I learned to ride when I was 12 on a Honda 90, my older brother had an MV Augusta 150 and led me astray (thank God!) When I was 15 one of my father's colleagues bought a Norton Dominator 99 in a scrapyard - we all lived in the same gated compound and he would work on it every night after work with myself and occasionally some other lads in attendance. I ended up cleaning things and handing him tools etc. and when he finally finished it it was immaculate. After doing a few test rides on it himself he insisted that I take it for a ride on the private road within the compound, what a thrill, the biggest bike I had ridden prior to this was a 360 DT Yamaha. My next Norton experience was when one of the senior guys in the Hong Kong motor Sports Club bought a 750S Commando and converted it to Dunstall spec, he won every sprint, slalom and hillclimb that season and all of us youngsters vowed to get one, even if we had to go round to his house at night and steal his!. Finally my best mate bought a 750 Combat with Dunstall bodywork with a view to racing it in The Macau Grand Prix, we used to practice two-up on public roads late at night egging each other on, When it came to the race the lack of ballast on the back made the bike go so well that he came second amongst a field of Japanese professionals drafted in by the local importer. I've loved Nortons all this time and recently had my best mate - now a prosperous lawyer - come and take my cafe racer for a spin, he is still getting the bugs out of his teeth!