Quote Cookie:
This Norton has almost nothing original. It's a 64 featherbed with Commando bits to make it an old hot rod like we rode in the 70s. I'm leaving it mostly in the hot rod condition and adding only stuff myself or my friends would have used back then. To me either approach is valid, but if I can save something original I do.
Cookie,
You nailed it. A bike build can be a coherent snapshot in time. They're like a time capsule. Zeitgeist.

No kidding Jim, you didn't know Paul Lee did you?
I've also got a long running affair with BMWs, I had an R 60 a buddy left me in college for a while. I've got a couple of Changs now for sidecar use. Seems to me an R 90 is an excellent all around bike, I've worked on a couple and been occasionally tempted to get my own.
I could afford Nortons back in college and frankly for bang for the buck they were great. I detuned mine because it was my only bike and had to do everything. When I came here it was the only transport I had year round.

Cookie,

No, I don't know Paul Lee. Most of my friends out there were either in the Triumph (auto), Austin-Healey, Fiat or Alfa communities, and we spent our time keeping them on the road. It was alleged that in the wee hours of the morning, certain people would use the flat, straight section of the San Mateo Bridge (5miles?) to check out the latest engine mod or tune-up. I've heard that there was little or no traffic, and John Law was elsewhere. I wonder if motorcyclists did the same thing?

I guess I'm a bit of a wannabe in terms of the British bikes since I was riding something else back then. I will say that I always loved the looks of the Commando, and certain Triumphs (bikes, I mean), and I appreciate the heritage. I hope that now that I have the means (or at least more means than I had as a kid), and have acquired many of the necessary skills, I can build something nice.

Jim

I had three TR 3s and they were a lot of fun. I have a BMW M Roadster now for my sports car, looks kind of like my XK Jags did but actually runs.
Nortons are fairly simple compared to a lot of modern bikes, no reason you can't do a nice one up. For me there is no rush to it as I work on bikes a bit to relax after work.
We used to test on Route 37, it's about like Bonneville.
I've never actually owned a Triumph bike, in college we had a couple 250s and a 750 around and although I rode them they didn't make me switch from a Norton. A pal had a very quick 650 Bonnie. I find myself occasionally tempted by the new Triumphs, but they seem a bit large to me and not quite as pretty as a 650 Bonnie.