Youngest and Oldest

Hmmm, looks like i'm a bit below average. Story of my life ☺.
54 here. A youngish guy bought an old commando in '84. The bike currently looks better than ever, and the rider well failing eyesight does have its benefits.

I am 68 years old - 69 in August.
First bike was Bridgestone 175 rotary valve two-stroke in 1966.
Sometime later saw a Norton Atlas in a showroom window in suburban Philly and lusted after it badly.
Bought my Commando Roadster in England in 1970 when I was stationed in Germany.



Traded it for a van to get to west coast when I got discharged in 1972 from Ft. Bragg ,NC.
Regretted it ever since.

Had a couple of Hondas - CB 750 and V65 Sabre but the Norton still left a void.
No motorcycles until I saw my current ride, a 1972 Combat, on CL in February 2014. BINGO!

Now fully restored with a few bits that I like better than original for reliability and looks.

tomspro said:

I am 68 years old - 69 in August.
First bike was Bridgestone 175 rotary valve two-stroke in 1966.
Sometime later saw a Norton Atlas in a showroom window in suburban Philly and lusted after it badly.
Bought my Commando Roadster in England in 1970 when I was stationed in Germany.

Traded it for a van to get to west coast when I got discharged in 1972 from Ft. Bragg ,NC.
Regretted it ever since.

Had a couple of Hondas - CB 750 and V65 Sabre but the Norton still left a void.
No motorcycles until I saw my current ride, a 1972 Combat, on CL in February 2014. BINGO!

Now fully restored with a few bits that I like better than original for reliability and looks.

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Oh yeah, like that yellow Commando!!!

ntst8 said:

Hmmm, looks like i'm a bit below average. Story of my life ☺.
54 here. A youngish guy bought an old commando in '84. The bike currently looks better than ever, and the rider well failing eyesight does have its benefits.

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And you think you've got problems with your eyesight?????????????

Dereck

43 here. Been hooked on Nortons ever since the day a furnace repair man told me I should try one, "best bike ever" he said. That was 25 years ago. His recommendation stuck with me and when I was looking to buy a bike for school, I was determined to find one. First purchase was a '70 fireflake blue roadster, bought very cheaply sight unseen and had it delivered. It ran OK but was a mismatch of parts, still needed a lot of work and parts so sold it (to a guy visiting from Germany). Bought a 2nd one, a '71. It was better, still have today but miss the fireflake one. As a student, I ended up spending much of my free time helping out at a British bike shop in order to learn how to keep the thing running. Norton ownership has always has been an adventure, and by now have owned quite a few of them. That furnace repair man was right!

Hi, 57 here...at 13, one day after school I went to a boneyard and keenly told the (mafia affiliated) owner that I wanted to buy a motorcycle. He looked at me and asked if I had any money, I said yes, 900 Belgian francs (about U$22 at the time). He told me to piss off. I must have looked *very* miserable because after mumbling between his few remaining teeth, he disappeared for 10 minutes before coming back pushing a derelict mustard-coloured 1967 Zündapp and told me I could have it for my 22 bucks.
I was beaming with pleasure and pride until he asked me who would be coming to pick it up with a van or trailer. I told him that my plan was to ride it home (15 miles away!...) immediately. He obviously took pity of me as he put 3 liters of gasoline in the tank and installed a new plug and showed me how to use the clutch and change gears.
The amazing thing was that I managed to get home (to a HUGE crisis with my parents) and that I kept and rode that darn thing with various engine mods for more than 5 yrs.

After buying an E-type Jag about 10 yrs ago, I realized I badly needed British bikes as well, so I bought a derelict T120 that I rebuilt into a light cafe racer, then my Norton Slimline Dunstall racer (my present pride and joy), and most recently a Norvin project... :mrgreen:

Jagbruno said:

.......one day after school I went to a boneyard ..........

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Awesome story Jagbruno, thanks for sharing it. I used to love going to the boneyards after school.

I am 57 and bought my first and only bike in 1976 a 1969 Norton Commando 750S and I still own it today.

