I’m with you on that, I have a modern bike and three old bikes, the modern being a KTM1290 Adventure which I mainly use for Europe, my 850 Commando, a ‘69 Bonnie and a ‘72 Rickman Triumph which is waiting for me to get round to restore it. All twins. I’ve had a few triples and fours but I find them bland and get bored of them quickly so for many years I’ve stuck to twins. Two Wheels Two Cylinders
Again, as Bob Dylan said... 
I lived in Washington State all of my life and rode my different Nortons a lot. From 2010 to 2017 my home was on Whidbey Island and the Norton was my number 1 "go to" ride. If the ride was one up-The Norton. Two up and we took the Roadking. I moved full time to Gold Canyon, AZ in 2017 and the Norton got ignored. These are not the best riding conditions for the old girl. High temperatures, longer distances to get to "the good roads", and not really a Brit bike culture to hang with. Now that I'm retired I can no longer afford, both mentally and financially, to own something that I just don't use. So after months of internal deliberations I put the bike up for sale. For $10,500 the buyer got a well sorted bike with a ton of accessories. My old bike now lives on the outskirts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Do I miss it? Sure. In a perfect world I'd have a 10 car garage/shop, thousands of miles of twisty roads at hand, and the money and health to enjoy all of it. But sometimes reality forces one into making tough choices. I'm now down to one bike, a 2016 Harley Roadking that is working out well here in AZ. Good luck.I have decided to retire my Commando from normal riding. Other than some special event, like a local Gentleman' Ride or specific Britt-Bike thing, I won't be using it any more for regular rides.
So it will get to relax while my R9T takes on the riding duties here in Mexico. I'll take the Norton back to the US at some point though I'm not sure what I'll do with it there - same thing, I guess, special events, etc.
Frankly, I've gotten where I appreciate/prefer the capability/convenience/power of machines built in the few years...and the lack of any of those 'lovable'
Do other Norton owners here use their Norton as their normal riding motorcycle (as I did until a few days ago) or is the Norton a "special use" bike?
Back in 2007 I was working for BMW motorcycles. I had a 5 car garage, 11 motorcycles, and about 10 vintage outboard motors. Most of the time, like your friend, I choose one bike out of the fleet. That was my 2001 HD Roadking. I even rode that bike to work. The dealership owners hated me commuting with that bike. Number 2 was the BMW K1200S, then the BMW 1200GS, followed by a Buell XB12R, a G650X BMW, then either the 750 Combat or the 850 Roadster. The rest were either under restoration or off road bikes. I was either working, wrenching, or riding. Good times.Yep, totally agree! But even if you have that shop/garage it doesn't mean you will use all the vehicles. I have friend here in Mexico that has a huge shop and 14 motorcycles, including two old triumphs, a twin and a triple, two Commandos and a couple of other older brittbikes as well as a Harley or two and some other somewhat newer but 'classic' machines. He is a past president of the INOA and rode his Commando from here in mid-Mexico to the east coast of Canada and back to attend a Norton rally a few years ago. He's a serious Norton/brittbike enthusiast/mechanic!
So what bike does he ride 90% of the time?
A 2017 Honda Africa Twin DCS!
I have 25 bikes, most classics as indicated in my signature. I like the fact it can be a couple months between rides on a particular bike. It really highlights the differences between them and I appreciate that. As a matter of fact my commando is next in the rotation for my vintage breakfast ride tomorrow and I'll get to marvel at just how wonderful that old gal goes down the road......after I drain the sump and refill the oil tank.I have decided to retire my Commando from normal riding. Other than some special event, like a local Gentleman' Ride or specific Britt-Bike thing, I won't be using it any more for regular rides.
So it will get to relax while my R9T takes on the riding duties here in Mexico. I'll take the Norton back to the US at some point though I'm not sure what I'll do with it there - same thing, I guess, special events, etc.
Frankly, I've gotten where I appreciate/prefer the capability/convenience/power of machines built in the few years...and the lack of any of those 'lovable'
Do other Norton owners here use their Norton as their normal riding motorcycle (as I did until a few days ago) or is the Norton a "special use" bike?
I discovered a long time ago that I had a problem with my throttle hand. Whatever bike I rode I eventually ended up using everything it has.
That brought me to the conclusion that if I was riding a fast modern bike regularly I would end up loosing one of the big L's. The big L's being License, Liberty or Life.
So I guess I am stuck with the Norton. No Regrets.