It still runs

Warm enough today, 70°F today so what to do? Got the Miata out of the garage and got the dust off of it, then there was room to get the Norton out. So I push it out the garage on the gravel, but not far enough. Since it's an early bike it's got the real short prop stand and despite others that won't start it there, I do. I put a piece of 2x4 under the stand on the gravel, and get things ready, take the seat off, open the taps, open the valve to the oil feed (don't go there) and look in the tank. There's some gas in there, not much but hopefully enough. Can't get the left carb to tickle, right side is fine, so I tickle the hell out of it, still none on the left. What the hell. Give it a shot. Being 76 and not as strong as I used to be, the darn thing fell over on me because the 2x4 slipped out from under the prop stand on the gravel. Well, now the darn Norton is on it's side on the ground with my leg under the S pipes. Get my leg out without the shoe and am thinking about getting the wife to help me get the thing up. Luckily it didn't start so I turn off the taps and actually it's not to hard to get the thing upright. It just sort of of slid down, so no damage. Now there's gas all over the carbs, so I know it's ready to start. Settle down, let the carbs dry off a bit, get things better situated, prop stand on the 2x4, get both feet up on the pegs which is what I do and give it another try. Starts right up. Can't believe it, it must be 2 years since I started this thing. Runs a bit rough, but what to say after 2 years. After a few minutes it's running fine and the idle settles down to something around 1K.

I really feel like taking it out, but at my age I'm really afraid of it now, especially with the gravel hill I have to go down to get to the road. Maybe I'll try through the neighbor's yard, it's flat that way, but I need to check first.

Glad it started, but actually it didn't surprise me that much, it always did.

Glad you're OK after the tumble. Take it easy, maybe walking it down to the road is better than attempting to ride it down

Boy, that's a 200' drop down the drive to where it's flat. Not easy to walk it down there. I can hardly walk it out the garage.

Starts and runs with two year old gas. Very nice. Puts paid to the idea that petrol goes bad on ya. Bother the social distancing, put the helmet on and get some help down the drive.

Put a fan on it, set up a lawn chair and listen to it for a while.

Thanks for sharing your episode Dog. Glad you didn't get hurt. Fun to hear how it came to life and settled in after all that. As a newbie learning from this forum, its good to know if a carb doesn't tickle up you can lay it down to get the fuel flowing.

All I can say is I am impressed. I am a few years behind you but at 76 you are to be commended for your effort. I am about to do the same with mine. It was also laid up at least 2 years.
The rain here just quit today and forecast to stay off through the weekend. I may give mine a tickle and a kick this weekend. Like yours I predict a one kicker
despite the lay up. She got a new battery, grips, plugs, and a fiberglass tank repair. She should be happy with that.

Just make sure the rear brake is all set up well, and she'll be right on that drive mate!

Shit, I'm 20 years younger than you are and I have done way clumsier shit.

Good to hear your pride was nice to you... !!!
You've been nice to it over the years.
Perhaps you have a kind neighbour who could help get it to some level ground and you can take it out for a spin?
Will definitely do you and your Norton lots of good.

Graeme

DogT glad you are right to go I would ride it down just drag your legs and take it slowly with hand on brake, first gear and use motor compression to slow things down, with the 360 swing on the crank it won't get away from you as I have been on some steep slops and slippery when going down and using your motor compression to slow you down, my Triumph with the 270 swing on the crank on the same slop just runs away compared to the Norton.
I know you don't ride much no more but hope you still get out on the Norton, don't let age stop you and once out on the bike I am sure you will feel a lot younger than you are.
Good luck.

Ashley

I was thinking I was aging until beginning riding mine again. It's a veritable fountain of youth if used daily for short periods.... Like going to the gym for the senior workout. You have to get it on the road for it to work though.

jbruney said:

I was thinking I was aging until beginning riding mine again. It's a veritable fountain of youth if used daily for short periods.... Like going to the gym for the senior workout. You have to get it on the road for it to work though.

Click to expand...

The years do drop away when you get out on the road on a commando that's for sure

baz said:

The years do drop away when you get out on the road on a commando that's for sure

Click to expand...

Have to admit when I went down on a greasy roundabout earlier this year, I laid in the road looking at the bike thinking: 'I'm too old for this...' Soon passed, though

EstuaryBoy said:

Have to admit when I went down on a greasy roundabout earlier this year, I laid in the road looking at the bike thinking: 'I'm too old for this...' Soon passed, though

Click to expand...

Errr yeah that's the over side of it

Best thread of the day. Thanks, Dave.

Hi, I try to go out for 50 miles once a week, otherwise the confidence drains away. I'm 74 with plenty of med problems , working towards a lower bike, Got a bit of a shock to the system taking out the nephews VTR 1000 firestorm ,high heavy, real brakes and 100+ HP, I magine something like this 50+ years ago ,don't think I would have survived .Like riding a Vincent Black lightening on dope , on the road.

Peavey Jeltz said:

Starts and runs with two year old gas. Very nice. Puts paid to the idea that petrol goes bad on ya. Bother the social distancing, put the helmet on and get some help down the drive.

Click to expand...

There is a youtube video of 2 guys draining obviously skanky, scrungy gas out of an old Honda, straining it thru an old t-shirt into a bucket (showing all the crud that was in there), then pouring it back into the tank (obviously very discolored, and milky-looking) and starting up the bike. Sounds reasonably fine (been a long time since I watched the video, I think he was revving the piss out of it). Pretty wild.'

I hate to admit this, but..... a Commando looks just as good laying beside you with no damage to either party involved as it does with you on it, although it never can be said one looks good on top of you... That my friends is a bridge too far, if not downright kinky and painfully dangerous.
Be careful out there because though you may feel young when you mount her remember she's a lass pushing 50 or more having been ridden hard and put away wet aplenty, and in most cases long before she met you no matter her story or looks.

Well, for more than a year or so until this last summer I felt like crap. Confused, brain fog all the time. The doc has been trying to get me on statins for a long time and especially since they've found 50% blockage in my carotid, but they really make me feel like crap and weak as the dickens. Finally they gave me a tiny dosage and told me to take CoQ10 with it. Boy all of a sudden the brain fog left and I feel much better, but the body is just not that willing. And my cholesterol levels where they want them. That's why I got the bike out, but I'll have to admit the gas is that special stuff you're not supposed to use 'on the road'. If it had been regular gas it would have clogged up the carbs. This stuff evaporates in a heartbeat.

As far as getting the bike down the hill, being gravel I always just rode the rear brake enough not to skid and let it pretty much coast not in gear. (You know it's illegal in Virginia to drive in neutral???) It's not that far but it's steep enough that it takes 4WD to stop and start again on the steep part. Actually I'm pretty sure my neighbor would let me take it through his yard, all I need to do is ask. They are weekend people anyhow.

I've found a local Sunoco station that sells all grades of 'Racing fuel'. I use 110 for the bike and the chain saws, leaf blowers, etc. That stuff is great. Pretty expensive though, $60/5 gal. Used to go to the county airport but they won't do it any more, it was half that price at the airport. Not like I use that much of it. It's $80 at the Stihl dealer.

We'll see when the weather settles down a bit.

DogT you lucky , I run the 116oct race gas in mine , I do dilute it some with ht pump gas but still 5gal USA can costs me $125 out the door , can’t get the 110 at local airfield anymore either .... the dilution helps on cost but still it bugs me prices are so varied across our Continent , today pump gas is cheapest it been in yrs at $0.70 a litre , called the bike shop,Polaris race gas is same price as last year ..... good luck! getting out on that beautiful ride of yours , have always liked the stance of your bike ...