Video of Norton on a tight road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQG9EHiW ... er&list=UL

The NorCal BSA Owners Club held a two day ride in the Southern Sierras, near Kern River, Lake Elizabeth and Tehachapi.

The link is of a video of me on the 750, last Sunday, riding from Caliente to Lake Elizabeth up and over Caliente-Bodfish Road. That road dates way back and is barely wider than a driveway. The video begins down in the canyon where the road is wider but it is open range, meaning cows and bulls are often standing in the road.

Good on yer! Nice, smooth riding with only one 'moment' when you overcooked it, and you're not alone in doing that! You have shown how a street Commando can be ridden!

A run like this makes the hours spent in the workshop worthwhile.

Entertaining post, thanks!

daveh said:

Good on yer! Nice, smooth riding with only one 'moment' when you overcooked it, and you're not alone in doing that! You have shown how a street Commando can be ridden!

A run like this makes the hours spent in the workshop worthwhile.

Entertaining post, thanks!

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Thanks Daveh - that moment was a brain fart - I "reverted" to right foot braking and upshifted on the entry!
Hustling down a strange and unknkown road is one of the great thrills of motorcycling.

PORN!

Nice piece of riding there!

Great riding, the Norton running sweetly and some nice tight cornering, seems like the same roads I'm use to riding on and yes its all good fun.

Ashley

Invigorating to sit and watch pastrearwardsliper. Really cooking on rough aged asphalt. I see ya got a a life sparing physics lesion about waiting to lean before getting all braking done upright. Seems like you indulged in some rear slippage now and then. Shame on you abusing your road privileges and Norton innards : )

How worked out did you feel? How about your camera rider?

Nice ride for you. Watching that made me car sick. I only got thru about 1 minute before it got to my stomach and I had to stop.

John, thanks for that.
The video (or what ever they are called these days) has a rattling noise that cuts in and out?
I stuck a gopro to my 450 a couple of weeks ago and it made the same noise?
I spent the next weekend checking the clutch and all the bolts looking for something loose, I even looked for a cracked frame but didn't find anything.
Now I think it was the camers? (and I have wet spagetthi forks)
Interesting road. Are you with the camers or out front? I assume out front.
graeme

Graeme - That was Sunday, I'm out front, followed by the camera bike. a DRZ400 Suzuki supermotard. The following day he rode maybe 50 miles of single track dirt/rock trails without changing wheels/tires on 17" rain slicks.

Here's another video from our weekend, from Saturday, I am not in it but the same camera bike/rider, DRZ400 Suzuki, is following a Trident. The road is treacherous but nonetheless is one of my all time favorites - Portuguese Pass - in the Kern River/Lake Isabella area of the southern Sierras, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. It is at least 10 miles of single lane, unmarked, cliffs on the outside, blind mountain rights, ashpalt. Last year me and the DRZ rider had a dice on tht road that I will never forget. We waived each other by and traded off the risk of the lead. At the top, shaky hands, adrenaline. Driving on dirty roads gives you an appreciation for the old Dunlop K-70s and the Avon Speedmasters too - tires that will cut throught the dirt to the asphalt below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF9O_JbGsRY

xbacksideslider, you are setting a bad example for children like me to see, cool.

hobot said:

xbacksideslider, you are setting a bad example for children like me to see, cool.

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Well hobot, I hope someday to visit and learn something about country hardpan, gravel, and deer.

I watched the first vid again for sheer entertainment. You are leaving him on exits from slow corners with that fat mid-range — not bad for a 40 year old bike. The lad on the DRz400 is trying hard on some stretches, judging by the air he's getting!

No centre stand? — so more clearance on left handers!

You should borrow that helmet cam so we can hear the sound of the Commando.,,

daveh - thanks.

My bike does have a center stand, I cut the lever off it many years ago. Gotta stick your toe up under the pipe to find it, then heft her up onto it without the help of the lever.

Yeah, I owe it to the cameraman to make a video of him; he is an excellent rider, and yeah I'd like to hear the Norton.

On tight roads, the bikes are well matched actually.

He can out turn me; I cannot turn as tight as he can. He's got a small bike with the doughnut wheels but that's not all of it - he's got a smaller lighter crankshaft too. Depending on the speed at the exit, sometimes he's got the gear, sometimes I do. The Norton's wide ratios are my advantage, corner to corner, I'm going from bog to nearly valve float in one gear, while he's getting it on the pipe and shifting shifting. Acceleration, overall, is very close, until we go past 60 or 70 MPH, where I start walking away. I have to gas it early and, as I come onto the pipe, catch him at the end of the short straights. I also have to be sure to re-grip and open the throttle all the way.

x.b.s. you are well equipped to enjoy the riding conditions here, except maybe THE Gravel which I'm never fully equipped to enjoy myself unless feeling suicidal. Oh its fine as long as you can stay on throttle but then ya got to slow down for something, a relative academic concept on marbles and arrowheads. I've been concerned I'll remove Trixie's center stand lever as been touching Trixie's down once a trip w/o really intending too so pick back up quick and avoid next time, toes too. Good to know ya can still operate it w/o the noise maker limiter.

On that first video did you feel the rear slip now and then? Can't avoid it on THE Grit but I try to otherwise on my SV or plain Combat. Its only on Peel I claim any advantage on so don't know if I could bring myself to follow as your cameraman on any thing less. Do get some video of your handy supermotard man, I'm fascinated with their sharpness and looseness to match or exceed on isolastics.

What a great inspiring ride! That is just the sort of road that a Norton feels the best on. Who needs stoplights?

Vintage Paul