The Norton Is Always Ready

It has been raining heavily every day here since mid September. I think I've ridden 20 miles since.

The clouds blowing in from the east started to break up yesterday, this morning was clear and bright. There's some real snow on the summits.

Took the lil commando out to breakfast... As I was parking it downtown, a sweet young thing on an sv650 pulls up and backs into my spot next to me... She's a UHH student from LA, majoring in oceanography, and the norton makes her smile; her dad has an old guzzi. God do I feel ancient. "sorry no time to eat, but coffee's good"... kona coffee, biscuits and gravy for me. A bloody mary would've been nice, but I've way too much work to do.

At least the 40 year old commando starts on the first kick (boyer + mikuni )

Tonight, buckets of rain.

ashman said:

Hey Big Jim

After 36 years with my Norton who gives a shit about what anyone says about my bike, my mates use to give their all to me about my Norton, that was some time ago as most of them haven't got the same bikes or don't even ride no more, but most of the time I just reply with "wheres your bike now" or "at leese I ride my bike" or I just past them on the inside of the corners and laugh at them as I go past them :lol:

Ashley

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Ya know, I want t a T-shirt that says "I actually ride my bike. It's a Norton". My bike is dusty from my dirt road and a bit grungy from some oil weapage. It has rusty chrome and is not a show winner by any means but it is just one hell of a motorcycle to actually ride! I can't count the ads I see on CL where they will say ". . .selling bike. Just don't ride it enough to justify keeping it." Really? Then it must not be any damn fun to ride.

I took a lot of crap from other Norton owners about my safety yellow frame. My response to them was "I didn't build it for you!"

I'd rather ride my Norton than anything else in my garage. Now I'm trying to decide what would be the car equivalent to put in there with it & sell the newJunk.

Auto - Mobiles . . . ? :lol: :shock: :wink:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Leyland-P76- ... 35b876094f

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Leyland-P76- ... 3f123dbbbe
Just saw this one thismoring , figured 2.500 , was at 2000 / 2 bids . look at the milage .

http://www.leylandp76.com/publications/ ... ainfo.html

1250 Kilos , a Cortina with two engines that seats six . :? :lol:

Youll get the " P-38 " stories NEXT . . . .
Its the B.O.P. , G.M. alloy 215 V8 at 269 cu. in. ( range rover 3.9 / 4.6 & 3500 Rovers a bolt in . 190 hp stocks almost enough , usual story , after youve . . . . they go as good as any and better than most .

Close Country Cousin . ;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Triumph- ... 2a186b1b8f

28 degrees here in san fran tonight on my way home. Norton ran fine! but i was cold

A couple of years ago on the way to California from Vancouver BC, a friend and I were waiting for the ferry to Anacortes,Wa.

There was a young guy there with a new sportbike of some kind, cant remember which brand or model, they all look about the same. He asked us if we could look at his bike's electrics.
He was a bit desperate as the electrics had all gone dead and the ferry was about ten minutes away. Given the complexity of modern electrics and the simplicity of the bikes we are used to, Vincents for my friend, Vincents and Nortons for me, we didnt think there was much we could do.

I wish I had a picture of the two of us old guys in our old leather road gear kneeled down beside this ultra modern sportbike, pulling plastic bits off to get access to the multitude of safety switches, relays and wiring harnesses, with our old black Vincents ready to roll and sitting nearby.
We did get him going, it was a problem with the kickstand safety switch which locked out the starter. Because we ride ancient bikes (mine is engine 38, the 38th Vincent built after WW2) we carry tools, some basic spares,some electrical wire and crimp on ends. We were able to bypass the kickstand safety switch, got him going.
Because he was a young guy on an utterly reliable sportbike, he had no tools, no spares and no knowledge of how to use any of them in any case!

Glen

Glen, we're a dying breed. The young guys will take over, even if they don't know what they are doing. But that's not our problem.

Dave
69S

We should bless our stars to make it to old enough most young things will think of us like their daddys. I don't always have my Cdo ready to go, just always have the tools out and ready to go. Missed a ride this week d/t low battery discovered too late and too cold to make up the time on road to appointment for the risk of arrest or blind hazards.

61 and sunny here today, and the snow we had earlier this week is gone! So I went for a ride, but on my Ducati not one of my Nortons. Unlike Big Jim's, mine are not always ready, sad to say. The 750 is still waiting to get its blown head gasket replaced, and the 850 has developed a problem with hot starting. I have no idea what's wrong, but I don't trust it any farther than I can walk right now.

So the Ducky got to play today. It's always ready!

Debby

DogT said:

Glen, we're a dying breed. The young guys will take over, even if they don't know what they are doing. But that's not our problem.

Dave
69S

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I've run across a few guys in their early twenties lately that are crazy about older bikes. For them it means '70 era Japanese bikes. It's a crackup to hear them talk about the arcane workings of a carburetor.They've never ridden in or rode on anything that didn't have fuel injection. Those early Japanese bikes are a gateway bike. No doubt they'll be on the hard stuff sooner or later.

I remember trying one of those Kaw 750 back in the day, it was a buzz bomb, fast once you got the revs up, almost too fast. Ring-ding-ding-ding. I always liked the low end torque anyhow. It still makes me drool when I hear a BSA thumper, like a 441 or single 500.

I suppose there will be a few of the young bucks that will be interested in the antiques, if only for what they did do without the technology, but probably not many. Just for info, the Germans were making the Jumo inverted V engines with 1400HP fuel injected magnesium engines in 1939 for the Stuka, imagine that. And they hand cranked the flywheel to get it started. Next thing they will be manufacturing motorcycles with large 3D printers.

Dave
69S

Matt Spencer said:

Shouldve timed it for the Puke a cooie Classic Raceing :mrgreen: . ( CMRRNZ ) 11 / 12 Feb. Hampton Downs , Hills South of Akland .

http://www.nzcmrr.com/index

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Should be a good couple of weekends of racing especially if I can get my R90 ( # 146) finished in time...running but yet to be tested on road... :roll: