A great feeling

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eskasteve

eskasteve

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Is there a better feeling in our small weird Norton world that beats seeing the mailman struggling up the walkway with a huge box of Commando parts from Old Britts? It was my own version of Christmas here in Arizona, that's for sure
 
I knew the UPS guy by name and would see him on a regular basis, on a couple of occasions he would come to the garage to see how the bike was coming along. Great to have those deliveries arrive.
 
Just think, poor old Honda owners only get one Christmas. :(:(
 
I have two motorcycles - my Seeley Norton 850 - and a two-stroke project, which is an Egli copy frame with Suzuki RG250 running gear and a much modified Kawasaki H1 engine. When I approach the two to work on them, my mindset is entirely different for each one. I am actually interested in the Norton. The Japanese-based bike does not sustain my interest. Different guys who have seen it, love it. But to me it is an exercise in insanity. There are too many ways of getting it wrong. One day I might finish it, but I won't be in a hurry. It is an H1 bottom end with three RD350 barrels and heads - it is 600cc and has TZ750 port timing. Maintaining enthusiasm for it, is a real problem
 
I would not go so far as to say only one. Let An old Wing sit for 20yrs and try to bring it back to sunshine. The delivery folks have done all except move in I think. I also feel the same way working on the Wing...Kinda hard to get your heart in it.
 
Not only do I enjoy the arrival of bike parts .... also anticipate the postal delivery of the 2 bike magazines I subscribe , specially these winter month issues ! Have the March Classic Bike Guide on my reading chair at present , cover features a fine 900SS .....
 
Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder. To me, my Norton-based bike is visually and technically interesting. Japanese bikes have no soul. If I wanted to win historic road races, I would ride a Yamaha TZ350. I sold a very good TZ350G to buy the 6-speed box for my Seeley 850. With a TZ350G - you cannot do much with it, which has not already been done. Using one of those in road racing is like buying a good table-tennis bat, but much more costly.
 
I don't take much interest in modern road racing, so I would not know what the latest and greatest bike might be. For racing, I have always built my own bike. I think I have got a lot more out of racing than many other guys. None of it is ever as straight-forward as you might think. Even these days when I watch the young guys practising, I still see some making silly mistakes - like approaching corners and changing down two gears and making the rear wheel hop. Some have got their overall gearing entirely wrong for the circuit on which they are riding.
 
Its been over 7 years now since the postman has delived parts to me for my Norton but thats soon to change as I am building a old Shovel Head Harley for my uncle and a few major parts missing, anyone got a complete right side forward control for a 79 Supaglide lol.
But it is fun when parts do arrive, my daughter has been getting a lot of parts sent to her from overseas for her Nisson drift car she is building, the biggest parts so far new big turbo and complete clutch kit and lots of smaller parts as well adapter plates for the Toyota motor she is building for it, motor is ready to be put in and I will get my carport back lol.

Ashley
 
I had my daily Norton cruise, not very far, but one of those I can't live without things now that I've got it going again. There's nothing to be compared with a Norton underneath you doing it's thing down the road. Though not comf like the Wing, rather noisy, solid road is felt, aware of bumps, some vibration, wind noticed...….OTH...Norton reminds you of living and all which that entails. It reaches into the soul if you truly enjoy what a motorcycle was meant to be. I've no regrets in the long relationship with mine.
If I were younger and still working I think I'd be setting about snatching up a few early model Commandos. I should have done that years ago and become a hoarder. Enough of my Norton worship.
 
My love of my Norton was long before the wife came along and after 28 years of marrage I still spend more time with all my bikes and of course the bikes never complain, but then I never listen to the wife (industral deafness helps with that lol).

Ashley
 
I been with same Woman (Wife) now since June 1978 .... still really enjoy all of our time together .... as for the Italian “1976 Ducati 900SS” on cover of the British magazine “Classic Bike Guide” it is set up as a street bike and caption at top of article say : it was “the pin-up bike of the time” , discribed as a fine handling, high-speed , uncompromising racer for the road ..... plus it just looks right and came in at just over 400lbs .... nice!
 
Last edited:
Craig said:
Not only do I enjoy the arrival of bike parts .... also anticipate the postal delivery of the 2 bike magazines I subscribe , specially these winter month issues ! Have the March Classic Bike Guide on my reading chair at present , cover features a fine 900SS .....
Click to expand...

Magazines? You mean like real, paper magazines? WOW, that's some heavy retro stuff! Don't tell me you also have some printed books and records (I think they call them "vinyl," nowadays) in the house? :)
 
  • My Marantz is in my garage/shop powering a pair of vintage Advent speakers. Put on Joe Cocker live at Woodstock while I replaced my Commando center stand. Perfect tunes for the work involved.
 
We are without a doubt foolish old men trying hard to re-live our yout’ .... easier now since there seems to be more money for the fun things ,eh ..... since our children have grown my wife and I build our travel around seeing bands we missed back in the day .... no VW bus to travel in anymore though , we rolled it over in a snow storm back in late 70’s ..... lots of foolishness then too ...
 
Since this thread destined for 'the pub' anyway...
Craig - since seeing Steely Dan at the Beacon Theater in NYC last year(EXCELLENT!), this foolish old man has the same inclination to travel to concerts of "still got it" rockers before we and they are gone. Finding them is a challenge to say the least.
Tribute bands, KISS, Dave Mathews Band are NOT on my wish list! :)
 
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