CAST YOUR VOTE

O.K. I voted! Just would like to say they all are great to see and hope we have more rebuilds in the future. I just need to finish the 72 I have, If it would ever get cold here maybe I could stay in the garage instead of out on the road. LOL It has been so nice here we are always planning some sort of ride. Send some rain our way guys, We could really use it. Take care, Chuck.

MarshalNorton said:

71 basketcase,
I should have all the bike riders on this forum assembled under one roof,
We would have 72 hours to assemble the most unique Norton.
With the variation in riders Nortons have we would have something cool.
Food,drink,fellowship, a few friendships made and one cool bike.
I'm tired of watching American Idol :lol:
I know some of you are thinking WTF?
Thee Marshal

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Marshal, that is a cool idea. Take it one step further, make it like an "iron chef" deal. Vintage norton team build vs. old yamaha, suzuki, or whatever. Once built, they race. Pitch it to foodtv.com, speed, or discovery.

Horton, I hate you :wink:

While a biker build off would be nice, I don't think it could be done in a week and be a reborn classic. First the guys on buildoffs have the unobtanium parts on the shelves and the rest is fabrication and paint, also they have machine tools we could only dream of. If it was just assembling any bike from parts, just a few 24 hour days would do it. That being said, a team consisting of guys from this forum would show them how to make something other than a chrome boat :mrgreen:

Jean

After viewing that slide show, I'm feeling a bit inadequate to vote (shades of Wayne's World: "We're not worthy!!!!")

I'll try again tomorrow, after I've built up a little spunk....

In the meantime, could you builders please forgo the bikes and please build us a few political candidates. It'd be a pleasure to have this feeling of "how can I choose from so many good ones?" in that context.

Speaking of which, hear this one? Picasso, Einstein, and George W. Bush died and went to heaven...(suspend disbelief here)...Picasso meets St. Peter, who says....

BrianK said:

After viewing that slide show, I'm feeling a bit inadequate to vote (shades of Wayne's World: "We're not worthy!!!!")

I'll try again tomorrow, after I've built up a little spunk....

In the meantime, could you builders please forgo the bikes and please build us a few political candidates. It'd be a pleasure to have this feeling of "how can I choose from so many good ones?" in that context.

Speaking of which, hear this one? Picasso, Einstein, and George W. Bush died and went to heaven...(suspend disbelief here)...Picasso meets St. Peter, who says....

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OK, I will jump in first :twisted: I'm not going to say anything about mine, not proper as the Brits would say and it is a British bike :mrgreen:

As I said before, I like something different than stock, not putting down the stock ones or the chopper (BTW, Todd's chopper deserves extra points because it was built in such a short time) because they are all very very well done. The ones I like the best are the VR880 copy by Jack Adams and the one GP built for Hungry Joe, both very fine examples of a Norton done differently. Seeing a VR880, even a clone is a one in a million chance so it has that exclusivity factor I like and I hope others do too. Hungry Joe's bike has that open airy and light look, even the dual seat fits right in to make it look fast standing still.

Hope this helps making up your mind :lol:

Jean

I thought about submitting my blue monoshocker, but it wasn't a restoration, it was built from all new stuff. So, the "before" picture would have been the freshly powdercoated frame sitting on the stand...

This contest has given me an even better idea, you'll all be hearing about it soon.

grandpaul said:

I thought about submitting my blue monoshocker, but it wasn't a restoration, it was built from all new stuff. So, the "before" picture would have been the freshly powdercoated frame sitting on the stand...

This contest has given me an even better idea, you'll all be hearing about it soon.

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You know, I bet quite a few bikes start out that way. I know myself I bought a bare frame with nothing else then I picked up a complete engine and I had some spares from adding custom performance parts on other bikes. At what point would you take your before picture? I don't see why it couldn't be just a bare frame or an engine or part of an engine. What ever the 1st thing was that made you decide to build it into a bike. I think your blue monoshocker would have qualified and I'm sorry we all didn't speak up sooner to get you into the running.

