Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
12
Hey guys,

Just wanted to introduce myself as I troll the boards trying to absorb as much info as I can. I just picked up a 1969 Fastback last week after searching for a while to find a bike for my dad. He always talked about getting one since his buddies in high school had one but instead he married my mom and BLAM....2 kids and 35 years later, I'm trying to make up for lost time before his ticket gets called.

I'm a full time artist so a custom paint job is just about all I know how to do myself, the rest will be a learning process as I try and get the bike ready for him and I to take on a ride up the coast of California when he comes out here is 6 months. Anyhow...this is where I am the day I got it home.....and my Triumph. Just wanted to say hello and thank you guys in advance for any advice, warnings, taunts, hazing, sarcasm and just plain good knowledge.

Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Norton Newbie....doing it for dad.


Along with the bike I got the stock pipes, stock bars and also the stock green fiberglass tank....not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but the bits give me options.

http://www.davidlozeau.com
 
Hi,
Always wondered what those gas tanks looked like actually mounted on a bike. Not half bad.
You'll need to keep an eye on it's condition. The new one's are vinyl resin and bravely stand
up to the evil Alcohol. Older one's might not. :?
I don't expect you know much of it's history? Is it currently running?

A reliable runner should be doable in 6 months. A sweetass sumbitch may take the better part
of a decade. :mrgreen:
 
Interesting tank. Is it fiberglass or steel?
I would make a bracket to support that 2-1 exhaust (with a rubber mount) before the vibration starts it cracking.
By the way, for future reference the frame is from a later model, '71 or up. The center stand is from an 850. (A good thing as that's the strongest design).
Nice find! Welcome aboard!
 
Thats the glass cafe tank thats on ebay all the time. It should be ok if it's fairly new.
I would recommend retiring the original glass tank. If you decide to return it to the
original Fastback style then go with a steel replica tank.
 
If you really love your pops, you'll ride the norton and let him ride the creampuff trumpet. His back and kidneys will appreciate it too!
 
Thanks guys!

Yea, the frame is a `72...and it's a newer fiberglass tank. The bike runs great....needs a good clean, polish and I'm sure a complete go through just to get a status and identify any problems before they become bigger. I'll be honest, I just love it.....the vibration, the handling....everything about it has me smiling since I parked it my garage. I don't have much history and you know how that goes...but it came titled from a moto dealer owner who had it in his collection/showroom. Then was used as a daily for the last year before I got it.

Ron L....you aren't kidding and I should have posted up here earlier damn it hahaha... on my second test ride the muffler tore off the end of the pipes and was lost so now I have to hunt down a replacement 2-into-1 muffler, get a full system, or put the original pipes back on.
 
caddy chris said:
If you really love your pops, you'll ride the norton and let him ride the creampuff trumpet. His back and kidneys will appreciate it too!


Chris, I told him that very same thing.....and then he told me a new place I could park it. 8)
 
I tell you...his health has been crappy the last few years....and his face just lit up when I told him what we were doing. He went on and on talking about what we should do, looking over the pictures talking about the bikes he remembered. It was great to see...and he made it clear he was going to ride the Norton at least once.
 
That's a really cool bike.

I stuck my dad with a crappy '73 Commando chopper, which he ended up buying. I'm one hell of a son. :D That said, the motor ended up being the 16th Commando motor ever made, so I think he did OK after all. ;)

Your dad is a very lucky guy to have such a great son.

-Jordan
 
I figured everyone would pick up on the differences. It's certainly a nice looking machine. I had a set of Hookers 2 into 1 and they were a mess, dragged on the ground easily. I hope you either get a set of peashooters or the original style early fastback straight out. Hope your dad gets to ride it more than once, unless he doesn't want to. That would be my next model if I get a chance to do another.

Have fun with your dad.

Dave
69S
 
Thanks guys...and thanks for checking out the work Pelican...small world! I sculpted the cafe racer shift knob in my avatar as I was hunting for this little scoot so the art is never far away.

Yea, I have the original pipes so I'll probably slap them on there now so I can at least take her out while I get her going. I was told by my girlfriend that the straight pipes I have now (sans muffler) are not making any friends in the neighborhood.
 
For some dumb reason, my first reply disappeared.

I joined NV just as the Commando went into prototype test, which was based in Wolverhampton. By the time of the 67 Earl's Court Show, it had become a Plumstead production machine and we were out of the loop.

The last 6 months before I left, I was primarily involved in motocross development with the AJS Stormer and also some attempts to sort out handling problems on the P-11, maybe prior mto a US court case.

If you have specific questions about the very early units, send me a provate message and I'll try to restart the memory cells. No guarantee, mind, it's a long time ago!
 
Hey Jean....I don't know...I never met that side of the family but a ton of them lived in northern NH (where I grew up) so it's not crazy to think the family tree grows across the border.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top