- Joined
- Mar 24, 2014
- Messages
- 1,169
I have always wanted a fire truck red Commando Fastback. Well all my Nortons have been BRG but very close behind was a desire for a red one. So now I had secured a beautifully restored one in Iowa USA, built five years back by Baxters with only ten miles on it since complete rebuilt and in Fastback form. The boys in the pub laughed at me and said I was an idiot (so what's new) and that it would arrive with no pistons, seized gearbox and anything else they could think of. But they were very wrong and there was stunned silence and disbelief when I pulled up at the pub on it that very first night it was here. Then absolute admiration, and a lot of ooing and arring. I wasn't such an idiot after all!. Even some poorly disguised hints about having a ride. But that was never going to happen. The only person to ever ever have ridden any of my Nortons is my brother. A very good Norton rider (better than me in fact, but that's not hard) and I trust him.
The three and a half month journey to Sydney, Australia, was a shocking nightmare. A sleepless three and a half months. It got trucked to LA okay and was crated and loaded onto the ship. All paperwork etc was being handled by import agent Greg Saikely of All America Imports, he was brilliant. All I had to do was worry myself sick back here at home, a roll I filled extremely well. Then without warning, LA customs jumped in and pulled the crate and others off the ship. Obviously looking for something, maybe just to big time upset an Australian who is always upsetting them. I was getting really pissed off with all this middle handling, much more than I was the delay. Some asshole is going to scratch my baby.
Now three weeks late, the ship finally sailed with Greg telling me, no damage, relax. I felt real good. Glen my mate at the pub whose into importing and exporting said he'd track the ship's voyage for me and report every night its position. Then told me containers frequently fall off ships. I went back to being sick again. Closer and closer it got until one night Glen wandered into the pub and said very close today but at a latitude below Sydney now heading south for Melbourne! No idea why. I was in absolute shock. But apparently, turned out that was the route, Melbourne then Sydney. No one had told me.
Three days after Melbourne it sailed into Botany bay, the baby was finally home, well close. Five days later it was released, no drugs hidden and specs of dust free of what ever they are looking for. But then the time window to collect it was not possible. Eventually by truck then small van it came half way here where Bike Shop owner Paul and I met it in Paul's ute. It was an exciting moment. We slid the van door open and even Paul (who cares little for old bikes, even Nortons) gasped, it was immaculate.. My avatar photo was taken at this point.
Back here in Mittagong in the shop workshop, Paul and I checked it over. I found that little green button I'd never seen before and pressed it, expecting the battery to wheeze and die, or explode and spill its acid everywhere. But the starter spun and the engine roared into life. The beautiful exhaust note brought back so many on going Norton Commando memories and it was ready to ride.
The three and a half month journey to Sydney, Australia, was a shocking nightmare. A sleepless three and a half months. It got trucked to LA okay and was crated and loaded onto the ship. All paperwork etc was being handled by import agent Greg Saikely of All America Imports, he was brilliant. All I had to do was worry myself sick back here at home, a roll I filled extremely well. Then without warning, LA customs jumped in and pulled the crate and others off the ship. Obviously looking for something, maybe just to big time upset an Australian who is always upsetting them. I was getting really pissed off with all this middle handling, much more than I was the delay. Some asshole is going to scratch my baby.
Now three weeks late, the ship finally sailed with Greg telling me, no damage, relax. I felt real good. Glen my mate at the pub whose into importing and exporting said he'd track the ship's voyage for me and report every night its position. Then told me containers frequently fall off ships. I went back to being sick again. Closer and closer it got until one night Glen wandered into the pub and said very close today but at a latitude below Sydney now heading south for Melbourne! No idea why. I was in absolute shock. But apparently, turned out that was the route, Melbourne then Sydney. No one had told me.
Three days after Melbourne it sailed into Botany bay, the baby was finally home, well close. Five days later it was released, no drugs hidden and specs of dust free of what ever they are looking for. But then the time window to collect it was not possible. Eventually by truck then small van it came half way here where Bike Shop owner Paul and I met it in Paul's ute. It was an exciting moment. We slid the van door open and even Paul (who cares little for old bikes, even Nortons) gasped, it was immaculate.. My avatar photo was taken at this point.
Back here in Mittagong in the shop workshop, Paul and I checked it over. I found that little green button I'd never seen before and pressed it, expecting the battery to wheeze and die, or explode and spill its acid everywhere. But the starter spun and the engine roared into life. The beautiful exhaust note brought back so many on going Norton Commando memories and it was ready to ride.
