The 16H isn't finished yet so I thought I'd get another Norton single to mess about with 
I was actually looking for an International as it would have lights and a kickstart, but this 500cc long stroke Manx came along that has been on display for 20 years and I had to have it. The bloke started it easily with an electric roller and it is ear splittingly loud.
But the good news is he had an old 16H engine in his garage and he gave me the tappet cover that I needed
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
hi dave ,well done you, that's a beauty,so a bit of racing coming up?i hope you enjoy a piece of history
you are only here once
cheers rick
email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com
Hi Dave..Great looking bike...Get some baffles and a kickstart fitted and register it for the road. It would be great on the A roads. I can't understand why more Manxes aren't used like that.Perfect for a sunny Sunday thrash...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Dave,
Excellent! Ride it instead of store it.......
Long live the longstrokes!
Regards,
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@hotmail.com
Thanks all,
Hi Rick, it is a part of history but so are the WD bike we love here too. You've only here once was exactly my thoughts on it.
Hi Ian, I know a few people with Manx's and all they do is take it to a show in a van, start it up with a crowd around them, then put it in the van and take it home. What's the point of doing that. I always said if I got one I'd use it on the road. So that's what I'm going to do
The bloke delivered it yesterday evening and stayed quite a while chatting which was great. But as soon as he went it was out the garage being bumped up and down the road. It spluttered but didn't start..! I'm sure to the relief of the neighbours. My mate was gasping for breath with exhaustion, and I thought I need an electric roller starter..! So if you know of one for sale, I need it
Hi Bill, If I do ever get it started I'll try and put it on You-Tube. It was so loud, I couldn't stand behind it.
Great picture Sven, is that you..? I missed buying an Inter like that a month ago, it was a 1948. The difference, of course, is the Manx is double overhead cam. I think the long stroke looks and sounds much nicer than the short strokes. The bloke did have a short stroke that he did offer me if I didn't want mine. It had all the modern conversions, belt primary, coil spring instead of hairpin springs etc. His Lansdowne Manx as he called it. But that wasn't what I wanted.
The rivet counters will know things aren't quite as they should be. The welded frame should have a short stroke engine but a quick phone call to Jerry Summerfield, has revealed that the engine has probably had a big bore conversion making it about 600cc long stroke, about 86x100
They've all been raced, blown up, crashed and repaired.... so it's as original as Trigger's broom from Only fools n horses, 5 new heads and 3 new handles, but still the original broom
It has more in common with a WD bike than you'd think
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
An ELECTRIC starter roller? Surely you jest!?! Why not get a 16H motor and rig up a roller system? That would be the coolest thing! 
But seriously, your Manx is glorious! That front brake is gorgeous. What particular variant is that, if you don't mind?
the cheapest roller starter is the double roller that you put your car wheel in and spin up the bike that way check that your car doesnt have a limited slip diff otherwise it would be you that disapear up the road
email (option): roger.beck@node6.com
Thanks Kevin, I've got a Big 4 stationary engine so I might have a use for it now I think that will be just as hard to start with a hand cranking handle.
The bike is about a '53
Hi Roger, I wouldn't get a car in my garage so I need one with a motor. We've just had another go at starting it up and down the road without success, and one more knackered mate Now I'm going through everything to make sure it's correct and working before I do it again. The new plug isn't sparking well so I've changed that. I now have a blue spark. The points gap is over 15 thou so I'm going to re-do it all. I'm sure there's a technique to starting it as well, as the carb is either on or off, no tick-over.
It just shows you can get anything to run on an electric roller.
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
Here's a photo of my '60 dominator 99:
I used to have a Commando Production Racer.
Kevin
Keep up the good work chaps. I've become increasingly bored with reading about samey old BSAs !
Kevin, your UK tax disc should be mounted on the near-side (left in the UK) front of the vehicle, otherwise the boys in blue will be 'having a word'
I'm a little envious, Horror. Gissago, Mister !
The starting rollers are easy to make, you just need to buy 4 plummer block bearings, (2 bolt type) and a couple of 4 ft lengths of 2" diameter round bar and some angle iron to mount the blocks on. Get an engineering company to reduce the ends of the round bar to fit inside the bearings and get them to put a thread in the ends to put some large diameter washers to hold them in the blocks (It would be a good idea to try to get them to knurl the bar for about the last 2 feet) Mount them on a piece of angle iron about 8"-9" apart. Drive your car onto one side of them and put the back wheel of your bike on them and simply hold the clutch in 3rd or 4th gear in until the rollers are revolving and slowly let out the clutch. See the sketch below
email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com
If you have a front wheel drive car and the bike is a difficult starter, be aware that these things are pretty damned hard on driveshaft constant-velocity joints !
