competition

How come I don't get to see the rumors first hand? I feel so left out...

swooshdave said:

How come I don't get to see the rumors first hand? I feel so left out...

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Could be because they are about YOU! hee hee

Hi Jim,

A quick note to you and other forum members to say that my 750 runs really well (and fast) and it is due to your advice regarding cam and what you did to the followers and cylinder head. You have my vote hands down and I am very picky. Look forward to meeting you in person at Quincy in a few weeks.

Cheers

Jerry Doe said:

Hi Jim,

A quick note to you and other forum members to say that my 750 runs really well (and fast) and it is due to your advice regarding cam and what you did to the followers and cylinder head. You have my vote hands down and I am very picky. Look forward to meeting you in person at Quincy in a few weeks.

Cheers

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I will be there. Jim

Without forums, I would have never heard of Comstock Engineering, CNW, Atlantic Green, Tri-Spark, BTH magnetos, Donald Pender (Madass), and Dave Madigan parts for triples. Since I've made purchases from all of the above, I think things are working as they are supposed to. I'm supporting people who go out on a limb to make this stuff. I'm always interested in what's next! I know where I can buy stock parts, but the specialist stuff is what you need to look a little harder for. All of you are great! I bow down to your entrepreneurship!

Competition? Sha.....as if.

comnoz said:

I shouldn't let it bother me. Jim

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I think that is the right approach. I'm rather surprised because you never seem to let things bother you. Even when I said stupid stuff

Must have been something different this time.

I say the same as others. Your contributions and knowledge are second to none. The quality of your work speaks for itself.

I still talk about my visit to your shop. Amazing stuff going on there

Enjoy him while you've got him

I heard another rumour and it came from some very serious players.
Since we lost John McDougall, a replacement engine builder is needed in Vincent World.

One day when you least expect it, multiple Black Escalades will converge on your shop.

The doors will open and old men with Depends padded bottoms will hobble toward you. They will demand that you come with them.
At a secret location you will be forced to rebuild ancient V twin motors. Somehow you will make those porous old crankcases hold oil one more time.....( maybe a Depends like the riders are using?)

Glen

worntorn said:

Enjoy him while you've got him

I heard another rumour and it came from some very serious players.
Since we lost John McDougall, a replacement engine builder is needed in Vincent World.

One day when you least expect it, multiple Black Escalades will converge on your shop.

The doors will open and old men with Depends padded bottoms will hobble toward you. They will demand that you come with them.
At a secret location you will be forced to rebuild ancient V twin motors. Somehow you will make those porous old crankcases hold oil one more time.....( maybe a Depends like the riders are using?)

Glen

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And if he doesn't comply they'll make him rebuild Velocette engines...

20 years ago when I lived on the east coast, I rebuilt my commando. I bought well over $2,000. worth of parts from an authorized parts dealer who I will not name. They had the best prices, so I bought from them. They offered very little information on their website, and absolutely never gave any help of any sort over the phone. I never felt like a valued customer since the vibe the guy put out was, "my time is too valuable to answer the occasional question for customers".

Now, I live out west, pretty close to Old Britts, so I buy my new parts from fred and ella. They are great to deal with and their site is packed with helpful information. I can't say enough good things about them. They've put so much good information out for free without any requirement to buy from them, I feel like they've earned my business with that gesture.

I've ordered a thing or two from CNW and talked to Matt on the phone about the upgraded layshaft bearing they sold me. He couldn't have been nicer or more informative. Another good knowlegable person to buy from who appreciates and respects his customers...

Jim Comstock is awesome. He helped me out by fitting a pair of used lifters for me, when one of mine delaminated. He had me send him my broken pair of lifters so he could use them to check their fit in barrels which he had, so he could make sure the lifters he sent me would already fit my barrels. (simple but genius!) I called him 3 times for this small thing he did for me, He was nice to me every time. He laughed at my stories. He sent me stuff that worked. He gave me advise and explanations to the questions I asked of him.

If Jim ran for president, I'd vote for him... (even over Trump :lol: ) If he was nominated for pope, there'd be white puffs of smoke coming out of the vatican chimney in record time. 8) If he swam in the zambezee river the crocodiles would leave him alone... :roll: because he's a good dude. He's a blessing to all of us norton owners. :!:

Thanks for helping me Jim.