I can't remember who gave birth to this idea but being the 1st. year there is bound to be a learning curve. It should only get better from here on in. Can't wait to hear of your new idea Paul! (I'll wait patiently)

Rennie-

Personally I much prefer true restorations and resto/mods, where there is some semblance of a rolling basket case or a couple of crates of rusty parts for the "before" photo. The blue bike was basically a "checkbook special", although the rare prototype bits set it apart from off-the-shelf customs.

However, since the actual goal for that bike has alwways been to build and install the VR880 engine I have on the shelf, maybe I'll enter it for next year's competition!

I will note that I am in no way criticising bikes that didn't have a rusty rolling donor to start with; for example, the extensive custom fabrication and innovation, and high quality workmanship on Jean's cafe racer makes it a great candidate for this contest, in my opinion. Park it next to the average Triton (same starting point, a Featherbed frame) and you'll see the reaction from any passing group of bike-geeks.

I think we have a very good cross-section of entries here, this was a great idea and I'm sure it will be a fun part of this forum in years to come.

RennieK said:

..At what point would you take your before picture? I don't see why it couldn't be just a bare frame or an engine or part of an engine..

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Then why not accept a picture of a wad of money , or a credit card as the "before " picture ?
No , I think it should be a complete bike as virgin (untouched ) as possible .
Otherwise , the notion "improvement" doesn't make any sense .
If 'basketcase 71' is going to win this ( and it looks like it ) , it will be because of his ' before' picture .
I doubt that he stood a chance with a picture of just a frame .

grandpaul said:

I think we have a very good cross-section of entries here

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Totally agree, Good Luck to all who entered!

One thing I would add is the difference in entries. The beauty of a Norton isn't only skin deep. What's inside also counts and counts big. That's why proper documentation of the work done on the inside is so important. Some of these entries have little or no info in the form of captions or a written commentary to support the photos. For next year I'd like to see better captioning to support the photos for all entries. Let us know all the details we can't see in the photos.

I would think anyone that is bringing a Norton back from the doorstep of the scrap yard is all right by me, Just the fact that they are making it back to the road is what's important to me. I can understand what Paul is saying in that his was built from parts, But it still deserves recognition in it's own way. Also with Jean what a great bit of custom work his is . Maybe a custom built or cafe type contest would allow people to vote in different categories? They are all GREAT to me and that's why I really didn't care to vote but kinda felt bad when not many did. Keep bringing them back to the road guys, Almost every time I take mine out I get a thumbs up or wow what a cool motorcycle. They look so much more classy than most of the new bikes. Oh had to cut the ride short today as the temp dropped down into the 60's Burrr!!!!!!!! Ride safe my friends, Chuck.

Honestly I like all of them, and they all took a lot of work...

Matt01, keep your head up. Think you should re-enter again next year when the engine and everything is done. :mrgreen:

Maybe have two contests next year...
1 for biggest change from a pile of rusty crap
1 for best custom

RennieK said:

... What's inside also counts and counts big. That's why proper documentation of the work done on the inside is so important. Some of these entries have little or no info in the form of captions or a written commentary to support the photos. For next year I'd like to see better captioning to support the photos for all entries. Let us know all the details we can't see in the photos.

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Here, here!

That's why I have always liked and pushed the idea of a "member's restoration, rebuid & overhaul" section in the forums I'm involved with. I got it instituted in BritBike.Com and Triumphrat.Net, and created them from the beginnings in all of my Delphi forums.

To me, the wrenching, tinkering, restoring and innovating on old bikes is the most interesting aspect of them - EVEN MORE THAN RIDING THEM!

^ ^ ^ Blashemy, I know ^ ^ ^

As the (unofficial) second runner up let me congratulate the winner and the first runner up. A big hurray for all participants and big thanks for everyone who voted.

Jean