The featherbed frame was a motorcycle frame invented by the McCandless brothers and offered to the British Norton motorcycle company to improve the performance of their racing motorcycles in 1950. It was considered revolutionary at the time, and the best handling frame that a racer could have. Later adopted for Norton production motorcycles, it was also widely used by builders of custom hybrids such as the Triton, becoming legendary and remaining influential to this day.
1950s-era Manx Norton styled replica built for the 1990s named Manxman, using a replica Featherbed frame constructed to special order by BSA
"Triton." A Triumph 650 cc pre-unit engine and gearbox in a wideline Norton Featherbed frame
An unrelated and irrelevant Triumph-BSA off-roader
Chris Vincent's 1958 National Championship-winning NorBSA grasstrack sidecar outfit, a Manx Norton rolling chassis powered by a BSA A10 (650 cc) engine and gearbox, fitted with clip-on handlebars and rear-set foot-rests, it was also used for road racing needing only a change of tyres
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. At the front of the frame is found the steering head tube that holds the pivoting front fork, while at the rear there is a pivot point for the swingarm suspension motion. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing stressed member; while some other bikes do not use a single frame, but instead have a front and a rear subframe attached to the engine.
Triton: A Triumph engine in a tubular steel Norton Featherbed frame
Magnesium framed Elf 5
Greeves 250DCX Sportsman 1962
Double cradle frame on Honda CB750