Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact youn

I took my 74 Interstate into work today and on my way back home I drove into a busy retail strip mall to get my haircut. After the haircut I came out and put my tank bag on to the bike and got my helmet and gloves on while a father and his son, maybe five or six years old walk by. The boy is fixated on the bike and dad notices the interest the boy is trying to absorb in the whole scene (SP correction). Well the little guy then looks at me all dressed in black and gives me a wave. I wave back at him and tell him, “You want me to fire it up?”
With that he stops and dad kneels down beside him with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
The boy has a curious look as I go through the rituals of starting up the Norton. Key on, Fuel tap on, Tickle the left carb till she squirts, over to the other side… same thing. I throw the choke lever for good effect and as I flick the kick-start rubber over with my finger, I look at the boy again and say to him. This ones a Kick Start. With that I put the wellies to it and it fires right up first kick. I blip the throttle again for max effect and despite the fact I couldn’t hear the boy but I read his lips, which only could mean “WOW”. Dad is still smiling as I turn on the main beam switch and start to back out of my parking spot next to the curb. I give the boy one more wave and click it into first and off I went. I am not sure I burned a memory impression onto that little lad’s minds eye but I think the Norton still has appeal no matter how young or old they are. I think I made his day.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

CanukNortonNut said:

I took my 74 Interstate into work today and on my way back home I drove into a busy retail strip mall to get my haircut. After the haircut I came out and put my tank bag on to the bike and got my helmet and gloves on while a father and his son, maybe five or six years old walk by. The boy is fixated on the bike and dad notices the interest the boy is trying to absorb in the whole seen. Well the little guy then looks at me all dressed in black and gives me a wave. I wave back at him and tell him, “You want me to fire it up?”
With that he stops and dad kneels down beside him with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
The boy has a curious look as I go through the rituals of starting up the Norton. Key on, Fuel tap on, Tickle the left carb till she squirts, over to the other side… same thing. I throw the choke lever for good effect and as I flick the kick-start rubber over with my finger, I look at the boy again and say to him. This ones a Kick Start. With that I put the wellies to it and it fires right up first kick. I blip the throttle again for max effect and despite the fact I couldn’t hear the boy but I read his lips, which only could mean “WOW”. Dad is still smiling as I turn on the main beam switch and start to back out of my parking spot next to the curb. I give the boy one more wave and click it into first and off I went. I am not sure I burned a memory impression onto that little lad’s minds eye but I think the Norton still has appeal no matter how young or old they are. I think I made his day.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

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nicely done, you should try to make it out to Mods n Rockers in Toronto next weekend!

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

Yes that is one of the highs of exotic British bikes but especially Commandos. I have seen it bring life back to about dying late 90s old man attending a gas station in middle of never where. Took him full time to pump up 6 gal tank for him to limp-shuffle to get a look see then say that a good looking bike son, then waited for the single kick off and hobbled back inside. Gave a good SNorton away. That was on Ms Peel which has a rather more spuink that ordinary Combat and have over done her rev ups to leave small children crying and adults startled to stumble back on heels. When Wes and I travel far we stick a iconic Brit umbrella on which has attracted people to swing way around hwy intersections to wait to meet us coming out of stores and shock at our southern drawl rather than proper Queens English. I call if Commando road glow.

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

CanukNortonNut said:

.......... I think I made his day.

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I'd be willing to bet that you did, thx for posting that story.......sometimes I come home from work and my 5 year old boy has pushed the cover off and is sitting on my MKIII

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

acadian said:

CanukNortonNut said:

I took my 74 Interstate into work today and on my way back home I drove into a busy retail strip mall to get my haircut. After the haircut I came out and put my tank bag on to the bike and got my helmet and gloves on while a father and his son, maybe five or six years old walk by. The boy is fixated on the bike and dad notices the interest the boy is trying to absorb in the whole seen. Well the little guy then looks at me all dressed in black and gives me a wave. I wave back at him and tell him, “You want me to fire it up?”
With that he stops and dad kneels down beside him with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
The boy has a curious look as I go through the rituals of starting up the Norton. Key on, Fuel tap on, Tickle the left carb till she squirts, over to the other side… same thing. I throw the choke lever for good effect and as I flick the kick-start rubber over with my finger, I look at the boy again and say to him. This ones a Kick Start. With that I put the wellies to it and it fires right up first kick. I blip the throttle again for max effect and despite the fact I couldn’t hear the boy but I read his lips, which only could mean “WOW”. Dad is still smiling as I turn on the main beam switch and start to back out of my parking spot next to the curb. I give the boy one more wave and click it into first and off I went. I am not sure I burned a memory impression onto that little lad’s minds eye but I think the Norton still has appeal no matter how young or old they are. I think I made his day.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

