grandpaul
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- Jan 15, 2008
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One of the top 10 understatements of the year so far...lcrken said:[...it's way more fun to work on the bikes than deal with selling stuff.
One of the top 10 understatements of the year so far...lcrken said:[...it's way more fun to work on the bikes than deal with selling stuff.
Hortons Norton said:Awesome looking build Ken, top quality in every way possible. Really fun to watch it come together, Are you planning on Bonneville this year? Chuck.
Outstanding as usual Ken, thanks for posting! I'm really enjoying watching your project come together. I think your rear wheel spacers, bracket & caliper all together weigh less than just my stock MkIII steel caliper bracket weighs, and the stock caliper...well, faaaget aboud itlcrken said:Rear brake caliper bracket and wheel spacers are finished, I think. Might later do a little weight reduction on the bracket.Ken
Fast Eddie said:All that fancy equipment Ken... PAH...!
When you get as good as me, all you need is a hacksaw and a file. And a hammer...!
With enough patience and care, a clapped out old lathe and mill can do wonders.lcrken said:Fast Eddie said:In the end, I'm just grateful for the tools I have now. My lathe is pretty worn out, and needs some repairs. I traded a small collection of military rifles for it over 35 years ago, and have never regretted the deal. I bought the mill around 30 years ago with part of the proceeds from selling my TZ 750 (the rest of the $ went towards the TIG machine), and it needs rebuilding and repair. But I'm used to their limitations by now, and still get a lot of pleasure out of their use.
Had to laugh when I saw this....it made me think of my uncle on my Dad's side, he was born in 1917. He made Sudbury/ Bury ST. Edmonds his home after moving out of London. Anyway he went into an apprenticeship for mechinist trade and he told me the story of how one of their assignments was to make a perfect cube from a chunk of steel using hand tools. He showed me his and it looked quite perfect to me....he went on to say some of the other guys' cubes got quite a bit smaller than his before passing muster. He might have been bragging but he was a pretty understated and quiet guy. He used to race speedway on 500cc bikes after the war, and then later switched to stock cars.Fast Eddie said:All that fancy equipment Ken... PAH...!
When you get as good as me, all you need is a hacksaw and a file. And a hammer...!
gtsun said:Really nice Ken. When I decided to put to get another Commando back in the early 2000's my plan was to build the bike I had always wanted back when I used to go by H.P.I. George Gjonovich's shop in Garden Grove as a kid and drool. I wanted to sort of "resto mod" one as in better brakes and a rear disc modification for a pre MKIII bike because I still like the simplicity of the 74 & earlier bikes and shifting on the right. Unlike you I do not have the lath & mill or the skills to use them and as it turns out I am still struggling to find the time just to make my current 73, 850 nice and on the road. I don't mean to hijack the thread but speaking of George Gjonovich, I remember you saying that you once bought a flat track bike from John Hatley, used the motor in your Prody Racer and sold the chassi to George and he built and installed another motor in it. You said it eventually went to someone who had been a Norton factory racer now in Texas who was restoring it and some other historically significant bikes. I was wondering if you remembered who that person is and had any info on him, the bikes he restored or any pictures of these bikes. Also If you have any pictures of any of the bikes that George Gjonovich built I would love to see them. I know I have some old Poloroid pictures of them but I haven't been able to find them. I was just about 19 or 20 ridding my 72, 750 Dunstallized combat when I became friends with George and saddly he passed shortly after that time. I never even got to see him race. Did he ride hiss road race & drag bikes or did he have others pilot them? Thanks, Glenn T. S.