ROB NORTH The man with the golden torch

Seeley, Spondon and Rickman, Maxton, Harris and Hejira, Dresda, P&M, Tigcraft and CCM–that’s just a partial rollcall of the fellowship of British chassis-builders – a fraternity skilled in the black art of wrapping metal around an engine to create a good-handling bike. But lest you dismiss them lightly as mere special-builders, do remember some legendary marques started out in this way. So, long before the Manx Norton’s Featherbed frame set standards for handling that are still valid today, James ‘Pa’ Norton was a frame-maker who fitted proprietary engines to his bikes – the same as George Brough, of Brough Superior fame, was to do later on.

But few men have become so closely identified with the work they did for an established manufacturer as Robin North, best known as Rob and creator of the frames for the BSA/Triumph F750 racing triples, which 45 years ago were the last hurrah of Britain’s dying motorcycle industry.

Today, 77-year-old Rob lives in Southern California, and still works every day in his RN Fabrications workshop in National City, just 15 miles from the Mexican border.

There, he continues to produce ongoing examples of his iconic – yes, it’s the right word, for once – frame design for the British triples, both in racing guise for Classic F7 50 racing, and even with lights and a starter motor for street use.

V isiting him there uncovered the real story behind the creation of the frame design which allowed the Union fl ag to be waved one final time atop the winner’s rostrum at Daytona in 1 9 7 1 , with Dick Mann victorious