A couple of years ago (I was driving a Mini 850 at that time) I made a similar device. One day my brother's Ducati 900 SS had a flat battery, and I thought I had a good idea... We took out the rollers, put the Mini's front wheel on one side, the Duke's back wheel on the other side. I revved the engine of my Mini and when my brother let out the clutch of his bike the engine of the Mini nearly stalled! We tried several times, but the Mini didn't have the power to turn over the Duke's engine! 
Jan
email (option): wd.register@gmail.com
Kevin - Nice Dommie, good to see one which isn't silver and black. Pic below of my ES2, same year but with the correct number of cylinders
I am slowly replacing the tinware with correct items.
Horror - you lucky so and so.
Lovely bike Kevin, I've got a 1960 99 as well, but mine's been painted silver and it should look like yours. I've thought about respraying the tank and one day I might get around to it. It certainly looks good like that
Thanks Dave for the drawing, I really need an electric one. I need to be able to start it on my own, the ones I've seen have a foot switch. You back the bike on it and start it with the foot switch and go. They're lots of money to buy but I'm sure it can be made.
Hi Iain, great bike, my ES2 is a plunger, love it
I didn't realise there were so many Norton nuts on this site
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
This will restore some sanity to this post.. ..see if you can 'pick the bones' out of this one!..Note the number plate..it's fully road legal..well..sort of!..Ian 
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Seeing as we are on the subject of Nortons.. ..Is anyone looking for a Dominator project?...There is a nice one up for sale in my area...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Ian, Ummm I don't know about restoring sanity....? I think you've proved that BSA owners ARE mad
That is a crazy bike, what is that head and barrels? Not sure about the seat, why is it like that?
I love the rest of it. Tell us more
Hi Dave, You make it sound easy to make up a starter. You just go in the garage and 1/2 hour later you've knocked one up. Sounds like an episode of the "A" TEAM I might see if I can find a second hand one, if not I'll be down the scrap yard finding bits of angle iron
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
Hi Dave..M33 frame, C11G gearbox with swinging arm gearbox ratios, Newby belt drive/clutch, total loss Pazon Electronic ignition, modified B31/33 bottom end with BSA flywheels, needle roller big end and Carrillo rod, Forged 90mm piston, smoothbore Mk2 Amal carb...converted to chain driven DOHC and running a modified Jawa top end..Not much weight and 50 plus BHP.
The bike belongs to a friend of mine..I can't take credit for it, though I machined the electronic ignition housing from solid and made some contributions at the 'brainstorming' stage whilst sorting out how to do the chain drive conversion and some of the other details...Gold Stars, Triumph and other twins and all Japanese singles are on the 'breakfast menu' for this bike on the A roads..it's a flyer!!
It's been sprinted..done track days and is used on the road for a bit of fun....
The seating arrangements are under review...the present arrangement gave you somewhere to sit when the bike was first built and it's taken some time to come back to it...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
I had my first ride on a cafe racer today. My friends son just bought this 1960 Easy two. He hasn't even ridden a bike before. I must admit I only went to the end of his road and back. Never got out of first gear and only 30 mph and they had to help me on and off it. But I rode it and it sounds great Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
You also look great Ron... And the bike too!!
That bike looks great Ron..Back in my teens we used to cafe race everything and I still love 'the look'..not sure how far I could ride bent into that position now though ..
I'm frequently tempted to build another A10 cafe racer along the same lines...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Ian, I can see that bike is light, 50bhp is amazing, great idea and work gone into the engine. I'd love to see how it went
Ron, I can imagine you outside the Ace Cafe on that 
lovely looking bike. How long will you be stuck in that position..?
I know this is a WD forum and we love talking about them, but it's been great seeing other peoples bikes besides the khaki green ones
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
Hi Dave,
Indeed, that's me on a 1939 Manx SOHC.
I've done some classic roadracing in the past on exotic Nortons.
Nice picture Ron!
Regards,
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@hotmail.com
Hi Kevin, this thread didn't start on topic so I don't think you can stray any more of it 
I was going to ask you if you could send me some pics of your paint work. People have all sort of interpretations of "Dove Grey" and I think there's a pinstripe between the 2 colours on the tank but not sure what colour that is?
Yes my Dommie has a Monoblock carb, I've had the bike about 5 years and I've never had the carb apart. I can look up the settings if you like.
It should be coil but mine has been changed to a mag. The mag was still an option if you wanted one.
If you e-mail me we can talk more.
Wow Sven, that is a gorgeous bike, That must have been such good fun and a dream come true
I can see the big fin barrels now in this picture. I thought it was a later bike because it has teles on it. Great pictures
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
Definitely off topic..and tending towards competition machinery..So, here is a nice picture of Bill Nicholson at the 1947 Manx on the works, all alloy, B29/30 developement bike which ultimately became the production 1949 ZB32A Gold Star. It appears the works riders got better front brakes than the 'punters' and swinging arm suspension 7 years before it was in the dealers!...and it looks like Bill's wearing DR boots so maybe not entirely off topic!.Ian 
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com