap. It's worth remembering that these British GP singles were like Transit vans - working tools expected to cover huge mileages between re-builds. I have spoken to a lot of the old GP riders and they all re-built the bikes over winter and then before the TT. So, two re-builds in a whole season. These are the facts appertaining to what actually happened.

[@BRI33NOR]

Frank Melling .. Err agreed. We tried to do similar with tyres too !. Had near slicks before slicks was invented sometimes.

[@netharad-cx1nb]

#21 cb

[@HegelsOwl]

...Boy, that sure don't sound like no thumper.

[@heinz-gunterfeldmann4713]

HALLO ES IST EINE NORTON COMMANDO

[@MrHarleyoldfart]

The sound of the bike is so muffled it's not worth watching, it should be barking .

[@abbasalimirza3512]

MY NINJA 12 R 2ND GEAR IS ENOUGH FOR YOUR MANX.

[@TheThundersprint]

Yes, you are right. Your 1200cc, four cylinder bike is faster than our 56 year old, 500cc Norton - but will your Kawasaki still gather crowds round it five decades from now? I think that you know the answer...

[@abbasalimirza3512]

Frank Melling CROWDS WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE A SIMPLE RUPEE LAUGH AND GO. ALSO I GET REAL RIDING PLEASURE. EASY AVAILABILITY OF PARTS. SMOOTHNESS, VIBRATIONS FREE . (WITOUT NUMNESS IN HANDS AND LEGS) HAS GIVEN US LIMITED LIFE SO ENJOYMENT. SOME PEOPLE HERE EVEN SAVES MONEY IN FIXED DEPOSITS FOR 50 YEARS ASSUMING GOD HAS GIVEN 500 YEARS OF LIFE.

[@TheThundersprint]

I respect your views but until you have ridden a Manx, tucked flat on the tank, through a 100mph curve you can't imagine what riding pleasure is. Also, Manx spares are just as available as anything from Kawasaki - providing your wallet is full. I have ridden a Z12. Should you wait until you have ridden a Manx before commenting? Just a thought...

[@abbasalimirza3512]

Frank Melling MY FATHER PARTICIPATED IN MADRAS RACE WITH HIS MANX 500 CC BOUGHT FROM BOMBAY TOP CONDITION. BUT POOR MANX BADLY BEATEN BY TRIUMPH BONVILLE IN UNLIMITED CLASS. TOP SPEED OF BONVILLE 120 MPH.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Abbas Ali Mitza: How would you know, there isn't a road in India that you could do more that 60 without hitting a cow or Ox cart, I think you must have a tuned speedo !

[@jetblack748]

it has a kick @5800 revs.nice sound never riden one:(