Good run today

Sidriley and I went on a 20 mile run today over Naked Mt. Beautiful day. He took the Nort and I followed in the Miata. It was interesting to see the bike from the rear with someone else on it. It looks like a 350 or so, small, not like a 750. Surprised how quiet it was when you get away from it. He's a Triumph sort of guy and was thinking down the gravel drive that here we go with the vibration, but when he got it on the road, it smooths out, just need to get some speed and revs up. He was impressed with how it handles in the corners, even tho I've got the old headsteady, it doesn't wobble, you just lean into the curves, look where you're going and it goes there. We finally got it on a highway where he could do 60 and he ramped it up and was impressed with how smooth it is there. Another convert. He liked the power too, so do I. It took him about 5 miles to warm up to it, then he started running it. He's got a 69 in parts, just needs to re-work it, maybe this will help.

Dave
69S

They used to say " you could hit a sixpence with it ' , indeed . Used to wonder what would happen if the sixpence slipped , cranked over .
Was a squashed rat once , would slip slightly on the squashed rat, cranked over . Indeed , Razor Line Steering , on the old trigonics . :wink:

I still get off on how clanking lose shaking a C'do feels in unpaved drive ways then smooths out where it matters. Tell him to creep up on decreasing radius lumpy hot sweepers to encounter THE Hinge. Who knows what happens if hitting a coin, rat or a piece of plywood in a turn, depends on how trusting you are of blinds and how much space to recover or not.

Sounds like a very fun ride/drive. These bikes are really small by modern standards. My boss was riding dirt bikes out by my house and he was in his truck going home and I was riding the Beast the opposite direction. He said "I knew that was you coming toward me. Nothing has silhouette quite like that Norton." He said it looked tiny.

When the Beast and I go riding, we have a mile and a half of dirt and gravel road to negotiate before hitting the black top. The bike is not too shabby on the rough stuff if you ride it like a dirt bike. My Norton always presents a coating of white dust to the world. I had one BMW rider who, after looking the Norton over, just kept repeating "you ride that on a dirt road" until I reminded him that they used to race these bikes in the desert. It amazes me how many riders are freaked out by really going off road.

Sounds like a fun fang there Dave.
Commando and a Miata eh. Interesting, I've got a 1990 NA6 (MX5 here in Aus). Basic by modern standards, but a great drive.

Intersting Dave,

Good to hear a Triunph man found yours smooth- it should be that way. But in terms of 'point and squirt' I wonder if he's ridden a featherbed?