Giving up.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Bernhard said:
A sidecar attached to a solo motorcycle will give you a whole lot of wobbles and tank slappers unless you fit sidecar fork yolks or carry out suitable modifications to the steering head/forks, so, ....not much difference really............either way, you'll be back to square one.
Click to expand...
Question of fittment and alignment .. cant say this was my experience of fitting chairs .
 
oldmikew said:
Question of fittment and alignment .. cant say this was my experience of fitting chairs .
Click to expand...
Look upton the difference in fork rake, offset, leading link forks all different for sidecar, Norton made sidecar triple tree fork mounts fot the f/bed.
BTW, Commando frame is not recommended for fitting a sidecar!
 
Last edited:
Bernhard said:
Commando frame is not recommended for fitting a sidecar!
Click to expand...
That is true and one wonders why? Is it just the isolastics? But I can only say I fitted sidecars to Velo Bsa Ariel and friend hadone on a Norton 99 with out problems , and for blokes finding it difficult to manage a solo , it mightbe better than stopping riding.
 
Last edited:
oldmikew said:
That is true and one wonders why? Is it just the isolastics? But I can only say I fitted sidecars to Velo Bsa Ariel and friend hadone on a Norton 99 with out problems , and for blokes finding it difficult to manage a solo , it mightbe better than stopping riding.
Click to expand...
Partly isolastics, there is no solid engine bolts tween frame and engine to make it rigid.
 
I know this thread can be viewed as depressing or whatever but "realizing" that you don't enjoy something anymore for whatever reason is just the way of things. My 28 year old niece got into motorcycles at age 25 because she thought motorcycles were cool. She bought a KLR and, a month later rode it from DC to Arkansas. She crashed it about a mile from her destination. She wasn't seriously hurt - bad ankle sprain but that was her last ride. She decided that it wasn't for her. Heck, I probably would have done the same after a crash. I'm not the "get back on the horse" person that my wife is! ;)

I readily admit that every time I ride now in Texas I start out "scared." It doesn't last once we're out riding but that's my initial reaction that I have to overcome. Lots of heavy traffic to deal with, no matter what route we take out of town.
 
The main thing is keep doing the things we enjoy as long as we can because sooner or later we won't be able to for one reason or another. The tricky part is if there is an element of danger involved is to have the wisdom to know when to pack it in and have no regrets while having a beer and smiling at the commando.
 
i went through the giving up thing regarding flying the planes i was renting from local airport were well seasoned to say the least engines tired wings out of rig radios not working half the time final straw was when the side window latch on a cessna 152 suddenly let go and window slammed up on bottom of wing and disappeared i flew 20miles in freezing cold back to strip with wind whistling through cockpit..........went back to bikes a year or so later .frying pan to fire?? haha
 
Ken, I know it's not a Norton but ..........

https://www.imz-ural.com/c-t

They even have a prototype electric outfit!!

If/when this day comes for me I will look into as many options as possible to keep riding some type of motorcycle.

I always think of Len Vale Onslow, at 100 he rode up the Mall to Buckingham Palace, pretending to pick up his medal for getting to 100 years old :)
 
Last edited:
click said:
Ken, I know it's not a Norton but ..........

https://www.imz-ural.com/c-t

They even have a prototype electric outfit!!

If/when this day comes for me I will look into as many options as possible to keep riding some type of motorcycle.

I always think of Len Vale Onslow, at 100 he rode up the Mall to Buckingham Palace, pretending to pick up his medal for getting to 100 years old :)
Click to expand...

Yes its even ready for globalwarming and rising water levels
 
Thank you one and all for your opinions. It's not that I don't enjoy getting out on the Norton, it's just that the time has come,. We should all know our limitations, as Dirty Harry once said and ignoring them could lead to something tragic. I have some great memories and my Norton is more well travelled than most. It is also well sorted which has been proved on many occasions when others have ridden it and were glowing in their praise. So, for me, this is the right decision.
 
