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1969 Article: Norton Manx Scrambler - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test
Original, vintage magazine articlePage Size: Approx. 8\" x 11\" (21 cm x 28 cm) each pageCondition: Good
THE NORTON MANX SCRAMBLERA Fond Look Back At a Champion’s MachineWHILE THE NORTON MANX has assumed legendaryfame in road racing circles, it is not widely known inthe United States that English scrambles ace LeslieArcher won the 500-cc European motocross championship ona Manx scrambler in 1956. It was a cat of different color to besure, but unmistakably Manx in breeding. Just as the roadracer held up for years and years as the supreme tool in itssport, so did the Manx scrambler. But it was an expensive tool,which perhaps explains its relative lack of notoriety. Archerfelt that the bike had commercial possibilities, but the Nortonfactory, with which he worked hand in hand, opined that theprojected price of $1200 was too high to risk production!How ironic it is that riders now will readily pay from $1300 to$1800 for production two-stroke 360s and special-framedfour-strokes. Up until a few years ago, this remarkablemotorcycle would have held its own against all but the bestfactory-sponsored machinery.It is no surprise that Archer worked with the Manx so long,as have several other aces, including former Swiss championAlbert Courajod. A long, warm love affair it must have been,between these scrambles riders and their Manxes, for one mustinevitably fall in love with the machine on seeing it for thefirst time. It is virile metal, and it sounds so sweet.Archer, now 40 years old, \"hung it up\" little more than ayear ago after a distinguished (and phenomenal) 21 years inmotocross. The test machine was one of his last two, both ofwhich he sold to Americans, the other being powered with ashort-stroke Manx engine. As such, it represents more than 10years of refinement on the original Manx scrambler, conceivedby Archer and mechanic Ron Hankin.While bearing some similarity to the road racing frame forwhich Norton became famous, the frame on the Archerscrambler is not entirely of \"Featherbed\" construction. Forone thing, it does not have a double toptube. When Nortonand Archer undertook the drive for the European title (at thetime there was no world championship), it was decided thatsingle toptube construction on the scrambler would keep themachine narrow, an attribute which is not so necessary on aroad racer, but is at a premium in rough going where the rideris going to be changing position all the time, voluntarily orinvoluntarily; also, it is easier to grip a narrow tank with theknees than a wide one. A double toptube is not all that wide,but it would prevent wrapping the gas tank around the framefor narrowness and lowness and cut fuel capacity.The double-loop cradle is featherbed-like, with the nearvertical attitude of both front and rear downtube sections andthe spacing kept narrow between loops. However, the down-tubes are made to arc away from the steering head in order toclear the large 21-in. wheel. The compactness of the loopshape and the narrow distance between loops (allowing use ofshort, stubby cross members) can only contribute to rigidityand strength. In this regard, it is also worth noting the giganticbox gusset at the steering head. Looking back through theyears at the earlier Archer scramblers, one sees that this hasbecome ever larger with the passing of each season, suggestingthat the champion kept a welder close by as he began hismarch down the championship trail.
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