2013 Mid Ohio races & swap meet

Each year, Mid Ohio is a big deal for me. I squirrel money away year round and literally cash in my jar of coins so that I have as much cash as possible for the swap meet. In reality, it's not that much money, and it tends to prove that if I have cash, I won't find shit for sale. And of course, the opposite theory applies. Either way, it's great to go and dig through all the parts in hopes of finding one or two much needed bits.

Of course, the races are a big attraction as well. I'll admit that I don't like this racing event as much as Road America. Mid Ohio used to be an AHRMA event, but years ago, there was some sort of fall out between AHRMA and Mid Ohio, so that event moved to Road America. So since this is now an AMA event, the variety of race bikes is generally quite different than what I'm into. There are of course, a few exceptions.

Friday was a good first day, and I had driven down the afternoon before, so that I could be there right when the gates open. With the sounds of racing going on in the background, I head straight to the swap meet area. Friday being a practice day, I always choose to dig through all the parts before watching and racing activity.

I had planned an extensive and elaborate post of the weekend, but reality took over when I spent the entire first day digging around on dirty old tarps and tables, and haggling for prices on any Norton part I could find. Saturday was monsoon rain, and even walking around in a crappy Walmart poncho, proved to be miserable. So my day of taking photos went to crap since the rain just wouldn't let up. All racing had ceased for the day since the conditions were far too unsafe. The rain also kept most vendors locked in their tents, with most of the parts covered up.

So even though this should have been more extensive, I'll just share the photos that I took and leave it at that.

Manx Norton with the early bolt up rear sub frame, but with a later model short stroke motor. A bitsa bike, who's frame would have been from somewhere between 1950-1954. Motor was I believe a 1957, and gearbox was the early laydown type. I could go on for days about the little things that were incorrect about this bike. The reality is, it was common for these old race bikes to have swapped out motors, so that's really no big deal. But the black painted magnesium cases, incorrect tachometer etc etc, really get on my nerves. If you're going to restore such a machine, why not do it correctly. Oh well, it's a Manx Norton, so it's still beautiful.

In the same tent with the Manx Norton, was this beautiful Norton model 99, which is a 600cc Dominator with wideline frame. This was an original paint machine from 1957, with interesting period pin striping and Armstrong rear shocks, which are quite rare. Asking price was 8 grand, which is pretty high in the current market. But rest assured that if I had 8 grand, or anywhere near it, I would have ridden that bike away.

I've been wanting an old trials bike or vintage dirt bike for a while now. I really have no reason for it, and I don't have anywhere too close to ride it, but every time I see them, they get me pretty stoked. Since finding a Norton 500T is pretty much out of the question, I wouldn't mind an old Greeves with an Earls fork, or something else that's a little obscure. This one is pretty cool.

Triton - I hate Tritons. Especially unit motor Tritons. Keep your crappy engine in it's own frame please.

Cool old scooter. I'm not sure what the make was, and it looked like one of those things where if you bought it, you'd probably never be able to find parts in order to get it running. But as a work of art, it's pretty damn cool.

The "cafe racer" tent at Mid Ohio... What a joke. The last 2 years, they have this garbage display set up with a whole bunch of modern cafe racer styled bikes that have literally no connection or representation to the original era or intent of the real cafe racer movement. I know I'm a real asshole when it comes to this type of stuff, but really, what's the point of all this crap? The neo cafe racer movement is a mockery of itself. A set of clip ons and fiberglass seat, doesn't make a cafe racer. Do some homework on what the real bikes and careless young men of the era really were. I didn't take any photos of this display because it would have been a waste of my camera batteries. A China made, ebay purchased 59 club patch and Ton Up pin on a jacket, should be a joke, but somehow this is what's become cool and accepted.

In the tent next to the aforementioned shit tent, there was a couple of cool / famous bikes on display. Sid Biberman had the Vincati there, and a 1953 Vincent Series C Rapide drag bike, which is affectionately know as Lola. Although I'm not a fan of the frankensteined together Vincati, it is a famous machine, so I felt it warranted a few photos. The Vincent drag bike is a lovely piece of history though.

Nice little Ducati on display as well

In the pits is generally where you find the real stuff. Bikes that guys have built and raced of their own blood, sweat and tears. These are the people that I like to talk to, the real enthusiasts, and the guys that keep the dream alive.

This first machine was put together years ago for about $3000, which is generally about the budget of what a race bike should cost. This is mainly because you're going to break it either way, so no need for high dollar, fancy looking bits.

Featherbed frame, Jawa motor. Interesting combo that proves to be pretty competitive.

