Cookie,
Yes, Bob's bike was damaged in my shop and then restored with help from the local club. It was nicknamed the crispy critter. It came out beautiful but I don't have a picture I can post. The Ducati was also restored and three more Commandos are on the list for restoration. The rest of the bikes were goners with the aluminum parts just melted into puddles. James

you are all killin me w/ these destructive pics.
It looks like a visual guide to inside the mind of Steven King and the Norton.
I only own one Norton and am really fond of it I'd be devastated if I lost her in a fire.
Debbies crispy critter comment was pretty funny as all you can do is step back afterwards and make light of the situation.
I'm going to see if we can start a fund raising committee for buying some of you smoke detectors.
Smoke detectors save Nortons. If your garage is detached you put a baby monitor in as well.
The after pics are trully amazing. I would have administered last rights for some of these units.
Jim I think you should get the $150.00 as you had the biggest loss I've ever seen.
Did insurance help at all?
Well I'm in the emergency services so everyone have a smoke free 2010,
We should do a forum build.
Someone w/ the time can donate the carcass and keep it, we can send that rider all our old take off parts and they can make a rider. Sorry sounded good in my distorted mind
Hey we can show before and after pics then show Obama change is possible
Thee Marshal

[quote] love the grimica (/) front brake Jean -looks great [quote]


Mike actually you are looking at a Suzuki 4ls brake

Heart rending these shots of burned Norton's. Your worst nightmare

Hey Norton speed your avatar your actual ride?
If so WOW!!!!
I gotta start hangin around w/ you and Jean
Marshal

Marshal,
Six of the bikes damaged were customers bikes and they were fully covered by my shopkeepers insurance. The bussiness where the fire started had no insurance and is deep in trouble from the several customers cars he had in his shop that were destroyed. I had enough personal property insurance to cover about 1/5 of my loss. They just wrote me a check for the limit and walked away. They said I could salvage what I could and clean up the rest. Guess that"s my retirement. James

MarshalNorton wrote:Hey Norton speed your avatar your actual ride?
If so WOW!!!!
I gotta start hangin around w/ you and Jean
Marshal

Thanks Marshal, and your welcome to join me riding the circuits as that's what I built my "Domiracer" for

Keith Kelly,
How did your Norton burn up while you were astride it?
That's a beautiful machine underneath all them flames
Fire is even shootin out the fill neck on the tank!
Hollywood might pay you for the right to use those pics in the next block buster movie.
I've never seen a 650SS love the lines though. Would love to ride one someday to compare to a commando.
Marshal

MarshalNorton wrote:you are all killin me w/ these destructive pics.
It looks like a visual guide to inside the mind of Steven King and the Norton.
I only own one Norton and am really fond of it I'd be devastated if I lost her in a fire.
Debbies crispy critter comment was pretty funny as all you can do is step back afterwards and make light of the situation.
I'm going to see if we can start a fund raising committee for buying some of you smoke detectors.
Smoke detectors save Nortons. If your garage is detached you put a baby monitor in as well.
The after pics are trully amazing. I would have administered last rights for some of these units.
Jim I think you should get the $150.00 as you had the biggest loss I've ever seen.
Did insurance help at all?
Well I'm in the emergency services so everyone have a smoke free 2010,
We should do a forum build.
Someone w/ the time can donate the carcass and keep it, we can send that rider all our old take off parts and they can make a rider. Sorry sounded good in my distorted mind
Hey we can show before and after pics then show Obama change is possible
Thee Marshal

Right on! these photos and their stories trigger the emotions. They're definitely hard to take!

Marshal -

As to how my 650SS caught fire while I was on it....... I was young and stupid at the time (older now), and it was my fault for not taking care of some issues ("..... get to it tomorrow")

1. My amals were a bit leaky, and would spit gas when I tickled them to start the bike.

2. I did not have air filters on the bike at the time.

3. There would be occasional backfires when I was starting the bike cold.

The combination of those factors were the problem. I went out to kick the bike over one morning, tickled the carbs generously (which meant there was a good bit of gas on the outside of the carb bodies), and gave the bike a healthy kick. It backfired, which of course sent some flame out through at least one carb. I didn't realize it was on fire till the 2nd or 3rd kick, by which it was too late to do anything but jump off and try to beat it out with a jacket (unsuccessful). As it turned out, a couple of guys were driving by and stopped to help. One had an old sleeping bag in his trunk and tried to help beat out the flames. His buddy had a camera and took some great shots, including of me frantically beating at the flames.

PS - the flame shooting out of the gas cap is actually from the gas vapor shooting out the tiny vent hole in the gas cap. I didn't think it was very cool at the time.

Lesson learned - I use Mikunis now, and thus avoid any possibility of leaky Amals. I always have an air filter fitted. And if I ever hear a backfire while on a bike, I jump off and run like hell.

Keith