What engine to power a Featherbed frame?

[Hinny]

Of course, you could forget about twins and go for a nice big single thumper from one of the big trailies and make a Manx "replica"!

Good little project for you to idle away some of your spare time.

[Eurodave]

I would think a BMW motor would slot in there very easily....

Hell yeah, & then I could put all the standard Beemer bits back on &............ be just like the rest of you sheep on your mass market,cookie cutter ,seen one youve seen em all bikes

[BMWST?]

Could you shoehorn a Ducati engine in ?

A Yamaha TRX 850 or 900 should be worth a look.

thats what i was gonna say....

[James Deuce]

thats what i was gonna say....

Me too.

Just planting that idea has made one of my debit cards melt, and my cheque book is curling around the edges.

Imagine it. Big giant 6 shoe drum brake, hand stitched leather seat, Ceriani forks, Ikon shocks. Big round headlight, clip-ons, rear sets, twin megaphones.

Someone give me some cash.

[Hinny]

....twin megaphones.

...

Mmmmmmmmmmmm I like that idea.

[Pussy]

Yamaha XS 650 twin engine!

[The Pastor]

how about the godden? - should be able to get one in britian

[ntst8]

There were a few 850 Norton Commandos in featherbeds that I beleive were always a good combo...

Some rigid mounted, and some complete with isolastics like this one, not that i'm biased but you could do worse.
Just noticed the copyright symbol on the pic - copied off www.ntnoa.org where it was posted by the owner, with a full story on the build.

[Paul in NZ]

Go completely nuts.

Put an old JAP speedway engine in it...

[Motu]

A Commando engine needs the Atlas crank if rigidly mounted in a featherbed I am told.I had an Atlas cranked Commando/Combat engine getting ready to go into my 99,but the tweaked 600 was ample for me really.

As Paul mentioned some time ago,the featherbed is a long frame and looks silly with a small engine - it's needs an engine with no thought given to size....and an AMC gearbox to get the power to the wheel.

[gavinnz]

Thanks for all the ideas.

My thoughts,.... rambling as they might be were as follows...

Vincent twin... great. Ultimate, but can't justfy the expense of an engine...
Harley Sportster.... iron or evo.. with heads turned...
Then I briefly thought about a XV920 engine...
The moved onto a Vincent Comet engine which would be cheaper to get but still a heap of money...
Now I am thinking about a Guzzi Falcone engine from the 1950/60's.
This is one I have not seen done!
In Mick Walkers book "Moto Guzzi singles" their is a pic of a racing Guzzi 500 Albatros single engined featherbed taken in 1955. Thats the nearest I have got to one.

The Manx frame has 600mm of room from the swinging arm forward to the front down tube..... and a Falcone engine is 620mm long... so not a straight fit but not so far out as to not be doable with a few mods.

I need to find about more about the Lowboy version of the Featherbed frame as if it is indeeed lower it might suit the lay down engine more?

Other engines that I have seen or heard of going into a Featherbed are...
Ariel Square four.
Panther (engine replacing the front down tubes)
Some nutter with a Aprillia 1000 V twin!

Later
Gavin

[Motu]

I've seen a Hillman Imp in one (on Waiheke Island)...if you don't like a Hillman Imp engine,you could try a Coventry Climax instead.Maybe even a fire pump engine if you could find one.

[Paul in NZ]

I've seen a Hillman Imp in one (on Waiheke Island)...if you don't like a Hillman Imp engine,you could try a Coventry Climax instead.Maybe even a fire pump engine if you could find one.

Outboard motor engine... big merc v6 stroker

[nudemetalz]

What about a GB500? You could tune it with a 600cc kit and get at least as much hp as a Manx with the same sound (ish) but with reliability.

[James Deuce]

What about a GB500? You could tune it with a 600cc kit and get at least as much hp as a Manx with the same sound (ish) but with reliability.

It's too wee. It would be lost in a gaping hole designed for a pre-unit gearbox engine.