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nicely done, you should try to make it out to Mods n Rockers in Toronto next weekend!

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Well I'm off to site work @ OPG Darlington next week. They have me on 4 tens this week and next onward I will be on 6 tens. Not sure how it will play out but I might be able to make it.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

looky what happened here

http://www.musketvtwin.com/story.html

But here’s the dirty truth- I came because of the sound of a Harley Davidson. Saw one once in Delhi, long ago. It belonged to some filthy rich type, heard it start up and rumble away, wet myself publicly and resolved that one day, I would visit their homeland.

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Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

Even though most of the world has succumbed to the button, there is something very rewarding in the starting ritual as it roars to life on the kick.
The irony here with me is, the more people standing around watching, the less likely it will start on the first kick...

Good job and you have made a permanent impression on the Lad......

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

Nice one Tom. I bet everyone kinda remembers their first interaction with motorcycles. My family never had any but we owned a pub and there were always a few parked outside. Lads would stop in on the way home from work and on the weekends. My earliest memories were the pinging and crackling sounds as the engines cooled down and the bikers warning me to stay away from the hot exhaust. The kickstart ceremony ,the psychedelic painted helmets and colored jackets but my favorite was the sparks from their boots when they took off as they all wore heel plates back then. Ah the memories

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

Do not get too smug as some of the times stranger are complementing Commando may be d/t stopping to ask if they can help figure out your show stopper. Good ice breaker either way so win win. Try my ice melter when sure you have a step down starter and near moderns of any sort,
Hey ya know what Thumb Commencers are Known For...?
Step on to start, then blip a bit - then putter by them just before farting off from ear range...
Lowering Ones IQ zoooooMMMM....

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

speirmoor said:

Nice one Tom. I bet everyone kinda remembers their first interaction with motorcycles. My family never had any but we owned a pub and there were always a few parked outside. Lads would stop in on the way home from work and on the weekends. My earliest memories were the pinging and crackling sounds as the engines cooled down and the bikers warning me to stay away from the hot exhaust. The kickstart ceremony ,the psychedelic painted helmets and colored jackets but my favorite was the sparks from their boots when they took off as they all wore heel plates back then. Ah the memories

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I remember when I was a kid. About the same age as that little lad I just met. I was sitting in my Dad’s Pickup truck looking out the passenger side window when he came into fuel at a small corner convenience gas bar. There was this bike and rider which just fueled up…. all chrome tank (I think it was a BSA) The Rider was in leathers and helmet and kick started that bike and was off. Approximate date was 1965 …so long ago. But the memory still lingers.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

you don't even have to be a kid ..kid, i remember to this day at ~ 16, the first time i laid eyes on a 72 bsa Lightning (chrome tank too) just sitting there on the sidetand,

turned out my friends dad owned it and offered a ride which was my first, the whole deal is etched in my mind to this day,

that then quickly led to a few years of 74 commando time, that i also remember vividly to this day

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

84ok, I very much enjoyed the link to your Enfield V-twin project, well done. Earlier this year I was privileged to be a motorcycle judge at the Cartier Concourse d'Elegance in Delhi, there are some fantastic bikes there.

Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

i'm just the messenger here, passing along what i stumbled on

dave M said:

84ok, I very much enjoyed the link to your Enfield V-twin project, well done. Earlier this year I was privileged to be a motorcycle judge at the Cartier Concourse d'Elegance in Delhi, there are some fantastic bikes there.

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Re: Had a chuckle today cause the Commando still can impact

That reminds me of one of my favourite JBT comic:




Sorry, I could only find the German version quickly but I guess you don't need a translation....



Tim