Ken McIntosh Classic Racer 2020

highbury731

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VOC Member
There are a few inaccuracies in that article.
For example, the 1932 International Norton which McIntosh bought as a youth was one of several bikes stolen from Ken's workshop around 1986, and no trace of it was ever found.
His Egli-Vincent was also stolen that night. It should perhaps be termed a McIntosh-Vincent, because he made the frame himself (I believe that was his first frame build). The bike usually wore a large drum front brake, but in the mid '80s it was fitted with later forks and disc brakes to win a New Zealand 'Battle of the Twins' series with Hugh Anderson (yes, the triple world champion) on board, against young riders on the latest bikes. The engine of this bike was ransomed from the thieves, and he built a new 'Egli' frame for it. Another tid-bit about that bike is that it wears an HRD timing cover, but the engine is one of the brand-less late '49 ones and should technically have a plain timing cover (its number is adjacent to mine).
It was sort of handy that McIntosh makes replica featherbed Manx frames, because he needed one for the ex Peter Pawson 350 Manx. That bike was also stolen, the engine and gearbox ransomed, and he built a new rolling chassis for it.
There was a McIntosh Suzuki also stolen that day, but its seat was removed at the time of the raid, and being rather a distinctive bike, was perhaps regarded as un-saleable. It was found dumped a few days later.
I am actually rather pleased to read that the 1950 works Norton was re-built by Ken. Those early works featherbeds had a whole lot of McCandless details on them that are VERY special, and lost on the later bikes built in the Norton race shop. Ken McIntosh knows a whole heap about ohc Nortons.
Paul
 
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