Oh dear! I'm sorry I found this photo online...........

Little Honda

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At least your project has a British theme to it. Other than a Commando gearbox, my poor Comet engine is surrounded by parts from BMW,Yamaha, Suzuki,Honda, and Ducati. No idea what to call it.... desperately need some vowels.
What about "Space Comet"? Consisting of all known bike elements.
 

Cyborg

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Strange... I never noticed that kickstart lever before. Yikes it is long.
I bought one of these. Doesn't have a detent and just relies on friction from the bolt to keep it from flopping around. We'l see how that works out, but probably less annoying than having the stock Norton lever against my knee.
 

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Bill Thomas

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I am absolutely with you, Eric, most of the moaners have never ridden a GOOD (!!) Norvin. There are
big differences of getting a Vincent engine in a featherbed frame - and it should be a featherbed,
not any other Norton frame! Do I see correctly on yr pic: Have you cut the front down tubes?
Well, I think, that spoils the featherbed! Admittedly, it has been a trend in the sixties, to put your
feet on rests which were 8 inches in front of the rear axle and have clip-ons fitted half way between
upper and lower fork bridges. Ask one of these "engineers", to sit and ride on their specials today,
in their seventies! No, first condition, when building a Norvin, you must maintain the riding position
as intended by the Norton factory! Then, only then, you will experience a "featherbed ride", which
is comfortable and effortless, condition to be fast. And, believe me, you don´t have to cut anything
from a Vincent engine - twin or single alike - to put it nicely into a featherbed.
I have build my Norvin after 30 years on original Vincents and am absolutely convinced, it´s a big
improvement to the standard Vincent. And I haven´t met anybody, until now, who was not fascinated
by its good looks, especially those, who know nothing about Vincents, at all.
And finally, what moaners use to forget: What would they do in the early sixties, when they damaged their
Vincent in an accident? Norton framework was far cheaper than Vincent spares. And all those, who could
not afford a complete Vincent, might have solved their financial problem by some nice engineering, using
a featherbed, lying around somewhere?
Nice, Can we see the other side, Cheers Bill.
 

ericg

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Hi Michael, please look again at the pic. The frame isn't a Featherbed, it's an A10 frame and there is no way to squeeze a Comet engine into a BSA frame unless you fit it upright and you then end up with an ugly thing or you cut out the down tubes and you hang it, Vincent fashion.
That's what I'm doing .
My Norvin (below) still has a standard Norton frame.
I'm lucky enough to have EV3 (which is the first Egli sold to a customer by Fritz) in my garage when it's in need of some work. If you look at the Egli and the Norvin side by side you'll see that the Egli engine is far higher than the Norvin one. Actually it sits two inches higher.
On the Norvin, the center of oil quill is 335mm from the ground Peter.
About the riding position, I use swan neck clip-ons and rear sets and the machine is comfortable enough
up to 400 miles a day which is my limit now. But remember the Featherbed has been designed as a racing frame in the first place.
I love your Norvin Michael.
Cheers.
Eric
26507
 

Little Honda

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Nice, Can we see the other side, Cheers Bill.
A tricky question, Bill! Most of us taking fotos fm the sunny side. But I found 2. The one from 2012 was shortly
after completion (bike has passed some changes during fllg. years, like cast inlet studs instead welded ones)
and 2014 was at the German Rally. Some details: rear brake: Ducati GT750, clutch: Norton-type, Hegeler made,
32mm Mk1 Concentrics, folding BMW- footrests. Magneti Marelli 90W dynamo (licenced by Bosch), 12V battery under gearbox, double ignition, electronics by Sachse. MkII cams, 8:1 cr, LED lights all-round.
Main stand: shortened Moto Guzzi 850, side stand: KAWASAKI 650. One engine bolt is hollowed titanium from
a Hayabusa. By the years, rider has been accepted by the bike.
 

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Mike 40M

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I don't believe that the mass centralization obtained by replacing the Manx engine with a Vincent twin will make it better handling. Anyhow don't have a Vincent twin engine to put in one of my featherbeds.
 
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