I admire your courage Ken, as I am facing the same decision right now. I have some sort of neurological issue that makes me dizzy and unstable on my feet. My condition only started a year or so ago. I have a neurologist and am doing physical therapy but no improvements so far. They've done nerve conduction tests and MRI's on my neck and head, and everything came back "normal for my age". I don't feel safe on the Norton, and I did have one fall while turning around at zero speed. The Commando represents 46 years of my life and I'm not yet willing to give it up. I pray to God that medical science can help me, but it seems that they can't fix old age. This has me so depresed that I'm seeing a shrink.
 
maylar, I've been through all that stuff, conduction studies, neurologists, foot specialists, for 2 years about all I did was go to doctors. I finally just gave up on them. For some reason, I got out of the dizziness, but the neurological stuff never left. My feet and legs hurt up to my knees now, I can't stand just standing around, but I can walk OK, I guess the walking takes the mind off the crap. For some reason it lasted about 2 years and then got better, the dizziness that is, not the nerves. Depression is another thing. I just bull through it and try to keep doing things, take a couple things a day and try to get them done. I would get anxious in the night, doc gave me some X-anax. It seems to help, but I've quit that. I now repeat limericks when I wake up at night or try to remember the Jaberwocky. Puts me right back to sleep. Good luck to all of us. Do the best you can.
 
Maylar- heart goes out to you. And as Dogt put it wehave todo the best we can. Amnot surehow far behind you I am , my other bikes seem easierto handle... My Enfield single is lighter and a delight to ride. But before Igive bikes up I willgo back to sidecars though not withthe Commando. Good luck man whatever you decide.
 
Last edited:
MexicoMike said:
I readily admit that every time I ride now in Texas I start out "scared." It doesn't last once we're out riding but that's my initial reaction that I have to overcome. Lots of heavy traffic to deal with, no matter what route we take out of town.
Click to expand...
Yes I can concur with that , not so much from heavy traffic where I livebut the general angst of getting feet up onto pegs and making zero speed turns from out of the garage . Once i have been up through the gears a couple of times they fortunately evaporate and its ok. But there Is i think a danger that our fear grows stronger then a realistic perception of risk . it happens to me and probably to many of us.
 
When I was in my mid 30’s I was diagnosed with Menier’s Disease. It has something to do with the inner ear. Most of the time I just felt nauseous and off balance. During a severe attack I would get sick and vomit. I was able to control it with drugs ( I don’t recall which one). Eventually after a couple of years it went away as suddenly as it appeared. I did have to give up riding for a while.
So there is a possible light at the end of the tunnel, just don’t quit and give into it. Find a specialist in the medical field who knows about this type of issue. Wish you the best of luck.
 
This is anecdotal, but I was having some 'moderate' blockage in one of my carotid arteries. Cardio doc had been trying to get me on statins for years and nothing worked, that is I can't tolerate it. GP told me to try taking CO-Q10 with the smallest statin that was best for me. Well, that worked, actually I think that's when the dizziness went away, and the brain fog too, I just felt better generally. Last time I had the sonogram, my blockage was 'normal' for my age. But I really doubt the statin cleared up my blockage. You have to try lots of things, everyone is different. What bugs me is some days I feel like crap and then get to thinking I'll be like this all the time, but it does seem to clear.

Sun's over the yardarm, I'm going up for some Jamesons.
 
When I look back on my life of nearly 80 years, I only have one serious regret. It is that I put too much effort into my job and studies and did not do enough road racing. When I got into a position where i could do more of it, I was too old and I had all the health problems. If you are going to do something worthwhile, never put it off until later, because later might not arrive. I want to race one more time, just to prove my bike. However my wife does not want me to do it. - I think I will, even if I burst my boiler doing it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

7
Never Give Up
Replies
18
Views
1,118
YING
YING
Whiterabbit
  • Locked
Coil finally giving up.
Replies
15
Views
1,950
Whiterabbit
Whiterabbit
Elfix
2LS brake on a G15- a follow up
Replies
11
Views
607
seattle##gs
S
S
1974 Frame Up Rebuild Norton 850 Commando
Replies
0
Views
239
SailingNorton
S
BERT
  • Locked
THANKS GIVING
Replies
4
Views
1,013
Jerry Doe
Jerry Doe
Back
Top