22 year old and my first norton 650 ss :) from england

ntst8 · Dec 23, 2019

A 16H is a bit of fun if you want to make haste slowly
There is a great site wdnorton.nl with masses of information on the wartime ones. Also check out vintagenorton.com and look for an article by Paul Greet on getting some performance out of one.
Even well sorted the braking needs to be planned well in advance!

worntorn · Dec 23, 2019

I've been using these for several years now, batteries still last about 4 hours on medium, six hours on low.
Most of the time low is enough, but around freezing you might need to use medium.
High must be for riding in the Arctic!

https://voltheat.com/collections/front-page-grid-1/products/avalanche-extreme-heated-gloves

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 23, 2019

Cheers guys yeah I've just got some heated gloves by Keiss wired them in on my fireblade to try an if they do the job I'm gonna buy the power packs for them to use on the Nortons. Need a new alternator soon on the 650ss thank god for magnetos hey

Yeah the Cat and Fiddle gets crazily bleak and the wind really whips across theres a clip on my Instagram on the fireblade a few weeks back an you can really hear the wind whipping across sure there will be snow up it at some point over the next few weeks

I'd say that was actually the warmer part of the cat and fiddle haha either direction from there as bernhard will attest to totally ice cold!

Cheers ntst8 I've just started reading a book that I got on ww2 bikes very interesting

don't know anything about the other marque's so its been interesting learning

alan hodge · Dec 23, 2019

Norton-rider merry xmus I got some battery powered gloves from sannie claus they work great! mine were not expensive ones and charge lasts about 2 1/2 hours but much better than plain gloves..

Bernhard · Dec 23, 2019

jbruney said:
Looks rather bleak in the photo, or getting that way at least. Britts are a hearty bunch to live where they do.

No it's not you should see it when it snows hard and the Police close the road off - you can't even see the sheep in the fields, let alone those that wander onto the tarmac roads. At least they have their woolly jumpers to keep themselves warm.

texasSlick · Dec 23, 2019

In my youth, when I commuted to school as an undergraduate engineer, my hand warming technique was to reach down and grab a header pipe until I sensed heat.

I had a temperature cutoff of 42 F (5.5C) .... any colder, I took 4 wheels. OMG! How did I ever do it? Now a days, 65F (18C) is chilly!

There was a HD guy who wore a high altitude heated flying suit, and commuted 365 days per year. His HD had a 24 VDC alternator in addition to the stock alternator.

Slick

Fast Eddie · Dec 23, 2019

worntorn said:
I've been using these for several years now, batteries still last about 4 hours on medium, six hours on low.
Most of the time low is enough, but around freezing you might need to use medium.
High must be for riding in the Arctic!

https://voltheat.com/collections/front-page-grid-1/products/avalanche-extreme-heated-gloves

Thanks Glen, I’ve been looking at different options of these chargeable gloves and going around in circles with it! Thanks for the recommendation.

worntorn · Dec 23, 2019

No problem, Nigel. I much prefer these rechargeable battery type to the hard wired connection type. I had some of the wire connected gloves for a day and sent them back. They were just a bit too fiddly and involved for me.
I bought the Volt gloves for cool weather motorcycling . I use them for that plus snow plowing with the John Deere and all sorts of other outdoor activities in winter.

Glen

holtcorseaux · Dec 24, 2019

Hi Tom not to make your great 650ss thread into a glove thread but you have done yourself a big favour with heated gloves I tell you. After a real painful ride last winter I bought these RST gloves they are fantastic. I only ride for recreation so capacity no problem. Only Problem it has not stopped raining since the end of my driving ban December 8th. Anyway nice forecast for the weekend so definitely out then!
Merry Christmas everybody.

Martin

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 24, 2019

Cheers guys! An no worries Hort

you all know me I'm easy an dont mind it getting de railed slightly as it helps us all to share different info.

Looking very much forward to trying the heated keiss gloves should have got them years ago.
Gonna give them a whirl with the wiring on the blade an if they do the trick I'll get the batteries for them be easier swapping between all the different bikes then as you all say rather than wiring up every bike.

