A vintage flat track race was held at Knoxville, IA this past weekend and there were a couple Nortons entered that I thought you might enjoy seeing. The red one broke the tranny mainshaft on the 1st heat and the white one won the open twin main event.
Nortons on the Dirt
- Thread starter WZ507
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Those are so like my first love of Norton. Got to try those type tires some day. One appears to run Roadholders - I thought we were told those were too obsolete to think twice about em competitively. Interesting peg position and bar height I can appreciate. Didn't happen to ask about hp?
hobot said:
I don't know what tire is on the front of the red bike, but almost without exception bikes were fit with Maxxis DTR-1 tires. The Grand National Championship Pro Series bikes that raced Sunday all have to use the same tire, same compound that was/is a Goodyear, but might now be branded as a Dunlop.
pete.v said:
Better look again - the white bike has a single 36 mm Mikuni on it.
The white bike ran times ~ 1 sec slower than the mid-pack GNC Pro bikes (oval port XRs, and Kawasaki vertical twins with ~ 100 HP) ran on Sunday. But of course the rider is just as important as the equipment and the white bike had a Pro rider on it Friday night.
I am very pleased to say that you are correct. This supports alot of my work and beliefs.
God I'd love to ride one those. Really, thanks for posting these. I am a fan.
God I'd love to ride one those. Really, thanks for posting these. I am a fan.
WZ507 said:Better look again - the white bike has a single 36 mm Mikuni on it.
The white bike ran times ~ 1 sec slower than the mid-pack GNC Pro bikes (oval port XRs, and Kawasaki vertical twins with ~ 100 HP) ran on Sunday. But of course the rider is just as important as the equipment and the white bike had a Pro rider on it Friday night.
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Mike,
There's a dirt track series going on at IMI this year. Can't get much closer than that! Next race is June 28. Check your club email. As I recall it's a pretty short course but should be fun to watch. Don't know if any Nortons will be there but you never know.
There's a dirt track series going on at IMI this year. Can't get much closer than that! Next race is June 28. Check your club email. As I recall it's a pretty short course but should be fun to watch. Don't know if any Nortons will be there but you never know.
mikie3117 said:
I don't know where you are located, but you could see the white bike running at the Wauseon OH fairgrounds on the evening of July 18, 2014, where it will again race in the vintage open twin class (oval port XRs, Yamahas, and whatever).
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Enjoy dirty Norton serious fun. I try to avoid drift slides d/t narrow public paths on slopes but have enough I sure don't ever put a foot down No Sir Ree Bob! Oh I used to at first as first survival instinct but after boot snatched under peg and tire I gave it up completely to either get it right every time or go down feet on pegs. I got my 1st nack of both feet up drift * slides on the P!! beastie similar to these.
I have measured how far apart I could get my spiffed up SV650 on gummy race rubber 16-18" while same places even faster on Peel 22-24" between both tire tracks, with fences a bike length or closer. These were the limits before bike tended to just fall out from under but weird wonderful state to feel the sense of stability like standing with legs a bit apart on rolling boat deck. On Gravel steep climbs with off slope of path and some bending to it I would cross up Peel a few inches apart and go up in slight crabbed skewed angle but strangely with more forward upward traction than tires straight ahead and pretty easy to balance with tires on separate lines of travel. This style has some use in the wet too.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... at+tracter
I have measured how far apart I could get my spiffed up SV650 on gummy race rubber 16-18" while same places even faster on Peel 22-24" between both tire tracks, with fences a bike length or closer. These were the limits before bike tended to just fall out from under but weird wonderful state to feel the sense of stability like standing with legs a bit apart on rolling boat deck. On Gravel steep climbs with off slope of path and some bending to it I would cross up Peel a few inches apart and go up in slight crabbed skewed angle but strangely with more forward upward traction than tires straight ahead and pretty easy to balance with tires on separate lines of travel. This style has some use in the wet too.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... at+tracter
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Pretty good for one carb , must be the tourque . Have to tell him to put two on , then he will clean them all up .
:mrgreen: Did you get a sound tape of the races ? ? Better video em , next time , PLEASE .
Ron L
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The white bike Sammy Halbert won belongs to Kelly George. I saw Joe Roeder ride it at Wauseon last year and kick ass. Of course there is nothing like having a top pro or ex-pro rider to make the field look like they are standing still. The red bike, 15x belongs to Dave Atherton.
I hope this facebook video link works. It's Sammy working his way to the front at Knoxville.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=686572511408190&set=vb.174624922602954&type=2&theater
I hope this facebook video link works. It's Sammy working his way to the front at Knoxville.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=686572511408190&set=vb.174624922602954&type=2&theater
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Back in the 70's I got to take a few laps of practice at Ascot park on Ron Woods Norton, the very same one Alex Jorgenson rode.
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Dirt track racers will delight in the performance of the DTR-1: Superb traction and ultimate control for a variety of track conditions.
Available in a variety of racing compounds:
CD3 = Soft compound
CD5 = Medium compound
Tube-type tire only
Not approved for street or highway use
Not DOT tires are right up my alley.
Available in a variety of racing compounds:
CD3 = Soft compound
CD5 = Medium compound
Tube-type tire only
Not approved for street or highway use
Not DOT tires are right up my alley.
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I don't know where you are located, but you could see the white bike running at the Wauseon OH fairgrounds on the evening of July 18, 2014, where it will again race in the vintage open twin class (oval port XRs, Yamahas, and whatever).
[/quote]
Wauseon in my opinion is the most fun & entertaining Dirt Track race of the year and also hosts a good
swap meet. This year will be no exception...Former Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen on a Harley
Vs. Geo Roeder on the Kelly George Norton. My money's on the Geo & the Norton!
Wauseon in my opinion is the most fun & entertaining Dirt Track race of the year and also hosts a good
swap meet. This year will be no exception...Former Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen on a Harley
Vs. Geo Roeder on the Kelly George Norton. My money's on the Geo & the Norton!
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Oh my oh my oh my, I'm stealing time to witness the Salt Lake event in Sept. Yet how can I not add this event to lower my 'bucket list'. Btw search Norton sidecars for spectacular dirt clods flying and more scary air flights at wild angles launched off knobbies.
Wauseon OH fairgrounds, under 12 hr drive is doable, hm. The surface they run on seems like duct tape sticky to me, cool.
http://fultoncountyfair.com/
Wauseon OH fairgrounds, under 12 hr drive is doable, hm. The surface they run on seems like duct tape sticky to me, cool.
http://fultoncountyfair.com/
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Just wanted to give this a "bump" to the top...Wauseon, Ohio on the 18th will be a fantastic
event for those of you that can make it. This very well might be Kelly's last time putting the Norton
on the racetrack, and Geo Roeder on the Norton VS. Jay Springsteen on a Grand National caliber
XR Harley should be a Barnburner!
Mike
event for those of you that can make it. This very well might be Kelly's last time putting the Norton
on the racetrack, and Geo Roeder on the Norton VS. Jay Springsteen on a Grand National caliber
XR Harley should be a Barnburner!
Mike
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