And of course, I've saved the best for last. This was a rare moment. Last garage in the pits and looked to be completely empty. I walked the distance anyway, expecting to see nothing and simply turn around. But low and behold, and much to my surprise, there sat this very original, and very prominent AJS 7R Porcupine. I looked in, completely stunned and in awe of this machine, which was completely unattended. I felt guilty poking in and getting the close up, as I could imagine, the owner might not want some random guy gawking over his pride and joy. So I waited a few minutes, expecting someone to walk up and tend to their machine, but nobody showed up. So I did as I must, and went in to admire this machine up close and personal.

I'm unsure what year this bike is from, which is a shame, because I should know. But I know it from photos and stories. Owned by prominent collector and head of the prestigious Team Obsolete. I assume it was for their for the weekend with Dave Roper as it's rider. This bike won the 1954 Isle of Man Junior TT (350cc class), and wore that information proudly on it's number plate.

Magnesium everything, and in stunning, original, and race ready condition. This is the real shit, the type of motorbike I come to see, and it literally made the weekend. Enjoy the photos.

NOS - Norton Lower Fork Legs

I feel that with the exception of original parts that have some significant racing history, or other prominent importance, NOS parts are about the best you can get. Made in the original factory as replacement parts for worn out items, they've simply been kicking around on some dealer shelf for all these years, patiently waiting their turn for a life on a bike as they were intended. Generally speaking, these items are parts that were made as replacement for parts that might get worn out on a bike that was being ridden. So they tend to be ancillary parts, rather than major engine or frame components.

I don't think NOS parts really warrant a full "On The Bench" post since they're basically brand new and really just need a general clean up before being ready to go.

In this case, I was able to pick up a set of Norton Dominator lower fork legs at a great price, from a really nice guy on the east coast. Old aluminum parts are generally found for sale after being discarded, and often for good reason. So you really have to be careful with what you buy. Lots of times, these things will have stripped threads, and with the case of fork lowers, the pinch bolt side can be found cracked or broken from being over tightened. So take caution when buying these types of things, especially when buying them online based simply on photographs. Trust me, I've learned the hard way.

I could just have easily bought fork legs brand new from a number of different sources in the UK. But that's really not the point of restoring an old bike, is it? I love old, original cast aluminum parts. The casting texture and even the imperfections, look great to me. So these parts always get the minimum amount of work needed in order to have them looking the part. Generally when sanding out nicks and scratches in cast aluminum parts, I'd have to start with 320 grit sandpaper. But in this case, starting at 600 for just some very light sanding to the areas that had shelf scratches, was all that was needed. After that. work up to 1200 grit and then a simple polish, and they're perfect. One down, and one to go...

On The Bench - Norton Featherbed Oil Tank

Another swap meet find was this Norton Featherbed oil tank, which will become a spare for my Atlas. Often these discard oil tanks are in need of some serious repair. Generally that repair would be a broken mounting tab on the top of the tank. Once bolted to the oil tank platform, the top tab needs to be properly spaced with either a rubber washer, alloy spacer or some washers. But often times, guys will simply wrench the tab tight straight to the frame mount, and therefore causing stress on the tab and at some point, the weld will fail. Another thing I often see is tanks that have been dented, likely from the bike falling over or being involved in some sort of wreck. You have to ask yourself why these parts are for sale and have been discarded. Luckily, a swap meet setting is the perfect place to inspect something in person and judge condition with your own eyes.

This tank is in great shape, minus the failing paint job. So it'll be stripped of it's paint and properly repainted in black.

The cap and all fittings were intact, and in excellent shape. Initially, they were covered in grease and dirt, so it's always difficult to know just how well they'll clean up. But after a thorough cleaning and polishing, they proved to all be in excellent condition.

One interesting thing to note is that this particular oil tank is a later model version with the added feature of having the froth tower. Inlet on the front accepts the crankcase breather return, and outlet to the rear vents to the atmosphere. But it also had the early model low pressure oil feed banjo. Early Dominators had a 3 start (low pressure) oil pump, and oil was fed to the rocket arms via the banjo fitting in the return fitting on the tank. This type of top feed oiling employed scrolled rocker spindles to allow for enough oil to pass through. Later model Dominators and the Atlas employed the 6 start (double speed) oil pump, which fed oil to the rocker spindles straight out of a banjo fitting in the timing cover. This double speed pump used plain rocker spindles since the pressure was increased and no longer required the scrolled rocker spindles. In this instance, the return fitting in the tank, would have a straight thru design since it wouldn't need a banjo fitting. Please note that depending on the year of the machine, these details could be swapped. It's not a hard fast rule that all years and all models were set up the same. But this is a good guide in determining what oil system is in place.

