- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 1,023
Hi team I hope we are all well a long time no speak a few will probably remember me I used to post about a few of my Nortons n mainly my 650ss, It's been a few tricky years, back just before covid we lost our family company (not bike related) after dad an I worked 70+ hour weeks which we often did trying to save it, it wasn't meant to be though, n last year I had a bit of a setback with my mental health which a few may remember me talking about doing really good after that now.
I think it's always important to talk about both the good an the bad as pics of just bikes can give the wrong impressions sometimes as to what goes into it to keep them etc it's a passion that's for sure!
Unfortunately at the start of this year my dad was diagnosed with stage 3+ Advanced Prostate cancer just as we were about to move to Scotland so a quick about turn as he had a near miss after a complication with his biopsy, hes now on the verge of having an opp so he can pass again then it's radiotherapy at the Christie. So all fingers crossed
The plan now is to move to Devon nearish Honiton after his radiotherapy as we have to downsize our house which will put us near to Exeter Hospital.
So that's the background as they say dad also rides bikes an when he got diagnosed I sold a collectable Japanese bike I had to get him a Yamaha Tenere 700 as he was bikeless for a year or two for when he's well enough to ride, he's often found down the workshop staring at or cleaning her
With that all out of the way let's start the thread so those that remember my main bike has been my 1967 Norton 650 SS at 22 which I purchased from the original owner John who had owned her since new!
I finished the resto he'd done excellent work on an used her occasionally n then when we lost our company I rode her for 4 years n 4 winters until a none bike related nerve injury put paid to me kickstarting the big british twins.
The inspiration for my Norton's came from my dad's eldest brother with his Gus Kuhn 1968 Norton Commando which was one of the first in the country which he raced with some success
Before it was time for me to own n ride Norton's I cut my teeth on Yamaha Two strokes, from the RD250LC I used to do 2k miles a week on, A RZV500R, 2 other 350lc's an a rd250c an another rd250lc, My first motorcycle infact was a RD350LC which my dad an I still have that we got together when I was a kid, Actually is the last an elsie we now have, that I'm gonna put together as soon as we are in Devon for us to ride.
The RZV500R I had for a short while.
The 250lc I used to do 2k miles a week on unfurtunatley it looks like shes been written off since I sold her, I sold her at the time to raise some funds after we lost our company. Truly loved that bike.]
Which leads us onto a 22 year old me meeting John the previous owner of my Norton 650SS which would start my own Journey onto a path of norton passion which would lead right back to the earliest day's of Norton who knew what the 650ss would lead to at that moment
On the Iconic cat an fiddle putting the miles in on the 650ss pic snapped by Alex at BikerpIcs when I was out an about
Down at my friends Ivan's for an Mot remember those things!
out on a wintery ride in the next three pictures it started a tradition of being out on xmas day on the bikes
Bit of fettling when I was learning my way round the new Amal Monoblocs I fitted
A sunny day out in Monyash dad was on the GSXR-750 which he no longer has, some other tasty british iron out that day!
Christmas on the cat and fiddle not many out that day!
I think it's always important to talk about both the good an the bad as pics of just bikes can give the wrong impressions sometimes as to what goes into it to keep them etc it's a passion that's for sure!
Unfortunately at the start of this year my dad was diagnosed with stage 3+ Advanced Prostate cancer just as we were about to move to Scotland so a quick about turn as he had a near miss after a complication with his biopsy, hes now on the verge of having an opp so he can pass again then it's radiotherapy at the Christie. So all fingers crossed
The plan now is to move to Devon nearish Honiton after his radiotherapy as we have to downsize our house which will put us near to Exeter Hospital.
So that's the background as they say dad also rides bikes an when he got diagnosed I sold a collectable Japanese bike I had to get him a Yamaha Tenere 700 as he was bikeless for a year or two for when he's well enough to ride, he's often found down the workshop staring at or cleaning her
With that all out of the way let's start the thread so those that remember my main bike has been my 1967 Norton 650 SS at 22 which I purchased from the original owner John who had owned her since new!
I finished the resto he'd done excellent work on an used her occasionally n then when we lost our company I rode her for 4 years n 4 winters until a none bike related nerve injury put paid to me kickstarting the big british twins.
The inspiration for my Norton's came from my dad's eldest brother with his Gus Kuhn 1968 Norton Commando which was one of the first in the country which he raced with some success
Before it was time for me to own n ride Norton's I cut my teeth on Yamaha Two strokes, from the RD250LC I used to do 2k miles a week on, A RZV500R, 2 other 350lc's an a rd250c an another rd250lc, My first motorcycle infact was a RD350LC which my dad an I still have that we got together when I was a kid, Actually is the last an elsie we now have, that I'm gonna put together as soon as we are in Devon for us to ride.
The RZV500R I had for a short while.
The 250lc I used to do 2k miles a week on unfurtunatley it looks like shes been written off since I sold her, I sold her at the time to raise some funds after we lost our company. Truly loved that bike.]
Which leads us onto a 22 year old me meeting John the previous owner of my Norton 650SS which would start my own Journey onto a path of norton passion which would lead right back to the earliest day's of Norton who knew what the 650ss would lead to at that moment
On the Iconic cat an fiddle putting the miles in on the 650ss pic snapped by Alex at BikerpIcs when I was out an about
Down at my friends Ivan's for an Mot remember those things!
out on a wintery ride in the next three pictures it started a tradition of being out on xmas day on the bikes
Bit of fettling when I was learning my way round the new Amal Monoblocs I fitted
A sunny day out in Monyash dad was on the GSXR-750 which he no longer has, some other tasty british iron out that day!
Christmas on the cat and fiddle not many out that day!