Pop ● Pop ● Pop

This was a bike that was built originally to be raced, so that’s all it’s done its entire life.

WRITTEN BY STEPH VETTERLY PHOTOS COURTESY MOTORCYCLECLASSICS.COM

If you’ve ever been to an AHRMA road race, chances are you’ve seen this rider and this bike, and an even better chance that you see them on the top step of the podium. We got a chance to chat with Alex McLean about the 1937 Norton Manx he rides in the Pre-1940 class and Class C Footshift, and learn a little about its history. This bike has enough details and stories to fill a book, and we recognize that we’ve only scratched the surface of this unique piece of history.

The Norton Manx was originally developed in 1937 with the sole purpose of winning the Isle of Man TT. The project was delayed until 1946 as World War II took center stage. This particular machine, lovingly referred to by Alex as the “Old Boy,” is actually a predecessor to the final Manx racing model. Built by Stu Rogers in England, the Old Boy is a long-stroke, single overhead cam Manx. It’s a rigid bike with girder forks, so there’s little to no suspension. While the frame was cobbled together by Stu, the engine is a true factory race engine, complete with magnesium cases. To help make the bike as light as possible, Stu drilled holes everywhere he didn’t need metal. Complete with 19” wheels, the bike has very little brakes, and still utilizes mechanical points instead of an electronic ignition system.

Stu met Bob McKeever, who not only purchased the Manx from him, but also decided to sponsor him as a racer. Stu would make the journey across the pond, where Bob would have everything prepared and ready – all Stu had to do was race. After a while, he made the decision to stop coming over, which left Bob in search of a rider.

Enter Alex McLean. Working as a photographer in New York in the early 1990’s, Bob noticed that Alex was doing incredibly well on his Suzuki X6 250 in the 250GP class and decided to make an offer. In telling the story of his first experiences with the Manx, Alex noted that it was a real handful. It would shake around, instilling very little confidence in its abilities to safely get up to speed. Alex finally discovered the secret – moving your bodyweight three inches over the handlebars, things settled down. Then everything changed; Alex went from playing catch-up to winning race after race, then championship after championship.

Despite being a very reliable and faithful machine, Alex admits he does break down occasionally, but it’s very rare. He has had to DNF due to electrical problems, has had the engine loosen in the frame, the carburetor has broken itself off, engine cases have broken due to vibration; parts are old, and they eventually give out and need replaced. He makes sure not to push the bike any more than is necessary, especially off the track, which he feels has helped prolong the life of the machine. When he gets to hot tech, he lets the engine die, dismounts, and walks it all the way back to the pits, a lesson he learned from Dave Roper. Because the bike has a dry sump system, Alex also makes sure to change the oil every race.

It should be noted that Alex does not actually own the bike. After Bob McKeever passed in 2017, ownership of the Old Boy went to his son, Rob, who makes sure the bike gets a full once-over every year. Because

Alex is so gentle with the machine, maintenance is fairly low, requiring not much more than a new piston and occasionally some new valves. So why does Alex enjoy riding this machine so much? He explains that this bike really taught him how to ride a race bike. He enjoys the sounds and the smell. The single-cylinder motor gives a signature “pop, pop, pop” sound as he rides through the pits, eliciting looks and a thumbs-up from nearly everyone he rides by. The bike runs with vegetable oil instead of mineral oil, also referred to as Castrol R, and the castor bean oil brings back the real, old, racing smell.

While he’s never counted the number of races or championships he’s won, Alex believes this motorcycle has won more races than any bike in AHRMA, for sure since the beginning of the organization. Including the races that Stu won before Alex jumped on board, it may in fact be one of the most winningest road race bikes ever.