Excelsior Manxman Pictures
The Manxman, made by the oldest British motorcycle manufacturer, was introduced in 1935. It was the machine that was to differentiate Excelsior from those other companies that were producing two stroke lightweight machines. It first appeared as a 250cc single cylinder racer in the 1935 TT and was launched that year in 246cc and 349cc sizes. Both models shared a common stroke and were very well engineered machines.
All Manxman models were powered by a single overhead camshaft driven by bevels and shaft on the right hand side. Valve gear was fully enclosed, and the famous rocker box cover bore the classic Three Legs of Man insignia.
Many variants of the Manxman were available over the next few years, including the addition of a 496cc version in 1936.
Several Manxman sporting models were introduced showing the true racing heritage of the marque. Bronze heads, close-ratio gears and raised compression ratios were common features on these models.
The outbreak of the Second World War saw the end of the Manxman, as Excelsior resumed their production of lightweight machines after the war.
But the Manxman is still one of the truly beautiful motorcycles of the 1930s and many examples can still be found.
