First off, thanks so much for such an awesome welcome to this group everyone!
I didn't think my grin could get any wider since receiving, starting and riding my new Commando. Well, today it stretched significantly further. In fact, significantly is an understatement.
I met Kenny Cummings in his lair, the genuine equivalent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, for Nortons and other incredibly special motorcycles.
I kid you not. Where can I begin...well, with Kenny would be a good start. A walking, racing, hyper-fanatic of not just the marque but all the nitty gritty bits and pieces that make virtually every Norton ever built, tick. Before I ramble on about the machines, I just have to say what an awesome dude he is. He didn't know me from Adam. After buying some side covers from Phil at Fair Spares in San Jose, Phil said "if you're in New York and own a Norton, you should probably start your education about your bike - as well as find supreme service if (but really when) you need it, by calling Kenny Cummings". So I did. And thank the good Lord, I did.
Not only did I make a great new friend - in addition to Speirmoor who, just 2 days earlier, put me on to AccessNorton - I was shown things I will probably never see elsewhere or quite possibly, ever again. I'm not just talking about the plethora of his and customers' race and street Norton's, ridiculously tricked out as well as purer than pure original.
I was taken on a trip through the late sixties to the present and saw, touched and drooled (not near the bikes of course), some of the winningest Norton race bikes on the planet. Tritons, Seeleys, Manx' and of course, the piece de resistance, the John Player Monocock Norton, the champion of champions. Not only did I see about 30 of the most interesting, rare and incredible machines, I had Kenny patiently explaining their provenance, how and where they were built and why they were so special.
There was so much information and eye candy that I had to pause the tour to ask if I could film, because there was just too much to recall later. I shot what I could - eventually reaching the point when Kenny politely said "ok you can't film this". "This" was the above. No complaints about switching off the camera, because the payoff was beyond words.
Kenny - if you are reading, I want you to know today will live as one of the greatest days of my motorcycling life (when all I did was ride through the Holland tunnel). You're awesome.
Good luck at the races in England in two weeks and thank you so much!
Lazzamoto
I didn't think my grin could get any wider since receiving, starting and riding my new Commando. Well, today it stretched significantly further. In fact, significantly is an understatement.
I met Kenny Cummings in his lair, the genuine equivalent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, for Nortons and other incredibly special motorcycles.
I kid you not. Where can I begin...well, with Kenny would be a good start. A walking, racing, hyper-fanatic of not just the marque but all the nitty gritty bits and pieces that make virtually every Norton ever built, tick. Before I ramble on about the machines, I just have to say what an awesome dude he is. He didn't know me from Adam. After buying some side covers from Phil at Fair Spares in San Jose, Phil said "if you're in New York and own a Norton, you should probably start your education about your bike - as well as find supreme service if (but really when) you need it, by calling Kenny Cummings". So I did. And thank the good Lord, I did.
Not only did I make a great new friend - in addition to Speirmoor who, just 2 days earlier, put me on to AccessNorton - I was shown things I will probably never see elsewhere or quite possibly, ever again. I'm not just talking about the plethora of his and customers' race and street Norton's, ridiculously tricked out as well as purer than pure original.
I was taken on a trip through the late sixties to the present and saw, touched and drooled (not near the bikes of course), some of the winningest Norton race bikes on the planet. Tritons, Seeleys, Manx' and of course, the piece de resistance, the John Player Monocock Norton, the champion of champions. Not only did I see about 30 of the most interesting, rare and incredible machines, I had Kenny patiently explaining their provenance, how and where they were built and why they were so special.
There was so much information and eye candy that I had to pause the tour to ask if I could film, because there was just too much to recall later. I shot what I could - eventually reaching the point when Kenny politely said "ok you can't film this". "This" was the above. No complaints about switching off the camera, because the payoff was beyond words.
Kenny - if you are reading, I want you to know today will live as one of the greatest days of my motorcycling life (when all I did was ride through the Holland tunnel). You're awesome.
Good luck at the races in England in two weeks and thank you so much!
Lazzamoto