Why is any of this important? Good question, and the answer is because anyone fitting these parts will need to first determine what oil pump they'll be using, as many parts in the system are not interchangeable. Case in point, if you're using the low pressure pump, and you fit the plain spindles, you won't be feeding enough oil to the rocker arms. And conversely, if you fit the high pressure pump and scrolled spindles, you'll be pushing too much oil through the top feed. And then there's the issue of where you fit the feed banjo; either on the timing cover or at the oil tank. Lots of details to keep in mind when building an old Norton. There have been horror stories of oil feed lines and incorrect matching of parts being used, and engine seizure being caused within minutes of running a newly built motor.

Isle of Man TT

This isn't going to be a history lesson on the Isle of Man TT Races, as there's enough information out in the world about it already. I'd encourage anyone that's interested in motorcycling, even in the slightest, to do some research and learn about all the amazing racing machines and riders that have ever turned a lap of the infamous TT course.

But this year is a special one. At least it is for me, and perhaps some others that might be fond of vintage British machines, especially those of the Norton marque. I should first clarify that I'm referring to the Classic TT, or Manx GP as it's been known. The main TT race each year happens before the Classic TT, and has progressed each year as the racing machines have. So the official TT today consists of modern super bike / sport bike classes. And while I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for these riders, I simply don't have any interest in a modern motorcycle clad in plastic fairings and wearing sponsorship decals that sometimes rival that of Nascar.

So shift your attention back to the Classic TT. As motorcycle racing evolved and surpassed the Golden Era of British motorcycle industry, the now vintage machines ran in what was called the Manx GP. Same race as the modern TT, but on vintage bikes, drawing much less attention and much smaller crowds of fans. This is of course to be expected, and there has been some confusion and turmoil for the Classic event. First off, it's difficult to find much information on the Classic races, and secondly, there has been debate on wether or not the event would continue. The amount of deaths, the increasing number of entrants and the decreasing number of fans, has put a financial strain on the Isle of Man government. To the point of it being seriously discussed that the Classic TT may be no more. And while there has been no final decision, the writing is on the wall so to speak. So I've got to get off my ass and get over there to experience it for myself. Which unfortunately won't be happening this year, but I'll be planning for 2014, if there is still such a thing. In an effort to boost awareness, they've had a bit of rebranding for the Manx GP, and are promoting it under the much more recognizable name of Isle of Man TT. There will also be some very high profile riders this year, which will be aboard replica machines from the likes of Molnar, McIntosh, Dunnel and Patrick Walker's Works Racing. All of this being done to of course increase attendance, and therefore revenue, so that the Isle of Man government can continue to justify holding the event.

Back to the point, of this being a special year; 40 years ago, Peter Williams piloted a highly modified Norton Commando to victory at the TT. Sponsored by the John Player cigarette giant, Peter designed, modified and raced the machine. The bike featured a radical new monocoque frame design and cast wheels. This was of course well after the Norton Works racing effort had ceased, and over a decade after the original Norton Works factory had been absorbed by AMC. The biggest issue their racing effort faced was gearbox problems. And serious problems they were. The AMC gearbox had been employed for many years, and on a production road bike, didn't show any real issues. It also proved quite worthy with earlier racing machines of lower capacity motors and less horsepower. The earlier design gearbox main shafts were shorter and used a single row primary chain, while the problem was amplified in the Commando gearbox, with it's longer main shaft and triplex primary. With the tuned Commando motor for racing, and the gearbox main shaft being ever so slightly out of line in it's bearings, the problem had become amplified. This issue was due to the casting design of the gearbox itself, and caused countless failures during racing efforts. I should add, that this issue was later resolved as racers started to fit a specially made outrigger bearing. But for the time, and the cost of development, the gearbox was of big concern. Failure of the machine during the race would of course be extremely disappointing, but on a course like the TT, it could certainly prove to be more than just disappointing. It could prove to be deadly.

As you've probably guessed if you've read this far, Peter Williams won the TT that year and forever stamped his place in the history books. And sans the Norton Rotary victory in 1992, this would prove to be the final TT victory on a Norton powered machine.

Do yourself a favor and look around online for more information. There's a bit of it out there, and this post is really meant to simply spark interest, rather than be a full history lesson. Peter Williams will be making 25 replica machines based on the famous TT winning bike. So if you've got very deep pockets, you could own one for yourself. If you're like me, all you can do is look at the photos and watch this video documenting the TT effort in 1973. Think of in the context of the achievement, but also remember that Norton was to go out of business completely in 1975 / 1976, and will forever be locked in time. A very interesting comparison in the video, is that of the John Player Norton racing effort versus that of privateer John Stewart.