Age 63 here. First bike was a Harley Sprint 350. Neat little bike made by Aermacchi in Italy. Only problem was a weak generator I couldn't afford to replace. Only rode it in the day time, turn the headlight on and it would die. No problem but I lived in Illinois then and they required lights on in the day time. Spent a lot of time dodging the cops. One eager beaver told me I couldn't ride it home. Soon as he was around the corner I was gone.

DogT said:

rx7171 said:

How about selling some of the land and keeping the bike. Less work on one side and more fun on the other. :lol:

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I'd like to do that but the wife won't hear of it. It does keep me moving. I've always told myself that I'd ride until I couldn't start the bike, no e-start. But like this week, just working on the sickle bar for a couple days has one of my arms in a bind, probably bursitis, and things like that really slow me down.

I don't know if she'd let me keep it in the living room, there's room, but for sure I could keep it in my man cave.

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It sounds to me like the bike would do you less harm than keeping the land. Is your wife trying to finish you of by having you care for it? :shock:

In Dog-T's defense ... people get very attached to land they have worked .... 25 years ago I owned 65 acres on north shore of Nova Scotia , cleared a bit , built a road , ran power in and put up a cabin , once my children hit their teens I was only one interested in going over .... so after a couple years of that I sold it .... biggest mistake I ever made , even if it did save me lots of work and put some money in my pocket .... I still feel really stupid for letting it go
Craig

Yeah, that's kind of the problem. We bought this 55 acres in '85, I built the house mostly myself with a bit of help, and we live in an area where nothing much is going to change, a lot of the property around us is in Conservation Easement including our own. It's a very nice place and even the local people we know come around here and comment on how quiet it is. We don't even see another house except in the winter and just the roof of that one. House is nice and functions good for us so far. It would be very difficult for me to move into another house. I'll tough it out as long as I can. Plus we own everything free and clear, just have to pay taxes and our pensions cover that well enough and I'm also lucky I have Federal health care. I really don't understand why they don't give that to everyone except I know that healthcare in this country is owned by big business.

I did start the bike the other day, so that's no problem.

I'm 45 and I've had my 72 interstate combat since I was 19 as an apprentice, I knew the two previous owners, I did a nut and bolt rebuild on it more than twenty years ago, I've forgot how I put most of it back together now and thats why I'd be lost without you lot to answer my stupid questions!

I'm 24 and just finished a ground up build on a 72 750. Took me last 5 years, Now restoring a 74 mgb gt

joeboomer999 said:

I'm 24 and just finished a ground up build on a 72 750. Took me last 5 years, Now restoring a 74 mgb gt

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I'd sure like to see photos.

That is higher than average dedication, at your age. I'm impressed.

I cannot understand why any wife would complain about her husband having a bike. There are lots of worse things you could be playing with. Me ex once said 'I suppose one day we will have to buy you a decent bike ?' - I deeply regret that I did not pursue that option. I am happy that I have done as much racing as I have, however these days I still remember the sheer joy of battling it out with other idiots. My son the engineer had a dig at me for racing when I had kids. He is extremely fit, yet had the heart attack at age 43. WHAT IS IMPORTANT ?

After getting touch with his own mortality - at age 53 my son decided to marry. Of my 3 kids, he is the only one to do so and they have a very lovely baby. She is probably the only person who will carry my genes forward.
As I said - WHAT IS IMPORTANT ?

Most wives would be happy for hubby to have a bike because it increases the odds on an insurance payout and no divorce costs!

Onder said:

by acotrel
"I cannot understand why any wife would complain about her husband having a bike. "

Most wives would be happy for hubby to have a bike because it increases the odds on an insurance payout and no divorce costs!

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My wife total agreed.

Hi Peeps, Im 29 now just about to re-build my 73 750. Love it to bits and this forum makes it so much easier to diagnose faults and solutions. I started when i was 25 with a Model 88 56' wideline that i rebuilt from the ground up taking 3 years, which is my pride and joy. Loving the stories. Hopefully never have to sell my bikes ever.

Regards