Number Four: 1950 Manx Norton – The FIVE GREATESTChoosing the five most influential motorcycles of all-time is no easy task. Which is why we picked six.

Photography by The Image Works

Pick number four is the 1950 Manx Norton, whose Rex McCandless-designed twin-loop, swingarm-and-telescopic-fork chassis, all-hydraulic damping, and forward rider and engine positions brought the best of everything together and showed the world how well they worked. It won only a single world title (1951) but forced the Italians at Gilera and MV to “Nortonize” because that was the True Path. Think of how many twin-loop Norton-style “Featherbed” chassis have since been built; everyone had to copy it. And it chased away unhappy half-ideas like girder, leading-link, sliding-pillar or spring-hub designs.

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