Lost for 25 Years – Rare 1957 Norvin Motorcycle on the Lanes of Limerick | Season 5 – Episode 35
Wheels May 02, 2025
In 1949, Norton introduced the now-legendary Featherbed frame, quickly hailed as the finest-handling chassis of its time. Builders soon began creating hybrids, combining the best engines with the best frames. This gave rise to iconic machines like the Triton (Triumph engine in a Norton frame), Norbsa (Norton-BSA), and Tribsa (Triumph-BSA). But the ultimate hybrid? The Norvin — a powerhouse with a 998cc Vincent V-twin wedged into a Norton Featherbed frame. Our journey took us to County Limerick, where we met Roy Fox and his 1957 Norvin, lost to his family for 25 years.
BITE YOUR BALLS
Before diving into Roy’s story, consider the words of seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion John Surtees — often credited by many as the inspiration behind the Norvin — who famously said of the bike: “This one will bite your balls.” This machine is not for the faint-hearted!
NORVIN ORIGINS
Though rooted in British tradition, the Norvin owes its creation to both Irish and Australian ingenuity. The name itself — “Norton” and “Vincent” — tells the story. The Irish connection? Brothers Rex and Cromie McCandless from Hillsborough, County Down, who designed the Featherbed frame in 1947. Despite no formal engineering training, their frame revolutionised motorcycle handling.
The name “Featherbed” came from Isle of Man TT rider Harold Daniell, who described riding it as “like riding on a featherbed.” Norton adopted the design, using it in their racing and street bikes for decades.
The Australian link comes through Phil Irving, the engineer behind Vincent’s V-twin. Inspired by aligning two single-cylinder engine drawings side-by-side, Irving developed one of the fastest engines of its time, leading to the legendary Black Shadow and Black Lightning models.
NORVINS EMERGE
Norvins first appeared in the 1950s, typically crafted by dedicated home-builders. They quickly earned a reputation for unmatched speed and handling, but building one was costly, making them rare and exclusive.
ROY FOX
Roy Fox, born in Birmingham to an English mother and Irish father, has been passionate about bikes since childhood. Growing up with a mechanical engineer father, their home was filled with cars and bikes, and young Roy was hooked.
Now based in County Limerick, Roy has vivid memories of the Norvin his father once owned. He treasures childhood photos of himself sitting on the bike, his Aunt Breda by his side, and another of his father proudly astride it.
The story of how the Fox family came to own a Norvin begins in the late 1960s. At 17, Roy’s father, Tom, left Ireland for the UK, working as a mechanic at Richards & Wallington. The company, owned by TT racer Roy Richards, introduced Tom to a Norvin in Richards’ private collection. When Richards & Wallington collapsed in the late 1960s, Tom bought the Norvin and used it daily, helmetless, through all seasons. Eventually, in the mid-1970s, family needs forced him to trade it for a Rover P5.
LEFT WITH MEMORIES
With the Norvin gone, Roy was left with only memories. Some consolation came in 1972 when BIKE magazine launched the Ogri cartoon, featuring a rebellious biker riding a 1000cc Norvin called Armageddon — a machine that echoed Roy’s dreams.
LOST & FOUND
Fate stepped in. In 1997, the Fox family received a Christmas card — and on the front was Tom’s exact Norvin. Could it still exist? The discovery sparked a search that went on to last for a further 25 years. Then, by pure chance, while browsing cars at an auction, Roy spotted their Norvin. After a quarter-century, it was found!
When we asked why he wanted it so badly, Roy said, “I just had to have it — now everything’s in alignment.” In December 2022, he won the auction, and by January 2023, the Norvin was back in his Limerick workshop.
NORVIN KEEPERS
Roy’s Norvin is registered as a 1957 build, with a 1947 998cc Vincent HRD engine and a Norton Featherbed frame of unknown year.
The first owner kept the Norvin from 1957 to 1989. Roy later spoke with the widow of that owner, who told him her husband and a close friend spent over thirty years partially restoring the bike before his death aged 90.
The second owner dismantled and rebuilt it between 1989 and 2000. Brian Purdy, the third owner, rebuilt the engine in 2001, but it was never filled with oil, started, or given a wiring loom.
THE REBUILD
As the fourth owner, Roy initially thought the job would be simple: fit a wiring loom, do some light recommissioning work, and start the engine. But every Norvin is unique, and challenges soon followed.
Roy installed a new wiring loom and had Boyer Bransden Electronics in England custom-build the electrical box for the fluted electronic ignition. He upgraded from a dynamo to an alternator with a matching regulator. There’s no ignition key — just toggle switches for the headlight and kill switch, discreetly placed in a recess in the seat. The all-aluminium tank is a beauty, with oil on the right and petrol on the left.
When the engine was first started, disaster struck. A dropped valve hit the piston, causing top-end damage. Roy sourced replacement parts, flushed the engine, and began repairs, crediting his father Tom — without his expertise, the Norvin wouldn’t have run again.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The 998cc engine is now rebuilt. When we visited Roy, he was mid oil change, carefully breaking in the engine. He’s riding the first 500 miles under 30 mph, aiming to do 1,000 miles before pushing it further.
When asked what it’s like to ride, Roy grinned: “Like riding a dinosaur — rigid, unforgiving, pure old-school.” Starting it involves a decompression lever and a strong kick. Unsure at first, Roy was shown the ropes by a 79-year-old motorcycling veteran.
Keep an eye out for Roy and his Norvin cruising the lanes of Limerick this summer.
Check out our previous video story on The Genius of Rex McCandless
If you have an idea for a story, please email Kevin Reid [email protected]
Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Bike Bound
Classic Sidecar Road Racing Facebook page – Mike Richard’s
Return of the Café Racers – Gordon Calder
Silo Drome
Timeless 2 Wheels
