The Featherlastic
The Featherlastic
Building the perfect Norton
MARK HOYER
FOR NORTON FANATICS, this may be the perfect motorcycle. The depth of mythology that envelops and elevates certain characteristics of the Norton brand runs deep and carries high the notion that Britain led the two-wheeled world for decades. But Norton never made the leap to combine the two best qualities of its bikes: the legendary handling of the Featherbed frame and the equally fabulous smoothness provided to its big paral let-Twin as cradled by the Commando's Isolastic rubber engine mounts.
Which is precisely the motivation behind the Featherlastic.
Yes, “handling” of most vintage bikes is at best stimulating, then easily weaves toward terrifying. But anyone who has ever tried a Featherbed knows the meaning of “sweet.” And while the Commando is a good-handling vintage bike, it is not sweet in the same magical way that the Featherbed is.
But at least it won’t shake your molars out.
Featherlastic owner Bob Cox isn’t the first to try this holiest of marriages but is perhaps in possession of one of the finest rolling examples of the old Norton brand’s best
qualities. First off, this is just the kind of bike that seduces a CW editor whose office happens to be in the archives to dive into said archives in search of period documentation that records nascent icon status, such as the 1968 test of the Norton Commando: “Even in basic form, the Commando embodies an extravaganza of delectable qualities that leave riders talking in a lengthy superlative. Undoubtedly, never before has a motorcycle offered such smoothness combined with such power.”
Yeah, baby, England is swingin’! But this wasn’t the first of it. Way back in the 1962 test of the Featherbed-framed 650cc Manxman it was said that, “Norton has been in the racing game for 50 years, and their line of mass-produced sports/touring machines reflects the things they have learned on the Grand Prix circuits of Europe. This is particularly true in the area of roadholding and braking, and in these categories they have no equal.” Added later in the same test: “Whatever else may be said of the Norton engine, it can be honestly stated that it is set into the finest frame-and-suspension package that can be purchased today.”
Cripes, mate, where do I sign up? Similar praise was heaped on the 750 Atlas in ’63, but the displacement jump
by the time of that test had laid on the shakes that commanded Commando rubberization. After knowing all this, who wouldn't want a Featherlastic? Mr. Cox is the quintessential Norton fanatic and had a couple of award-winning Commando restorations under his belt. "I wanted another project and had thought of doing something with a Featherbed," he says. "But I didn't want to do a Triton because using a Triumph engine is sacrilegious to a Norton fan." He found his salvation in another man's salvage when he bought a seized 750 Combat engine-the Commando's high-performance variant-for 50 bucks at a garage sale. Only it wasn't seized, just prepped for (probably) dirt-track racing with high compression, a seri ously shaved-to-nothing lightweight crankshaft, titanium valve gear and lots of other nice work. It did need a rebuild, though, and because Cox was going Isolastic, he went with a stock, unshaved crank to preserve the balance factor in effect when Isolastics were designed, in an effort to ensure the smooth, powerful experience he was looking for. The head and cases went to England for work from specialist Les Emery of Norvil Motorcycles, with final assembly perfomed by Cox. "It is a highly tuned engine," he says.
Like any good project, it wasn't a slam dunk. "It took me a couple of years just to collect the parts for it," says the Dallas-area resident. After trying unsuccessfully several times to buy a "slim line" Norton Featherbed frame on eBay, one finally showed up at a North Texas Norton Owners Association meeting in the hands of a fellow club member. But having a frame and engine does not a Featherlastic make. This is where AMR-Alternative Motorcycle Repair-of Tucson, Arizona, comes in. Shop owner Mike Haracourt led the fab
For a step-by-step build diary of the Featherlastic Norton, log on to www.cycleworld.com
ricating charge responsible for the adaptation of the Isolastic mounts to the Featherbed frame, plus he made the plates that hold the engine and trans together as a rubber-mounted package. The main trick is allowing the engine and trans to float while keeping the Feather’s swingarm mounted to the frame (key to good handling) while also keeping the chain on the sprockets as the engine boogies around and the rear wheel doesn’t. This isn’t a problem on the Commando, of course, because the swingarm is mounted to the engine-carrier portion.
During a visit to the shop to see the work in progress,
Cox met up with Haracourt and his pal Randy Ullery, “who pioneered this design after riding each other’s bikes-Mike’s Atlas and Randy’s Commando-and wondered how you might combine the smoothness of Commando Isolastics with the superior handling of the Atlas Featherbed frame.” This is when Cox got his first taste of what was to come as he rode Haracourt’s own 750 Combat-powered Featherlastic.
“The next 20-mile stretch of road was the biggest thrill I’ve ever experienced on a motorcycle-one turn after another, up and down hills with positive and negative g’s galore,” he recalls. “Mike’s Featherlastic was extremely smooth and responsive and the Isolastics worked to perfection. This was my first ride on a Featherbed frame and all I can say is that it felt like it was on rails.”
As the project progressed, the usual problems cropped
up. Like on the ’67 Atlas frame, the oil tank and toolbox typically ride on the rear engine mount plates, but because these were now moving à la Commando, another means of anchoring them to the frame was needed. So Cox devoted lots of time to bracketry, but also to all the other sundry bits that make the motorcycle, from the Boyer electronic ignition to the Podtronics solid-state voltage regulator.
The Manxman steel fuel tank came courtesy of eBay, while the headlight shell is original Atlas. A rear fender was dug up locally and then there was the seating issue. “1 went
through two alloy humped seats before finding the right one,” he says of the modified Unity Equipe saddle.
“I went to extreme lengths to keep the bike as Norton as possible,” says Cox. “It has a Triumph centerstand and an aftermarket Harley coil on it.”
The rest is pure, “unapproachable” Norton.
Development does continue, however. The nylon blocks used to keep the chain aligned do the job, but there are other issues. “The thing I am trying to work out now is that when the engine is under load it wants to torque to the side,” admits Cox. “I lose clearance between the kickstart lever and the sweptback pipes. We looked at adding another forward Isolastic mount, but I’ve decided to go with something similar to the tie-links used on the rubber-mount Sportster. These metal/rubber links allow the engine to move in the vertical plane, but limit the side-to-side travel. I'm going to add one of those to the bottom.”
So even after four years of work, the bike still isn’t exactly finished. “The project took about twice as long and was about twice as complicated as I originally thought,” he says. “It is an experimental motorcycle so sorting it out continues, but the Isolastics and chain guides work great and the Featherbed frame seems to sense in advance where you want it to go.” Sounds like at least one Norton fanatic has his perfect motorcycle, even if it is an ongoing process. □
