‘Steve’s Manx doesn’t hang about and would do 130mph’
Star, they might look and sound like old plodders to the uninitiated (apart from the banshee wail of the three-cylinder MV), but machines like Steve’s Manx are works of art pure-bred racers that cost as much as a BMW M1000RR, as he explains: “I got it about five years ago from Tony Dunnell, who builds a lovely motorcycle and it’s all replica Manx parts. You can buy an original Manx, but they cost a lot more and they don’t work as well. Motorcycles aren’t like classic cars, they’re like Trigger’s Broom - the originals have been broken so many times there are very few original pieces left in any of them. Replica racing in the motorcycle world is absolutely common and understood. “Stuart Tong looks after the engine. It’s 500cc with an 86mm bore and stroke, six-speed gearbox and dry clutch. The factory did an ultra-short stroke back in the day, but that’s not allowed in classic racing. The earlier bikes had a longer stroke, but they’re not competitive so no one runs them. It produces just over 50bhp and revs to 7500rpm. You can tip-toe over to 8000rpm, but the power starts to fall away, so it’s not worth it – you’d only rev it more to save a gear change just before a corner.
“It’s got an inch and a half Amal GP carburettor which is really basic and not easy to set up. Later bikes had more sophisticated carbs which are nicer, but with this you’re regularly changing jets, needle height, just to get it working right. For Goodwood we’re running an open megaphone exhaust, which requires a richer main jet, due to the lack of back pressure. It’s earsplittingly loud.
“The chassis is a replica Manx Norton featherbed frame. Forks are original on the outside with K-tech adjustable internals and adjustable K-tech Razor rear shocks. Front drum brakes are magnesium and work outstandingly well - I’m pretty sure better than they did in period. “I’m running in the Lansdowne specification this year for the first time, which only allows a numberboard fairing. A lot of people run full fairings at Goodwood, which I’ve tried although it adds weight, but on a fast circuit like this where there’s fewer direction changes, you’d really benefit from the improved aerodynamics.”
130mph on skinny tyres Steve’s Manx Norton is very different beast to a modern sportsbike. It’s ultra-compact, hunkers low to the ground and was designed at a time when riders sat on the seat and tucked themselves in, there’s little room to move around or hang off, especially if you’re tall. With skinny tyres and a 19in front wheel you have to learn the way it likes to go through corners. It’s slightly slow steering with a front-end that shimmies off the throttle as you tip in, but the harder you push, the more it digs in and the more stable it stays. Those mag brakes are the most powerful drums I’ve ever tried but, once you’ve figured it out, Goodwood is less about point and squirt and more about momentum, you never need to use them in anger. The Manx doesn’t hang around. It might only have slightly more power than an A2 bike, but it weighs just 137kg and would do over 130mph flat stick, but here we’re hitting 116mph along the back straight and due to its lack of fairing, 10mph down on the leading singles (and 13mph slower than the MV). Steve’s Manx also has a left-hand (race pattern) gear shift compared to some of the right shifters, which makes life easier. With just one 25-minute qualifying session, split between Steve and me and what ends up being just one race where we finish 19th (a snapped chain ends our second race prematurely) our track time is brief, but the racing was always going to be the icing on our Goodwood cake. Just being able to ride this incredible machine with the gods, the Le Mans starts, the huge crowd and the magic that is the Revival has made this a dream weekend for Steve and me.