What's your story? How did you aquire your Norton?

In 1988 I was living in Charlotte NC. 25 yrs old working with $ to burn. those were the days... I started looking for my childhood dream bike (Bonny 750) I came across a bike shop in Charlotte called "British American Cycles" and wondered in. The small "showroom" was crowded with about 6 bikes all Brit. a parts counter and that smell we have all grown to love.
I shouted Hello and a crusty little old guy with white scragly hair and beard to match came out from the back and said "Whadya want!"
I told him my name and said I was looking for a 750 bonnaville.
He replied while walking away "No you don't kid. Go buy a jap bike."
I started firing questions at him and got him to begrudgingly engage me.
"Go away kid you dont know what you're getting into"
In the coming mos. I would stop in and stand against the wall while he entertained his cronies... I was even tolerated eventually and was allowed to contribute to the conversation.
I came to find out "Crab" had been an airplane mechanic in WWII and fell in love with Brit machines. He began collecting basket cases and full bikes to restore and re-sell . The back of his shop was a quonset hut with about 150 bikes, some fully restored and many in progress... his "Retirement plan"
Non of which he would sell to me.
So... I am looking thru the sunday paper classifieds and come across an ad for a " 1972 Norton 750 Commando Combat $800.00"
I made arrangements to see it. I pictured a green camo bike with a side car and knobbies... what did i know...I thought "combat" meant military... I knew Nortons were Brit and the few I saw were cool as hell...
The bike was under a sheet in the guy's garage. My first glimpse and I forgot all about Triumphs. That was MY BIKE! The motor was free but would not fire. I was told it had been sitting for a year and that his son used to ride it around the yard. I put $800 on the guys workbench and with title in hand loaded it into my van.
This was all pre cell phone so I stopped by a pay phone to call Crab and tell him I was on my way to the shop with a Norton. I hung up on him in the middle of a barage a curses and headed in.
I pulled into his parking lot and went in to get him. he came out grumbling and said "Well unload the damn thing!!" He took one look at it and said "I'll be right back" he came back out fingering thru an old black book, looked at the numbers on the bike and proclaimed "I sold that bike new in 1972!! I had the Norton dealership then!"
He pushed me aside and wheeled it into the shop, all smiles and all of a sudden became my best friend. "Kid, I never thought you were serious.
Give me 2 months, stay away and dont call me, I'll call you." almost 2 mos. to the day he called me and said "Your bike is ready" and hung up.
I showed up and we went through the starting process. WOW what a sound!
He charged me $400.00 and said "if you need anything you know where im at"
I pulled out and headed home, along the route a pile of hardcore harley guys came roaring up behind me, passed me slowly on both sides eyeballing me. I got one bird and the rest thumbs up...
Thanks Crab,

Parents gave me $1500 towards education. Friends had other ideas. 70 S in Ottawa Capital City front window ,salesman started it first kick on the floor. So much for education :roll: $.

Great story, B.Tal. Mine is more recent and some people here helped me decide to get it. I am also from the Charlotte area - been here about 7 years.

A friend told me that a coworker had a bike in his garage and that he was interested in selling it. He asked me to come along and take a look at it. My friend wanted to buy it. I was not at the time very familiar with Norton's. We went to see it in early 2011. The bike had been sitting for 20 years. The last inspection sticker on it was from 1990. From 15 feet away it looked good. Of course on closer inspection, it was evident that time had taken it's toll on the rubber and inside the tank. It would not crank. The engine was locked up. The bike was rolled back into the shed because my friend had to discuss financing with his wife. The seller was not actively selling it but would sell it to someone that would treat it well.

