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Post by HighCotton on Jul 30, 2018 20:26:36 GMT -5
This old motorcycle had sat in a barn for 33 years. Literally pulled her out in 2015. My buddy and I have worked on her to try and restore her while keeping her as original as possible. Actually, the bike has not seen the road since 1977, 41 years ago. The farmer who purchased her as the second owner back in 77, rode her once. Scared the livin' daylights out of him and he put her in the barn. He continued to plate her through 1982 but never rode her again. Due to my buddy's health issues, we transported her to my place and I will finish the final stages of restoration. I can't wait to hear that old British bloke snortin' again!!! Here she comes out of the barn. A 1974 Norton Commando 850 Roadster:
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Post by saltydog on Jul 31, 2018 4:56:42 GMT -5
This is going to be good, looks like you have a lot to work with HC. Cant wait for the stories !
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Post by featherduster on Jul 31, 2018 6:18:04 GMT -5
How do you know it's a "her"?
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Post by HighCotton on Jul 31, 2018 6:34:12 GMT -5
How do you know it's a "her"? You'll notice I've called it a she and also referred to it as a bloke! I guess I don't really know for sure?! Some of the work we've done so far shows her to be as obstinate and stubborn as the meanest woman around... And yet the thing keeps marking it's territory... We may never know the truth?!?!
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 6:37:35 GMT -5
Awesome, looks like an great find. I'm sure she (it) will shine with glory again.
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 31, 2018 8:56:40 GMT -5
Nice!
Not a lot of Nortons around.
When I lived in California I used to go to motorcycle road races with a friend that raced a Norton Manx 500 Queens Court.
A heck of a bike back then
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Post by brokenarrow on Jul 31, 2018 10:53:47 GMT -5
How do you know it's a "her"? You'll notice I've called it a she and also referred to it as a bloke! I guess I don't really know for sure?! Some of the work we've done so far shows her to be as obstinate and stubborn as the meanest woman around... And yet the thing keeps marking it's territory... We may never know the truth?!?! That's just GREAT! Now we have transgender Nortons coming out of barns🤣 What's next?
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 31, 2018 12:05:34 GMT -5
Here is the buddy that I pitted for Al Krupa www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/articles/20888.phpI don’t remember if this race was the first introduction of the Honda 250 Fours in The USA or not. IIRC - that was at the Santa Barbara track. The Honda Fours pretty well kept up with most of the 500s. They were factory racers and factory racing riders..
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Post by HighCotton on Jul 31, 2018 19:30:12 GMT -5
Here is the buddy that I pitted for Al Krupa www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/articles/20888.phpI don’t remember if this race was the first introduction of the Honda 250 Fours in The USA or not. IIRC - that was at the Santa Barbara track. The Honda Fours pretty well kept up with most of the 500s. They were factory racers and factory racing riders.. Oh my land Woody! That’s crazy! Al was a legend! You by chance have any of his old memorabilia!?
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 31, 2018 19:43:03 GMT -5
I'm afraid not. That was like a hundred years ago .. really in the early 60s. Al and I worked together at General Dynamics. Al was one of the first Americans to race the Isle of Man. The Brits liked him so gave him front row center in the bump start. Al told me he was never passed by so many bikes at one time in his life. The brits had the bump start down to a science. Mike Hailwood aka "Mike the Bike" (UK) and Paddy Driver (South Africa) came stateside to race. They missed the qualifying day as they went to Disneyland instead. The started at the back of the pack. Turn one was about a half mile from the start and those two were the first two bikes into the turn. Al came in second WAY behind Hailwood. Paddy was a DNF. IIRC Mike Hailwood went on to be world champ many times over and then took racing cars.
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Post by scrub-buster on Jul 31, 2018 20:16:51 GMT -5
Please keep us updated on the restoration. Lots of pictures would be nice.
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Post by greyhair on Jul 31, 2018 21:48:36 GMT -5
Norton bikes have the coolest sound.
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 1, 2018 15:47:37 GMT -5
HCG,
If you read the old article it talked about how Al lost his lead on the last turn of the last lap at Reno. Back then motorcyle road racing was a novelty. Cars were it then. The car club (name escapes me) back then allowed the bikes to have one race...BUT it was all bikes..they had 50 CCs and 500 CCs all racing together if you can imagine that. Long story short a 250 Ducati rider about took Al out completely at that turn when he went wide as Al was passing him.
He lost the lead and took second..
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 1, 2018 17:39:08 GMT -5
HCG, If you read the old article it talked about how Al lost his lead on the last turn of the last lap at Reno. Back then motorcyle road racing was a novelty. Cars were it then. The car club (name escapes me) back then allowed the bikes to have one race...BUT it was all bikes..they had 50 CCs and 500 CCs all racing together if you can imagine that. Long story short a 250 Ducati rider about took Al out completely at that turn when he went wide as Al was passing him. He lost the lead and took second.. Yes sir! I read that and that is soooo cool to me.
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 1, 2018 17:47:22 GMT -5
I dug up a few more pics from the snowy day a few years ago as the ole scooter saw daylight: As you can imagine, we've had countless hours of grime, sweat, busted knuckles, etc! Now that I have the bike in my stable, I hope to move along a little quicker!
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Post by Sasquatch on Aug 2, 2018 1:09:25 GMT -5
Sounds like a heckuva find! Keep us updated! Maybe you need a show..."HighCotton Pickers!"
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 2, 2018 6:56:33 GMT -5
Sounds like a heckuva find! Keep us updated! Maybe you need a show..."HighCotton Pickers!" Hush up Sas! My wife looked up in my garage attic (the all things hunting, fishing and motorcycles abode) and threatened to call the "Pickers"!!!
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 16, 2018 18:29:41 GMT -5
Getting closer. Hope to have this Norton snortin' real soon! Found one more pic from the Barn:
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 16, 2018 19:11:17 GMT -5
She's turning over and has a ton of compression. Bloody knuckles, sweat and grit...I'm Done for tonight! Doing all we can to keep her mostly original and that makes a really tough cleaning job. Gotta clean and polish but can't go too far! Sometimes I have to just back off the project and look at the progress:
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 16, 2018 19:19:59 GMT -5
Here's were I finish for the night. Working on the "carburettors" and "petrol taps" as the Brits call them. For kicks, who can tell what brand the carburettors are??? And for extra credit...what is this little doohickey called that my pick is pointing to:
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