Norton Manx rethinks the single-cylinder sportsbike

What is it with transportation design students and dead British motorcycle brands? Actually, it looks like David Mucci was part of the same College for Creative Studies design program that generated the Vincent Nero concept, so it shouldn't be a surprise that his Manx shares some of the same inspiration and bulbous café racer-inspired shapes. David envisions a reborn Manx Norton, but with up-to-date tech for a more modern riding experience.
Like the bike it's inspired by, the Norton Manx would use a 500cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, but this time with a supercharger. David envisions clever fins extending through the supercharger inlet to aid cooling. We’re less convinced about the other mechanical solutions he proposes — the anti dive brakes look like they'd add a whole lot of unsprung weight and the rear rim-mounted brake discs redefine the term 'overkill' — but we do like the bike's simple, handsome forms. The rear seat unit is a particular highpoint, cleverly incorporating the taillight into the single-color unit and the tailpipes really complement the whole thing.

David's Cross-Over Clamp idea is interesting, bolting the forks through just the lower portion of the triple clamp then bracing them. He hopes this design would reduce fork length and therefore weight. We're not sure if that would work, but the way the headlight mount is incorporated as a clamp brace is well executed.

David works as an illustrator for our friends at 0-60 Magazine, but we hope to see more motorcycle designs from him in the future.

David Mucci