Money for the bike was not in the cards and in the summer my friend said he could not get the cash to buy it. I asked him if he would mind me buying it. He was fine with that. I put my current ride (1976 CB 360) up on CL and it sold the next day. My wife agreed that I could take the rest out of the emergency fund but it would have to go back in ASAP. Well, the next day my boss calls me up and throws a $1500 bonus my way for some late night installs that we had to take care of the previous few weeks. Money secured. The owner wanted $2500 and that is what I showed up with....along with a 12 pack of Bass Ale and an 8X10 framed photo of the bike from our previous visit. He likes his beer and I know it was not easy for him to let the bike go. I told him that I was fully ready to pay $2500 for the bike but asked if he could drop it to give me some seed money to get started. He did, down to $2200. The bike was loaded up in the truck.

I had to send the head out for a valve job and to have exhaust inserts installed but all of the other work I did myself. It has been a labor of love.

About a year after I got it home, my friend and I rode back to Bill's house to show him the bike. He was happy to see it back on the road and being treated so well.

A side note. We have one of those crusty Brit Bike shop owners in my town. He has been in the same shop since 1965. My first experience with him was when I needed a clamp on mirror to make my CB360 street legal. He sold me one. I asked if I ever needed any work done was he familiar with this bike. He said matter-of-factly, "I don't work on Jap bikes". And turned around and walked away.

Cool story Drones. I got off a lot easier with a stock bike for $800.00 and $400.00 to get her running. But who can put a dollar amount on pure badass coolness?! I can't imagine old Crab is still with us but he just may be stubborn enough to be!
... over the years there have been times ive come close to selling. There is a great pic of my wife and I on the bike on our wedding day ...
sell?! are you kidding??!

After riding a CB450 around for a season, I couldn't stand it and sold it. Looking for another bike, I surmised that the thing I really didn't like about the Honda was the shift was on the wrong side being used to a BSA and besides it felt like it would tip over at any given moment. So I saw an ad for a Norton in Arlington, took a ride down there, rode the bike across the TR bridge and that was that. I drove it home. $750 in April 72. Restored in 05, you've seen the rest.

Dave
69S

I learned to ride in 1970 on a 350 Yamaha, a nice little bike to learn on. In 1972 I graduated to a Suzuki three-cylinder two-stroke 550, another really nice bike. When I got married in 1982 the motorcycle and the sports car both got sold. I got divorced in 2007 and remarried in 2011. My new wife and I went up to visit a friend of hers in Fall River, MA. He took me out to the garage to show me his Harleys. We walk into the garage and I look up on the stand and said, "That's a Triumph!" He said it sure was. A 1969 Bonneville that he was restoring, he picked up from a friend who worked at the Naval base and was moving out. I told him to keep me in mind when he finished the Triumph. Seven months later, January 2012, it was my birthday and I had a great day. As I was going to sleep that night my wife gave me one last present, a small box that weighed zero. I opened it up not having the foggiest what it was, and out dropped a picture of the Triumph. She had worked a deal to buy it from her friend! What a great wifey for lifey!!! So I spent last year getting my feel back for riding ( didn't take long and right-hand shift was no issue ) and getting the bike right, which took some doing. The carbs were mismatched, the coil wires were going to the wrong set of points and I lost the clutch rod nut on my very first ride. But it's right now, runs like a dream and leaves the plugs a perfect tan color. Bear with me, I am getting to the Norton. So early this year we were in a local auction house and we ran into a local guy that my wife knows. He tells me he's got a Norton Commando in storage. I say "That's nice, I'll take a look sometime" but don't think anything else of it because after all I've got a 69 Bonneville. Back in June my wife comes home and says that she ran into Tony in the supermarket. He said hi, they chatted and he asked about me. She says, "You know, he said that he really wanted the Norton to go to a good home and he sounded like he could use the money." I know, that's no reason to take on a Norton project, but it was enough to get me to call the guy and go take a look. So I go to take a look. It's a May 1973 850 Norton Commando with everything there including the original bill of sale and the original toolkit. Now it has lived it's 40 years in the state of RI where it's impossible to get away from the ocean air. So all the chrome was pitted and the tank & side covers looked like crap. But the engine turned over freely and it only had 8100 miles on it. I offered him $2500 for it and the sale went through. I delivered it to my local BritBike guy ( he does Brit cars, specializing in MGA, and go-karts as well ) for restoration. I didn't take it down to the frame, but I have replaced what's needed replacing and I've rechromed the pegs, brake, kickstart, Lucas headlight bucket and the chainguard. Head was sent out and came back looking terrific! When the jugs were off the mechanic showed me the cam & pistons & said he's never seen a set that looked that good without it being new. Tank & sidecovers went up to the Vintage Vendor. I rebuilt the carbs and cleaned up the wheels. It's very close to being ready to take home - new ignition switch and Mk III kickstart lever are just about the last things needed. I got it registered ( long story there, had to dig up the original owner and get him to sign a faux BOS and get it notarized ) with plates. My last issue is that the original BOS and the original owner's last registration from 1995 are made out with the wrong VIN! Dealer in Newport ( original owner's wife was the cousin of the shop owner ) transcribed the 5th digit incorrectly, it's actually 304x49 and the paperwork all says 304x39!! Hopefully I can get DMV to straighten it out. Last week she fired up for the first time in 18 years, I'll try to put up the link on YouTube. But that's how I've come to own both of my BritBikes. I've got a great wife!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBKjQP5cWb0