Been up the cat and fiddle a few years ago in the snow the day the road re opened on a gsxr 600 once an got stuck at the top lmao

Still can't get over how cold my hands were that day in the pic, looking back on this year it's been amazing using the 650ss so much got a new mirror to fit tomorrow an I'll have an xmas day ride. Been nothing short of reliable really

one of those bikes I just wanna ride constantly

22 year old and my first norton 650 ss :) from england

Alex-6096-(ZF-0944-20606-1-001)-01 by norton.rider, on Flickr

jbruney · Dec 24, 2019

I'll do 45F on the 850, but only for 15-25 mi. Prefer 60F & up since I don't use leathers. Always found them too restrictive of movement.
I have broken down and gone with some goggles so I can see when it's cold though because I so relish open face helmets.... I prefer no helmet but realize survival is the point of riding.
My arthritic hands also have a helluva time holding onto the grips with gloves on, so frozen hands/fingers with short rides are the order of the day.

One thing for certain is a brisk chilled ride makes you really appreciate the opportunity to soak up some warmth and a cup of coffee with a splash of VO tossed in.

seattle##gs · Dec 25, 2019

I noticed the seat oon your Norton, I assume it is either a new seat or a new seat cover. The one on my Atlas is giving up the ghost after 53 years. The padding is still very good so I think I can get by with just a cover. Yours looks better than others that are up for sale. Who did you get it from?

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 25, 2019

Hi mate check out Norvil motorcycles they do new seats few different styles for the atlas/650ss dependant on the year.

bad_friday · Dec 25, 2019

seattle##gs said:
Who did you get it from?

I have mine from here: http://www.rk-leighton.co.uk/norton/

Fritz

Bernhard · Dec 25, 2019

seattle##gs said:
I noticed the seat oon your Norton, I assume it is either a new seat or a new seat cover. The one on my Atlas is giving up the ghost after 53 years. The padding is still very good so I think I can get by with just a cover. Yours looks better than others that are up for sale. Who did you get it from?

Be careful if ordering seats on the internet, I ordered a w/line as genuine but was found that the so called sponge was expanded polystyrene and a little hard on all but the short runs I needed to replace it.

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 25, 2019

Merry Christmas everyone ^^ quick chat on our xmas day ride

weather was certainly interesting to say the least.

jbruney · Dec 25, 2019

Just had a background come up on my puter of summer crops in Wiltshire. Nice rolling farmland on a sunny day..... Bet you wish you were riding in that weather..... I'll get my little ride in shortly if I can manage to put on my boots and walk 60' or so, but no hills for me.

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 25, 2019

Indeed mate! Was draining the water from my boots when I got back haha!
Few more from today

20191225_120025-02 by norton.rider, on Flickr

Not much of a view with todays weather!

20191225_120029-01 by norton.rider, on Flickr

20191225_120100-02 by norton.rider, on Flickr

20191225_120112-02 by
norton.rider, on Flickr

Would think it was Christmas day 1967

20191225_120056-03 by norton.rider, on Flickr

Merry Christmas everyone

Working on the riding footage here's the video from the previous post again from today

savingclassicmotorcycles · Dec 25, 2019

Some riding footage from the Christmas day ride up the Cat and Fiddle!

Maximum smiles per miles!
Hope you all enjoy had to edit on my phone as my computer just let go.

savingclassicmotorcycles · Jan 19, 2020

Had a wander out on the 1967 Norton 650Ss today by myself dad thought -1 was to cold..... even after offering him the gsx750et

Had great fun on some local yet very slippy roads!

By the time I got back my road was like a skating rink! Certainly interesting haha!
Video to come later.

In other bike news currently starting to hunt for a ww2 Norton 16h, my tz project sold the other week sad to see that go an it looks like my Triumph Daytona previously owned by Maria Costello MBE might be making it's way to auction now I've got the estimate.

So it's all go 2020! Some huge plans for this year.

The 650ss is flawless as ever although even cleaning her after every ride shes starting to show a lil bit of corrosion in places easy to fix though! Although I have to say shes faired far better than the bmw gsa I had used the Norton in much nastier conditions so smiles all round