Lake of the Pines NTNOC 10 10

The perfect time place for me to ride to Norton rally but I'm stuck with a cage.
First time I let GPS pick a route and almost tossed in away, showing a 3 hour detour from what Wes usually takes more directly but no freeways. Instead of over 9 hr it was less than 8 and less mileage easy flowing in a cage. Jim Comstock rode in from CO looking fresher than I did in a car sipping coffee.
What a study in life long devotion to a Commando, plus still married!

Sat up to wee hours listening to old dealership and race tales till were told keeping folks awake, so being a biker bunch they just got real louder as if a Harley gathering. HD camp shut down couple hours earlier w/o a peep like other HD camp outs.

About a dozen Nortons in the show vs like a hundred plus of everything else. I propped up my Drouin on a sheet at end of line to get a lot of bent over people views and head scratching and questions. Nice to have something of interest in a crowd like that. Sold off a fender, Miki carb kit and a primary belt too boot.
Gave Jim a odd ball belt he uses for some brain picking and bleeding.

This yellar one has Sir Ed's covers and other mods like coil mounts and mystery tube out points area


Cherry example of early Commando with S side pipes


BSA and kit, WWII Desert Rat crops


Fresh water reminder of my Fla. youth


JIm Comstocks ride cockpit view. There is lots of mad scientist handy work under cover of fairing.


Rear view that looks and sound big and foot kit glitters like gems, poor lighting and didn't edit to brighten.



hobot
Ideal journey as I turned off freeway into deer country twistes for an 1.5 hr lett, to have police emergency light me. Tail lights out. Told him no Dr. Lic. but passport for safe passage and pistol double action auto on front seat.
He took gun and checked for warrants, before allowed to try a fuse which worked, so got back gun and ID and no arrest-ticket but 1/10 mile down road smoke filled car so swung back to lighted area to see a lick of flame
start and glove boxed lighted up which it hadn't done for 2 wk instrument lights went out. I used GPS at night for speed. I'd sought the police fire extinguisher but turned out melting metal shorted glove box light on for a while till cooled by power off then dark. Ugly fuse panel turned to ashes and melt the size of 50c piece. Ugh. Peel and Trix get a fire extinguisher on board.
Cop and I talked my options, found signals and brake lights still worked so
did the rest of trip with hazard lights flashing. Only had breath taken by deer leaps or butt disappearing just as lights cleared a blind 3 x's and no elk in the road, so can't complain like if I was on a motorcycle.

Oh yeah award ceremony had speaker that detailed Rolli's Vincent, the real deal. Detailed its development and mods and how he had friends help him learn to stretch out with least sticking out to memorize for the real flying.
I can imagine a more paired down ride, all engine and wheels.

thanks for the pics

I made it out on Saturday for the NTNOA Lake of the Pines event. If ever there was a perfect day for riding it was Saturday. It was down right cool in the morning and then warmed up nicely. The back roads from my neck of the woods to Jefferson were great and the Norton was in fine form flying along and keeping pace with my buddy's modern BMW GS. All good things must come to an end. At the registration tent I found that I had snapped the lower back engine mounting bolt. While I waited for my wife to come a rescue me, I enjoyed the company of many riders, swapped bike stores, told lies and chewed the Norton fat as it were. I wanted to thank everyone for their generosity for all the beer I drank.


This picture was taken at breakfast and a cursory scan in PhotoShop reveals the engine bolt to be still intact. I can just make it out in the higher res original image. Below are some pictures I shot at the rally.