After being thrown in jail for running from cops I swore I'd never buy another bike. Sold my cafe trident and was off of two wheels until I saw a junk Atlas rusting in an alley. I explained my situation and begged until I talked someone into giving me what there was of the bike. After that I did my racing on the track - not the street. That bike won me a 2nd at Laguna seca in 84. Note the homemade guillotine slide carbs

My story is much too simple to post here. I acquired a 75 MKIII, new from a Norton dealer in 1978. The story I got was the importer in Canada was closing and the remaining invantory was moved to the US. Any remaining Norton, triumph or BSA dealer were offered the bikes at reduced cost.

I bought mine from Hall Burdette in Sacramento California a long time Norton dealer who was selling Moto Guzzi and Ducati and still doing service and selling parts for Nortons. They recieved 4 MKIII's, all roadsters.

I was there to buy Ducati parts and couldn't resist, I was in the right place at the right time as all 4 machines were gone within days. I paid $1980 OTD for a brand new red, white and blue MKIII.

I still own the bike, it still looks original, it has 50,000 miles on it, it runs well and the electric starter works.

My story is after leaving school at 15 I brought my first dirt bike a Honda 125 Elsinore, when I was 17 (in 1976)I have a 250 Honda Trials bike, my friend Don own a 750 Norton Commando in a Wideline Featherbed frame, he loved riding my trials bike and asked if we could swap bikes for the day, I jumped at the chance, he rode the trials bike where we use to ride at the old WW2 rife range where we lived, lots of hill climes and flat ground (perfect for a trials bike) I rode his Norton up the mountians where there are a lot of twisty roads, this was my first English bike that I rode but didn't have to much troubles learning the gear change and all.
After the day was over I was in love with the way the Norton went and handled (if had a very hot motor) with in 2 week of that ride I went to Mogan and Wakers the Brisbane dealer of Triumph, Norton, BMW and Harleys at the time and put a deposit on a new 74 850 Commando Roadster, I didn't tell anyone what I did, but got them to take me to pick it up on the Saturday morning, my friends jaws all dropped when they seen me sitting on that new black Norton, the shop was full of harden Harley riders and wasn't real impress when this skinny young lad was handed the keys to my new bike, the saleman was showing me what was needed to do to start the bike and told me to kick her over, everyone in the shop was watching, she fired up first kick and before I knew it I had it in gear and rode it straight out the front door waving to everyone that was in the shop including my friends.
A few years later my friend Don asked me if I wanted to buy one of his Wideline Featherbed frames, (this was in 1979) I jumped at it for $400 for a rolling chassie as I remembered how well his handled, and in 1980 I started the transistion to convert my 850 to a Featherbed frame with the motor bombed and built for the Featherbed frame, to this day I still own that bike with well over 130,000 miles on it and 2 rebuilds.

