Under The Hammer - ex Jimmie Guthrie, Francis Beart Manx Norton

It's not very often that such a fine racing motorbike comes up for auction. Actually, I guess that every year, there are plenty of significant racing motorbikes that sell at auction, but when you're a Norton guy, like myself, there's not many of this level.

Bonham's Auction House will be wheeling this machine up onto the stage in Las Vegas on January 8th, and some rich snob is going to shell out an astronomical amount of money for it. Last year, a Beart Manx sold for just over 100k, and set a record for Manx Norton's at auction. Rest assured that I personally think these bikes are worth that money, and my snide comment about some "rich snob", is simply rooted in jealousy. It'd be great if a normal guy like myself could someday have a chance to own such a piece.

I won't bore you with the details about the bike, as Bonham's does a great job describing it in their listing, which you can find here: Beart Manx

I pulled a couple of their fine photos because I truly love how this bike looks sans fairing.

And of course, that absolutely stunning petrol tank, which was nicknamed "Sabrina". If ever there was love at first sight, this is what it'd look like. And when her name is Sabrina, well, I don't think I need to say much more.

So many details in this machine, it's pretty mind blowing. The extremely lightened rear hub, frame and even the rear brake pedal. The front brake has a very interesting set up on the actuating arms, and they looks as if they engage pulling in towards each other. There's also an adjustable bracket that acts as a positive stop on the actuating arms. I could literally pour over this bike forever and never lose interest.