The Ultimate Accessory for your John Player Norton?

Could be this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... %26fvi%3D1

Wow! just think what you might find hidden in that great bus.

Cash

Damn, that's one ugly motorhome!

Other than the Norton Commando, the seventies were a time of widespread ugly design. I can't look at my wedding pictures anymore, the purple valour suit with bellbottoms is just to painful to behold. Real bad hair too! Ugly car too! Wife looks very decent though.

Funny thing, about wives. I see mine, just the way she looked back in the seventies...every time she smiles at me. Heck with the ugly cars and purple suits...tell the teenager you married what you told us, and watch for the smile... :wink:

worntorn said:

Other than the Norton Commando, the seventies were a time of widespread ugly design.

Click to expand...

The Commando was really a 1960s design, even the Roadster tank shape was fixed by then. The 1970s gave us the Fastback LR with, erm, a 1960s Dominator tank shape and the Interstate. To be honest if all Commandos had been Interstates, I don't think that I'd ever have bought one which just shows what a tart I am No offence to anyone who runs one but I think they're pig ugly !

What did they have in mind with Interstate sidepanels anyway ?

The 1970s did give us bevel Ducati twins and Mk 1 Le Mans Guzzis as well as the monocoque JPN racers so it wasn't all bad !

I've always thought the 1970s produced a lot of great looking motorcycles, not just Nortons. The 1980s were another matter - bleah. Some of the ugliest bikes ever made came from that decade, IMHO.

Back in that period I didn't care for the Interstate, thought it looked too fat, but now I like them. Never have been a fan of those sidepanels though. What were they thinking? I guess I still like the Roadster look the best though. It just looks so sleek and elegant and well-balanced.

As for the motorhome, I think it's kinda cool What a neat piece of Norton history that would be!

Debby

When the fastback came out in '68, no one in our area would touch them. Now they are very popular, mostly due to their rarity. By the time the "S" arribed in '69, dealers couldn't keep them in the showroom.

I think the American market wasn't ready for all the bodywork on the fastback. By today's standard it's a "naked" bike!

I think the Interestate tank is a great looking tank for a large capacity tank. I also like the look of the Roadster tank, however a friend has one of those on 750 and barely makes it to the town of Hope (90 miles) from home in Vancouver before needing to refuel. This can be quite annoying when on long trips where we often cover 500 or more miles in a day.

The stock Vincent tank is also very pretty with an annoyingly short range, better than my friend's Roadster, but still only about 150 miles. Some Vincent owners fit large capacity tanks, but all of the designs I have seen to date are quite hideous. By comparison the Norton Interstate tank is quite lovely. Too bad it wouldn't fit on the Vincent.

The side panels are just fine too, although I do see some on the earlier Commandos which are rather ungainly.
All in the eye of the beholder I guess.

I agree with worntorn, :lol: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Back in the late seventies I didn't realise there were different types of Norton Commando apart from 750 and 850. A mate had 2 750's which he sold and bought a 850 with electric start in white with red & blue stripe. I thought that was ok without looking too close. When he told me i should check out a commando for sale in the local paper i went, had a little put up and down the street payed the guy and then fell of the thing on the way home. ( going too slow round a cambered island in the wet , the wheels slid out sideways on the oil). It didn't go too good oiling up the plugs and mufflers falling off, miss firing etc.
When i took the white police type fairing off and the crash bars and white and black leather paniers fixed the valves up and bought new exhausts. I found I had a machine i have liked to this day. It turned out to be a black interstate pre electric mark II. I have always loved the large tank sensible capacity and in my view giving the bike a muscle look very masculine. The roadster tank never looked to me like it belonged on the bike, just made to fit on top. But each to his own. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. More by luck I found I have the bike I like after taking all the junk off. Have a great , safe Christmas and thanks for one of the most informative forums on the net !!