Ashley

Classic storey B.Tal

I wish I had a "Crab" in my home town.... 8)

Had a stiffey for a " snortin norton" since I was 12, finally got one...

concours said:

Had a stiffey for a " snortin norton" since I was 12, finally got one...

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Been riding Brit bikes for 30 years or more,never had a Norton. Rode to North Carolina on my Triumph with this guy. Came home, sold the Triumph bought a 71 roadster. I've put less than 1500 miles on any of my other stuff since

and all it took was a demonstration on US421 to get you to finally buy one :mrgreen:

]

concours said:

Had a stiffey for a " snortin norton" since I was 12, finally got one...

Click to expand...

when you ride the best of the british big twins you are spoiled.

MikeG said:

Been riding Brit bikes for 30 years or more,never had a Norton. Rode to North Carolina on my Triumph with this guy. Came home, sold the Triumph bought a 71 roadster. I've put less than 1500 miles on any of my other stuff since

Click to expand...

I'm new here, but I've owned my 1974 850 Roadster since it was only 6 months old. I always liked the Brit bikes when I was a kid, and at the tender age of 24 in 1974, I found my first and only motorcycle at Harry's Motors in Denver where I lived at the time. Black with gold pinstripes, it was previously owned for only 6-months and already had 4,500 miles on the clock. Harry's Motors sold Nortons and Triumphs but also Ducati's. So I tried out both the Norton and a "74 Ducati 750 GT. The Ducati was tight, light and narrow, and was easy to maneuver around corners. But oh, the Norton had bags of torque at low RPM that the Ducati could only dream of. It was no contest, I had to have the Norton and I paid the $2,400 sticker price which included 2 helmets.

Since then, I've done a few mods to it to improve power including: 10:1 Venolia forged pistons (.030-in. over), flat track cam (Axtell grind profile, I guess #3?), dual VM34mm Mikunis, Boyer ignition, 20t CS sprocket, and RH4 head prepared by none other than Jim Comstock, (It doesn't hurt that I live in the same CO community as Jim . The original RH10 head had a broken cooling fin and damaged exhaust threads, so I opted for an available RH4. And, genuine Dunstall Decibel Silencers that I bought new from a catalog through a local Triumph Dealer back in 1978 (no weld seam on the reverse cone).

After the head was prepped by Jim in 2001, I had other life events take priority and the bike has sat in my garage under a cover since that time, head still in a box ready for install. I retired from the railroad engineering business last year and I now am tackling the job of getting my bike back on the road. I need a stator, since the lead wires fatigued and broke off from the original, but after I obtain a new one it will be a pretty easy assembly from there. I have attached a photo of what my bike looked like before dismantling, and what it will look like when finished (again). Time stamp on photo is incorrect. Bill

I grew up in a deprived area. There were lots of Hondas but not a lot of diversity. I went looking for a "real" motorcycle. A 1974 Norton was advertised in the paper and I went to look at it out of curiosity. I just drove by the house, it was sitting out in the yard, and new it was gonna be my new bike when I looked at it! And then I rode it. This was after riding a number of Triumphs, Harleys, and various other offerings. The stupidest thing I ever did was sell that bike. Well that and breaking up with Becky when I was 15, but that's another story. So years later, in my little town where I have lived for 35 f%$k!ng years that has no roads out of it I decided not to die without owning another f%$k!ng Norton! So I bought one!

Russ

Most everyone on this site can relate to these stories.

For me it started with an old Indian basket case my brother and I put together in 1964 that I inherited from him in 66 but sold in 68 when I had to have a car for college.
In college I lusted after the Commando, and maybe the Commando girls but broke student could only dream. Graduated in 72 and went out to earn a living, marry, have two fabulous daughters.

Fast forward to 2007. Kids grown, educated and married and me feeling a need to get a fun hobby going.
Thoughts of motorcycles had been supressed partly because of concern for hazzard with two children and wife to support, so now except for wife, who's ok with it I went sniffing for my dream bike. I wanted a project since the restoration followed with the riding is a complete experience that a hobby really calls for.