:wink:

You CANT Really Call the Oposition COMPETITION . In This Case . :wink:



( Tripped over this ( again ? ) yesterday . How Apt. Unless the Yams on 80 % Nitro And riden by fairless Fred .
In which case , Hold Back . Therll be a fearsome pool of oil and fragments about half track . )

this is an analogy ; for those without acute , and instantaeneous, perception.

If it's only a rumour Jim you better make it true. Just keep on doing what you're doing, we'd be lost without you.

Matchless said:

Who is the mystery person who is doing the complaining? I for one am dying to know.

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+1

Competition! - most reputable engine builders and tuners I know have one competition in common, how quick they can process the big pile of orders they have, with many selflessly leaving their own projects to last!! so to retail parts in any number would infringe on what they do best.

America - the land of the free and big dreams, don't let Trump know that some someone complained about Jim being competition, how very un-American, - he will have them whipped!!

Jim, the most difficult thing as we get older is to keep the urge. I have the greatest respect for you and what you do. When I was a kid, I had a choice - I could continue to work in laboratories and studying part-time to become a scientist or I could pursue my passion in a motorcycle workshop as suggested by one of the dealers in Melbourne. He pointed out that he and his friends were all millionaires, however he said that those who started in business at that time would become BIG millionaires. He was right. However one of my friends was a GP winner on Derbi, cane home and started up in a motorcycle business. These days he almost cannot bear to even look at a motorcycle. I am retired and love my bikes. If I'd done it for a living, I believe I would not have that passion now. It keeps me alive.
As far as COMPETITION is concerned, if I line up on a race grid, the other competitors almost do not exist - run your own race.

To tell you the truth, I hate to even think of what I do as a business -let alone try to be in competition with other business. It takes the fun out of it.

When my big shop downtown burned 10 years ago I basically called it time to retire. I certainly didn't have the money or ambition to get back into diesel repair as I had done for many years before. At that point the Norton repairs were just a backroom sideline.

When I hung out my banner saying I was going to continue to do some Norton repair, I was expecting to do just enough to provide some mad money and have some fun. I really never expected to see the amount of work that flows through here now.

The one thing that keeps me enjoying riding and working on my own bike is the fact that I do not work on motorcycles -except for a few special projects like Sir Eddie's bike. I keep my work to machine work that can be sent to me in a box.

That being said I guess I better get my bike in here and look it over and replace the rear tire. My daughter and I have a ride down to the 4 corners rally planned for this weekend. Jim

Anyone can sell Norton parts but only a handful of people can do what you do when it comes to continuing to develop and improve the reliability and performance of the Norton motor. Out of the handful only one person I know has the testing equipment to back what is put into the development of parts to get the maximum performance and reliability out of the finished products supplied for a Norton motor. Jim has offered many (even his competition) help with head flow development, spintron R&D, cam design etc. and is unbiased of the results. He has always been willing to give anyone advise and try to lead them down the right path.

You are A #1 in my book and have been a saint helping me with Sir Eddy's Rocket.

I first met Jim out on the salt in 2014, he heard about the bike but never laid eye's on it besides the forum. Jim saw I was having issues and jumped right in offering his expertise and time instead of enjoying himself watching others perform LSR runs. You meet very few people in your life like Jim and he is more than a competitor to the competition he is a threat. Not only does Jim's parts and development perform but it has been tested and proven.
Jim's help and passion for sharing the best application for a given motor and sharing his results and design of his hi-performance motors is unselfish.

Thank you for all your help!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the time away!

Jim I retired 15 years ago and continued doing chains (its all I know), to stop my brain going
the same way as my fathers. He retired early and just sat in front of the television, now they
have live in carers.

I thought it would be good also for a bit of beer money, now selling worldwide but fortunately
I still enjoy the crack with my clients. My main business is race engine cam drives such as
Aston Martin Racing, M Sport and TT Engines in USA to name a few.

Keep up the good work my friend and remember the time to stop is when the fun stops.

Andy

We all know that Jim has earned the position as King of this Norton domain. One time I said that I was in competition with Jim when a customer wanted CNW/Jim to install my components. But I am a small player and any real competition with Jim would be a fantasy on my part. My products are different and unique and there is not much demand for them. I do have happy customers – just not as many as Jim Comstock.