NORTON M30 - 'MANX'
Norton signed Geoff Duke (OBE) to race their Manx Norton's in 1950. The bike was equipped with the softly sprung featherbed chassis, designed by Rex McCandless which gave superior road holding on the tight street circuit. Geoff was an exceptional racer who would win three world championships for Norton as well as winning four TT's; back to back senior races (500c.c.) in 1950 and 1951, together with back to back junior (350c.c.) races in 1951 and 1952.
Geoff Duke on works Norton - Isle of Man TT
Video courtsey of Duke Media Limited
At the end of 1950 Formula 3 started, and with an engine capacity limit of 500c.c. the Norton engine that powered the M30 became a very popular choice for drivers and teams due to the significant power advantage it had over competitor engines.
For information and to follow the project progress, please click on the 'MANX' logo at the start of the page.
Geoff would go on to win a further three world championships, two additional TT's and countless other victories, he also turned his racing skills to sports cars became a driver for Aston Martin.
Norton would continue competing the TT but the Italian bikes from the mid 50's started to take over Norton's domination.
Our current project is a 1:4 scale model of the Manx Norton motorcycle. The model, based on the 1952 TT winner, will be manufactured to the finest detail with a fully working single cylinder DOHC just like the original.
The Manx Norton was an iconic racing version of the Norton International which proved hugely successful in the 1940's and 1950's. It was developed specifically for the Isle of Man TT in which Norton contested since the very first in 1907. Two versions of the racer were produced, an M30 which was 500c.c. and an M40 which 350c.c.