Searching the EBay and Craigslist site after 6 months I found what I was looking for 150 miles to the south in Portland. Would start sort of, had sat since 1977,some rust but maybe a 6 out of 10 as a starting point, no title. Paid $3,500 which may have been a tad high, once I got into its problems.
Dissasembled, painted frame and then diagnosed with Stage III metastatic Melanoma.
Twelve months of sitting while being treated and honestly didn't feel up to working in an unheated garage while receiving chemo that makes you feel like you have the flu for months at a time.

Seems like maybe I'd survive so back to work on bike. It was a Combat that I detuned to fit more my style of riding. Lowered compression, new standard cam, single Mikuni 32mm VM. A huge amount of updating and replacing including Pazon Sure Fire EI.
Bike literally started on the first kick after sitting for 30 years. Actually surprised the hell of me since I'd changed both carb setup and ignition.

The two things I had experienced professionals do both had problems. The head I had overhauled immediately had a smoking problem one side caused by a split new intake valve seal, and after having new wheel bearings installed the circlip in the rear popped out of its groove causing drum to migrate to the left and rubbing of chain guard. So actually even with complicated stuff it often is better to do it yourself. It was the great folks here on Contact Norton that helped me troubleshoot both of these problems.

Six years out and I continue to have clean follow ups with my oncologist and the bike running great with almost 9,000 mies since done.
Really does make me feel 10 years younger while riding so just the hobby I was looking for.

Bought my first one waay back in 1975, it was a partial basket case 69 Roadster, had been disassembled and later some parts had been stolen...got it going and then proceeded to have every typical problem for early Commandos within a year, blew the gearbox twice, main bearing went, etc....it even cost me my job, was foolishly using it to deliver blueprints in S.F. at the time. My current bike is a MUCH better find, walked into a local shop in 2010 that handles consignments, saw a '73 Interstate that looked nearly new and had nearly all new parts, picked it up for $4K which was an absolute steal...have had only minor problems since and it runs very strong. Looked like this the day I bought it...

At the beginning of year 80 all italian guys bought Honda and Kawasaki only.
To us, used to having eternally dirty hands because of the continuing problems of our Ducati, go to the British motorcycle was very easy.
All the US Navy military, with base in our cities, they had Harley, Norton, Triumph (and loved Alfa Romeo cars too) and when breaking the bike or returning at home, abandoned bikes at the junkyards.
For us it was easy to buy them cheap, so don't nobody wanted.
Piero

Went with my cousin to the local Norton dealer to pick up his brand new 73 850 in brilliant metallic blue on his 18th birthday. I bought an old 750 a few months later. We still ride together on the same bikes.

Well, back in 1973 I was 21 years old. I got out of the Army and decided I needed another bike. Checked out the Honda 750-4 and thought, yea, this is pretty good.

Then I went to a Norton dealership about 1/8 mile from where I worked and heard that puppy run! Oh yea! This is what I really want. A 73 850 Commando ! Got the bucks

in order and bought it. I remember I had to pay 5.00 more to get a blue tank. When I went to start it up I stood up on the kick starter and it didn't budge!!!

I weighed about 125 Lbs. The guy goes "it's all technique". I still have that bike and I'm now in the process of rebuilding it. I'll be done in about a week or two.

Many a time my wife and I would hop on the bike and just ride to the Santa Cruz Ca. coast and have breakfast or lunch.

My youngest son rides a Triumph Legend and my oldest rides a Triumph Tiger ( bought it this year). While I'm working on the Norton I'm riding a Vulcan 900 .

Pretty nice machine if I do say so! BUT, my sons are always poking at me about not riding an English bike!! I'll get them!!! :twisted:

I've been reading this forum for quite a while and I'd like to thank all of you for the great stories and information I've gotten here.

Carry on!

Protojoe