Nortons with Attitude

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

[triumphbruce]

always liked the look and sound of a Norton
great pics

[beat]

great group of pix you tossed up bud. and yes, the norton is usually underepresented.
i also like how you slipped in the far side comic..beware of dug.
rock on wit yo bad self!

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

So, Been wrenching on Britt bikes for a long time so you never know WHO you might meet, I can be in the middle of nowhere with a Norton T shirt and someone will walk up and want to talk about Nortons or Britt bikes. Sometimes meet some really interesting people. My wife complains we cant go anywhere. So, some years back I did some work for a guy who has relations to a cartoonist my wife and I really like. Not everybody reads the sunday comics but I do. So, its a long story but the point is this guy KNEW his distant relation was a talented artist type, but had no idea HOW famous and talented he was. Totally different wavelength lets just say. When I found out I nearly lost my mind and are you FREAKIN' Kidding me??? So I got out some of my wifes books as she has many of his books of his comic strips. Still did NOT register with this guy HOW famous his relative was. So he mentioned at one point he and his wife were going to California to visit him and vacation. So I gave him one of my wifes books and asked if he would *TRY* and get it signed.
He came back, (Still he didnt REALLY understand what the big deal was) and couldnt have asked for a cooler thing, This artist signed his book to my wife and added a little personal artwork. We are still big fans, and wish he would start producing his comic strip again. I had always assumed his name was a fake or "Artist" name he did work under,, For example for many years Steven King wrote under the name Richard Bachman, I never thought someone was REALLY named Berkley Breathed, but it really is! Turns out he likes motorcycles as well and has owned a bunch of them. Last I heard he had a cafe racer or street tracker Sportster that was hot rodded. I saw pictures of it. But I am told he changes bikes often. If you look, he often adds in Biker stuff to some of his comic strips too....

So, just to add to the story,, I used to play in bands and guitar,& bass (Was not that good really) But I am still a big music fan. So the next part is a long story and ill leave out most of it, But I went to a small club show where Joan Jett was playing in Portland. She had some dates between gigs so they filled in some nightclubs and almost no advertising. I found out and got a ticket but it sold out quick. This was about 20 years back and she had some really good players out with her on the tour. They ROCKED that place, It was one of the best shows ever. So I was talking to a bouncer-bar staff about his scoot which was a British bike. He was happy someone actually knew what his bike was and had a clue. About that time a bunch of Rubbies on new HDs started circiling Joan Jetts tour bus for some reason. Doing burn offs, revving the crap out of their soft tails, and being just obnoxious. I dont know if they had been at the show or just in the area. The bar was under a bridge and the accoustics made it loud as hell. After a while they took off. The cops showed up not long after and started harrassing the bartender-bouncer about his limey bike,. I stood up for him and told them it wasnt him. The cops were being dicks. So, the guy apparently thought I was cool and asked If I wanted to go hang out with the band and bring them food. They were taking trays of food out to the tour bus. So I joined in. The band was not interested in talking to me much, but Joan Jett was very cool and nice to me. Usually when you meet a rockstar or someone famous there is not much to really say.. So I always just try to come up with some off the wall stuff and everyonce in a while it works.
So, This same artist Berkely Breathed had incorporated a character named "Turbo Tess" and she wa s leather covered heavy metal rocker in the comic strip. At one point she had Opus and Bill the cat up on stage with her. Eventually Bill the Cat and Opus (Who was dressed up like Gene Simmons of Kiss with leather spikes) went out on tour on their own. So I asked Joan Jett.........."So, I always wondered but are YOU Turbo Tess?" It was super cool, Few people ever made the connection or knew about it. We had a long talk about Bloom County, Opus, Berkely Breathed and she told me some really cool stuff. It was great. I have some stuff signed by her as well. (plus some really cool old pictures of her and Lita Ford and other members of her old Band the "Runaways" sitting on choppers back when they were teen agers).
So heres the personalized Opus and the Norton Connection. Mary Kay Commandos? Norton Commando? Get it?

[farmall]

Fuck yeah, more Nortons!

I've a good running 1971 Commando needing cosmetic resto and three and a half Commandos worth of parts I'll attack next year. They are my favorite British twin not least due to the Isolastic system.

The INOA puts on outstanding events. I plan on going to this one. They always choose excellent camp sites and have a wide variety of Nortons, Norton parts vendors and custom builders. Lots of other bikes including Triumphs, BSAs, Ariels etc.

http://nortonrally.com/inoa-rally-2017

They host at a different state every year so people from either coast have a shot at making the rally.

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

This years rally is too far away for me, But i have been to 5 rallys in the past, Some better than others. But even a bad day riding motorcycles in beautiful scenery and talking bikes with other gear heads is still a DAMN good day! Last years rally was THE BEST motorcycle camp out or event I have ever been to,, (Some of the ABATE parties and runs have been a lot of fun what little I can remember). Last year was in NorCal up in the hills. I am glad I went. I have to figure out how to load YOUTUBE videos (Gotta find a teenager to show me how) but I have a ton of pix and some videos including about 250+ Nortons all headed out the gates on a ride.

I gave a tech talk on Thursday, and set up a big display of Norton stuff. Had a blast. So, check out this Blog post,,, its pretty good and cool to get a narrative from the Brits about visiting America (I like his comment about "What a Burden it must be to live in California")....
See: http://www.nortonownersclub.org/noc-...tion/587192344

Plus 4 pages of pics and comments here,, (Check out the hearse,, thats my friend Doug as well, He used to own Colorado Norton Works and sold it to the current owner Matt who was also at the Rally) Doug now lives in Baja Mexico and wrenchs on Nortons down there.
See: http://www.accessnorton.com/2016-ino...t23790-30.html

[nuklhd]

I always suspected opus rode a Norton. he raced the isle of mann.
I have audio of on dvd of different bikes. I like to have a cup of coffee and smoke a cig and listen to a manx going thru the gears. cool stuff doug.

[Hoofhearted]

[Hoofhearted]