American Norton

DonOR said:

If it were not 10am, I'd say I'll drink to that!

Click to expand...

Really? In Hawaii they adhere to that? Cuz in my book it's 10am somewhere!

As for me ... I would LUV to buy a new Norton; and keep my old ones as well. It also just might get my sons to "ride British" then ? I think riding the New Norton would be very similar to my 1999 Buell Cyclone, a blast ! (of course ... it must be in Black)

swooshdave said:

DonOR said:

If it were not 10am, I'd say I'll drink to that!

Click to expand...

Really? In Hawaii they adhere to that? Cuz in my book it's 10am somewhere!

Click to expand...

actually Dave, many don't adhere!!! But me, I work for a living. Though by 7pm, the redder the better, hehe

Commando75 said:

If someone wants to pay a king's ransom for a modern motorcycle that is called a Norton Commando that is their business and I respect that. For me the existance of a 'new' Commando just makes the sensation of riding an 'old' commando that much more satisfying.

Click to expand...

As Dave said, I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts after seeing the film.

One thing I've been struck with in the interviews is how sensitive everyone involved was to the history and legacy of the brand. Kenny didn't just want to make a new American motorcycle -- the word is that Kenny would often tell his team that he wanted to build the motorcycle that Norton would have made if they'd survived. He didn't care that the company was based in Oregon. He was building a British motorcycle, in spirit if not by birth.

I'll leave it to actual vintage Norton owners to debate how true was his aim.

My humble opinion....

Not sure everybody saw those three words in my last post so there they are again :lol:

I cant wait to see this movie. I am not too clear on the story line but if its about a Norton motorcycle I already like it.

My preference has always been to ride an old motorcycle drive an old car listen to an old radio, live in an old house. You get the point. In fact in the early eighties a friend loaned me a MK 3 Commando trying to get me to see the advantages that the bike offered. At that time if it wasn't black and didn't have the word Velocette on the tank, I was not interested. The Mk3 at that time was too new (and worked too well) to get my interest. So the fact that the new Nortons are not for me is not a crtique of the design or of the designers vision. I just simply have never had any interestd in modern motorcycles. Maintaining and riding old motorcycles makes me happy. Happy to spend the day in the garage tracking down an oil leak, happy to polish the chrome, and happy to ride long distances and have someone stare in amazement at my out of state license plate. Happy happy happy. That's just me.

So bring on the new jet powered Nortons with laser guided headlight, seat warmer, hand grip warmer, on board sat nav and commo, and a special device that actually reverses global climate change. I will be miles behind you with chains spinning, push rods pushing, and clouds of polution spewing forth from my pea shooters. :wink:

Well said Commando 75!

Webby

I'm trying to build what I think is another path of evolution Norton might of-could of followed to keep the Unapporachable a realistic adjective. Anywho I spent hours with Kenny and his wife Linda on ph and email while working up 1st Ms Peel.
He deserves to be known world wide for the efforts, struggles and sacrifices made to evolve the Commando. If the online review is correct swooshdave is Tim Parker. My total respects to the efforts struggles etc he's doing to keep Kenny in the lime light of Commandos. I think new Norton has missed the boat by not introducing its first model as a Dreer Special, even though it had to be redone to produce, its still dripping Kenny Dreer blood and tears.

Commando75 said:

My humble opinion....

Not sure everybody saw those three words in my last post so there they are again :lol:

I cant wait to see this movie. I am not too clear on the story line but if its about a Norton motorcycle I already like it.

Click to expand...

And I wasn't trying to criticize your opinion. But you'd mentioned "called a Commando" as if Dreer's bike might not count. It's one of the things I found interesting, how focused on being true to the Norton legacy this team was. People may argue over whether they succeeded, but there's no question these guys intended to make a "real" Norton.

I think that even if the Dreer Norton isn't your thing, it might be in thirty years once it becomes vintage!

hobot said:

If the online review is correct swooshdave is Tim Parker.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, Tom Parker is the director and co-producer (and known here as mototom).

swooshdave is me. :mrgreen:

hobot said:

If the online review is correct swooshdave is Tim Parker. My total respects to the efforts struggles etc he's doing to keep Kenny in the lime light of Commandos.

Click to expand...

Whoa, whoa! There's an online review that says that swooshdave is me? (Who is Tom, by the way, not Tim.) Where is this?!

Rest assured that Dave is Dave and I am me. I told the whole story of how we got started on this thing on our production blog.

If Dave gets all the credit for this I'm gonna kill 'em.

Oh, ok Tim Parker, that straightens me out, you are Dave's project buddy I saw as author on online review posted here. Duh I fogged out missing Dave is part of swoohes handle here, sheeze. Over sights like this leave me pensive to try being a mechanic and all the more awe in what Dreer kept up with. Last I heard Dreer was drag racing a Kawasaki beast and trying to market vortex generators for trucking mileage.

mototom said:

I think that even if the Dreer Norton isn't your thing, it might be in thirty years once it becomes vintage!

Click to expand...

Yeah, and it'll still run on gasoline instead of electricity or hydrogen!! :wink:

Well, for me I'd love a Dreer Norton, or in fact a new Commando which Dreer clearly had a very large influence upon. Just to put this into perspective, there is no other new bike out there today that I would buy.
As for the film, put me down for a copy, I'm a sucker for bike related DVDs :mrgreen:

Webby

Just wanted to show off my prize for winning! :mrgreen:

Thanks for the shirt Dave! Gotta be my favorite.

I love that "military industrial" commando

Hortons Norton said:

Thanks for the shirt Dave! Gotta be my favorite.

Click to expand...

Need to thank Tom too. I'm not allowed to take all the credit. :mrgreen:

Hortons Norton said:

Gotta be my favorite.

Click to expand...

Awesome! Thanks for posting it. Can we put it on our Facebook page?

Thanks Tom, Everyone that has seen it likes it. :wink:

Hortons Norton said:

Just wanted to show off my prize for winning! :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Winning? I didn't know there was a contest! :? :? EDIT: Dah, shoulda re-read the post from....four months ago!

Anglophile said:

Hortons Norton said:

Just wanted to show off my prize for winning! :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Winning? I didn't know there was a contest! :? :? EDIT: Dah, shoulda re-read the post from....four months ago!

Click to expand...

Im sure there will be future opportunities. :mrgreen: