The Best In The First Four-stroke Offroad Motorcycle Era From Manx Norton 500

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 , Posted by Ridwanars at 1:21 AM

In this time four-stroke motocross machines are replace two-stroke, formerly two-strokey always dominate race competition since 1960. But age formerly two-stroke same like four-stroke, and then racer replaced it with motorcycle kind likes this. Differ from Harley Davidson that discussed in previous article, still has two-stroke motocross machines.

In the early 1960, offroad motorcycle bot more exclusive from hand-built Manx Norton 500cc offroader that has energy road racing engine. In the begining, brainchild makes this motorcycle comes from British that is Les Archer racer, frame builder Ron Hankin and engine tuner Ray Petty. Cooperation that done produce and prove the success, take Les Archer use hanskins-built Norton and beat European Motocross Championship in 1956, some years then be World Motocross Championship.

Instead of the tried-and-true long-stroke Norton engine he had used for years, Archer bolted a more powerful double-overhead-cam, short stroke road racing engine, prepared by Petty, into Hankins' custom frame. And take over they did. By the second half of the '60s, even exotic four-strokes like this one, with its aluminum tank and titanium axles, couldn't compete with the explosive power of lighter two-stroke bikes. See also at Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum