What fell off your norton today?

My common sense dropped off sometime in the past. I'm not sure if it
dropped off as a single lump or just leaked and dribbled away.

I have retraced some of the journeys I have made during my life, but
have not found either a big lump of common sense on the road side
or puddles and droplets along the road surface.

So I'm fated to continue to own/ride old clunkers that require much
applications of spanners, much fettling and much swearing to keep
roadworthy.

If I had not lost my common sense I would own modern motorcycles
that start with the push of a button, whizz along at warp speed, stop
abruptly with slight pressure on a little lever and get serviced once a
year at the main dealer.

If anyone finds my lost common sense please send it back. Thanks
 
Staytite said:
My common sense dropped off sometime in the past. I'm not sure if it
dropped off as a single lump or just leaked and dribbled away.

I have retraced some of the journeys I have made during my life, but
have not found either a big lump of common sense on the road side
or puddles and droplets along the road surface.

So I'm fated to continue to own/ride old clunkers that require much
applications of spanners, much fettling and much swearing to keep
roadworthy.

If I had not lost my common sense I would own modern motorcycles
that start with the push of a button, whizz along at warp speed, stop
abruptly with slight pressure on a little lever and get serviced once a
year at the main dealer.

If anyone finds my lost common sense please send it back. Thanks
Click to expand...
I've never had any common sense in the first place
But I'll an eye out for you!!
 
Staytite said:
My common sense dropped off sometime in the past. I'm not sure if it
dropped off as a single lump or just leaked and dribbled away.

I have retraced some of the journeys I have made during my life, but
have not found either a big lump of common sense on the road side
or puddles and droplets along the road surface.

So I'm fated to continue to own/ride old clunkers that require much
applications of spanners, much fettling and much swearing to keep
roadworthy.

If I had not lost my common sense I would own modern motorcycles
that start with the push of a button, whizz along at warp speed, stop
abruptly with slight pressure on a little lever and get serviced once a
year at the main dealer.

If anyone finds my lost common sense please send it back. Thanks
Click to expand...
Well put. In my experience there's nothing "common" about sense these days. Everybody has their own concept of sense that has veered well past the general notion as we older folk have come to understand. This is why we like these old rides. They are a reminder of the common sense that was once prevalent when the regular Joe knew how to do things on their own or at least give it a good try knowing that persistence and patience will always win.

I'm with you. I couldn't imagine owning a modern bike. I wouldn't know how to ride one. To me everything these days are clinical people movers. What we ride are machines with soul, attitudes, particularities, temperaments, kind of like their owners. Together we work.
 
Stopped for a break on my ride today and while looking the bike over I found one of my head steady side plates sitting between my inner primary and cradle. Went to the timing side and found the other half sitting on the gearbox. Guess I didn’t tighten it down good enough after retorque of the head. Collected both side plates and rode home to repair tomorrow. Sucks that it happened but nice that I salvaged both plates. Son of a bitch, you gotta take a wrench to everything after every ride it seems. The perks of Norton ownership obviously. Lol!
 
Nothing lately, because it's been idle in the garage, but it was always something small and silly. Last time, the shifter pinch bolt took leave of the machine.
 
Danno said:
Nothing lately, because it's been idle in the garage, but it was always something small and silly. Last time, the shifter pinch bolt took leave of the machine.
Click to expand...
Remember Luke - Loctite 243 (blue) is your friend. Trust the force!
 
Starvingphotog said:
Well put. In my experience there's nothing "common" about sense these days. Everybody has their own concept of sense that has veered well past the general notion as we older folk have come to understand. This is why we like these old rides. They are a reminder of the common sense that was once prevalent when the regular Joe knew how to do things on their own or at least give it a good try knowing that persistence and patience will always win.

I'm with you. I couldn't imagine owning a modern bike. I wouldn't know how to ride one. To me everything these days are clinical people movers. What we ride are machines with soul, attitudes, particularities, temperaments, kind of like their owners. Together we work.
Click to expand...
I'd like to offer you a ride on this "clinical people mover" You want peculiarities? Got 'em. You want character? In spades. Attitude? Goes without saying.

170 bhp at the crank and 103 Lbs.ft. of torque pulling a 525-lb. machine. All the soul you can possibly stand.

What fell off your norton today?
 
Mr. Danno. Well, I would definitely not put that superbike into the category of people mover. In the wrong or inexperienced hands, that is a widow-maker. People movers to me are these current vehicles on the road that drive you, and you're just a passenger along for the ride. There is so many technical pieces in the car that are no longer fully mechanical and electrically controlled. I recently rented a few cars that had safety features that steered me out of harms way, and also beeped, blinked, shook the steering wheel, and braked the car on my behalf because it was scared of something on the road or around it. I don't think that I'm all too comfortable with releasing control of a car to a computer just yet, or in that way. Still, I'm still here typing away at this computer so I suppose it's not all that bad. In fact, with the car being able to think and pay attention to the road for me, I was left to play with my phone and do some texting while driving. Convenient....:)...of course you guys know I'm kidding on this last but, but this is the direction these people movers are taking us. Wouldn't you agree....? The youngest car I own is 22 years old. It has none of these safety features, except ABS braking. Oldest car I own is 55 years old, and of course it has nothing power or computer assisted. Anyway, I'm ranting. Nothing fell off my Nortons either. Both are sitting still, one in the house, and one in the garage. With this fine weather we are having here in Michigan however, I'm tempted to put some fuel back into the 850 in the garage and take her out for a spin now.
 
One of the big differences between my Seeley 850 and my Triton 500, is the lack of vibration of the 850. My Triton cracked it's frame and several mounting brackets. With the Norton 850 motor, I have had none of that. My 850 motor's crank is balanced for smooth operation at 7000 revs
 
Starvingphotog said:
Mr. Danno. Well, I would definitely not put that superbike into the category of people mover. In the wrong or inexperienced hands, that is a widow-maker. People movers to me are these current vehicles on the road that drive you, and you're just a passenger along for the ride. There is so many technical pieces in the car that are no longer fully mechanical and electrically controlled. I recently rented a few cars that had safety features that steered me out of harms way, and also beeped, blinked, shook the steering wheel, and braked the car on my behalf because it was scared of something on the road or around it. I don't think that I'm all too comfortable with releasing control of a car to a computer just yet, or in that way. Still, I'm still here typing away at this computer so I suppose it's not all that bad. In fact, with the car being able to think and pay attention to the road for me, I was left to play with my phone and do some texting while driving. Convenient....:)...of course you guys know I'm kidding on this last but, but this is the direction these people movers are taking us. Wouldn't you agree....? The youngest car I own is 22 years old. It has none of these safety features, except ABS braking. Oldest car I own is 55 years old, and of course it has nothing power or computer assisted. Anyway, I'm ranting. Nothing fell off my Nortons either. Both are sitting still, one in the house, and one in the garage. With this fine weather we are having here in Michigan however, I'm tempted to put some fuel back into the 850 in the garage and take her out for a spin now.
Click to expand...
Please, call me Danno or just Dan. Only the police call me "Mr." As in, "Do you realize how fast you were going Mr. (insert last name here)?
 
Will do Dan. A throwback from my days in NC, where everyone refers to people as Mister. this, and Miss that...I think it's part of the famed Southern hospitality charm.
 
The guts of my speedo gearbox on my current '73 850 like another poster. In my youth I had a '69 Commando 750 and it once broke a chain which wrapped itself around the rear wheel and locked it up.
 
Danno said:
I'd like to offer you a ride on this "clinical people mover" You want peculiarities? Got 'em. You want character? In spades. Attitude? Goes without saying.

170 bhp at the crank and 103 Lbs.ft. of torque pulling a 525-lb. machine. All the soul you can possibly stand.

What fell off your norton today?
Click to expand...
I got a look at this bike when Dan and I hooked up a while back.
Great looking bike, photo does not do it justce
 
Lineslinger said:
I got a look at this bike when Dan and I hooked up a while back.
Great looking bike, photo does not do it justce
Click to expand...
I still have trouble looking at it from some angles, esp dead-on from the front. But when it's wailing along, I can't see anything but trees and fenceposts whizzing by. It's function is worlds better than it's form.
 
The air in the tires! Dropped it off the center stand to move it, and it went flub-flub. Whatever happened to tubes that would hold air?

Slick
 

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