THE NORTON FEATHERBED

This Motorcycle design did not originate at the Bracebridge Street Norton factory as many thought. It was Irishman Rex McCandless, who in the 1940's was not impressed with the handling of the many bikes he owned over the bumpy twisting roads around Belfast. He set about designing his own frames starting with a weldedup tubular duplex loop, these being the main members taken under the engine and gearbox and lead back up to the steering head where the loop started.

A Triumph T100 engine canted forward at 45 degrees with gearbox behind and his own design of swinging arm suspension together with Citroen dampers and springs attached. Rex then converted many rigid bikes to his swinging arm design for other owners, in fact even BSA contracted him to convert their rigid factory competition machines. It was surprising that a factory the size of BSA hadn't discovered this improvement. With the success of his frames McCandless was able to tell Norton their bikes weren't unapproachable or 'the worlds best handling'; an advertising term used by them.

The 1949 racing season was not good for Norton, the pre-war designed 'Garden Gate' was difficult to handle under racing conditions; of eight bikes taken to the Continent five came back with broken frames.

Rex knew he could produce a better frame for Norton starting production in 1949. The frame was not only designed to take the very well proven OHC engine but could also be used for the everyday production single and twin road bikes.

In 1949 to prove the handling performance on the new frame a machine was shipped to the Isle of Man for comparison and on a part of the course where the roads were not closed both frame types were compared. The story goes that the police had been tipped off to give them a clear run. Artie Bell was on the Featherbed; well-known and champion Geoff Duke on the Garden Gate works model. The road handling and comfort of the new design was so superior, the 1950 works models virtually swept the field that season.

The Featherbed got its name from works rider Harold Daniel, who at a prize-giving ceremony gave a remark that the bike was so comfortable it would be possible to go to sleep on it.

1953 was the first year of the Model 88 road production model, a twin cylinder 500cc. From that year almost all singles and twins up until the Commando in 1969 were produced with the McCandless designed Featherbed frame. While road frame tubes have been steel welded the OHC International and Manx frames have the frame tube joints bronze welded.

Bill Veitch

PS: there is much more historical information – this is a condensed version!