The List

Ok, I'll admit, this is basically a shameless "Want Ad" for the bits that I'm looking for in order to continue building my Norton Dominator. But it's my little corner of the internet, so I'm not apologizing for it. I'm guessing this is a bit of a long shot since the people reading these pages are most likely just my friends, and they already know the parts that I need. But you never know, maybe somebody out there stumbles across this and just happens to have something on the list.

Here goes:

Norton 650 cylinders (68mm bore with or without a spigot)
Norton 650 crank shaft
Norton timing cover (with oval tach drive mount that faces up and down rather than on 45 degree angle)
Lucas K2FC magneto (dated 1959, 1960 or 1961)
CMA 8 leading shoe front brake / hub
Robinson 4 leading shoe front brake / hub
Manx Norton magnesium conical rear hub
Manx type alloy fuel tank and alloy central oil tank (for wideline featherbed road frame)
Amal GP carbs (matched set, must be left and right handed)
Webco high flow fitting for Amal Monobloc
Dunstall Rearsets
Manx or Wassell seat (looking for both wideline & slimline featherbed versions)
Manx tapered swingarm
Featherbed center stand
Dominator outer Primary Cover (preferably painted black)
Original Dominator seat cover (even if it's torn up - I'll be using it to upholster a smaller Manx seat)
Scholtz rocker spindle covers
Ian Kennedy top yoke
John Tickle or Paul Dunstall clip ons and headlight ears

Most of the above listed items are for the Dominator project, but a few of them are for my Atlas, and one piece is for a featherbed single which I'd like to build down the road. I'd like all of the above mentioned items to be original or period pieces, rather than replica bits. All should be in original condition and not bead blasted. Also, I really need items that are in the best condition possible. All items will be rebuilt / restored, and I'm not afraid to work on these pieces, but they need to be serviceable so that the motorcycle can be safely ridden.

I'm willing to pay a fair price for these pieces. I know what they're worth, and I'm not looking to low ball anyone. Certainly finding things here and there at a deal of a price is a good thing, but I know what I'm looking for, and I'm willing to pay a proper price. I also have some things that I'd be willing to trade.

It's time to dig through the parts bin and take stock of things you won't be using. If you've got something, please drop me an email at works.moto@gmail.com
Thanks
Jeff

On The Bench - Norton / Joe Dunphy Hub

A very special hub...

Since the last On The Bench posting I made, a new batch of parts have shown up, and are monopolizing my time and interest. As mentioned previously, the hubs and brakes that were being worked on, were simply spares, so there was no rush to complete them.

Sometimes, although very rarely, I find something that's really cool and very period correct for the projects that I work on. In most case, these special bits fetch a lot of money, and I end up having to dig pretty deep into my wallet in order to afford them. We've all got a budget to work with and have to deal with the reality that sometimes we just can't afford to get something that might pop up for sale. I often go 8 months or more without buying anything. Partially because nothing good presents itself for sale, and partially because I'm squirreling away money to afford them. I can't even remember how many times I had to sit and watch something amazing sell to someone else simply because I couldn't afford it. All the while knowing that it'll be another couple years before I see another one of them come up for sale.

Well the God's of Speed shined down on me for a change, and I was able to pick up this very special brake and hub. This is a standard Norton single leading shoe front hub and brake plate that has been modified by Joe Dunphy. And it's even got his original decal on the brake plate to prove it. It's the only one of it's kind that I've ever seen.

As can be seen in these photos, the main feature is the fact that the hub has been vented. Traditionally, vent holes are milled into the hub using an indexing head, and the holes are circular shaped venting between each of the cast webs in the hub. But in this case, a unique pattern was used and certainly would have taken much more time and skill to execute. The cool thing about it, is that you can see it's all done by hand. There's an organic feel to the whole set up, that you really can't create with a modern CNC mill. Everything from the original casting of the hub, to the hand milled venting, gives it a uniquely 60's feel.

A couple more views of the hub with the brake plate removed. I chucked the hub into the lathe to spin it, just to see what it would look like running down the road. The venting definitely looks great, and once mounted should look great on the bike.

Heres a photo of the brake plate and shoes. As you can see, one of the springs is missing, along with the pivot plate, lock tabs and bolts. Those items are easy enough to replace, and I may even have some extras kicking around in the parts bin.

You'll also notice that the brake pads are riveted in, with original copper rivets. Obviously everything will need a thorough cleaning and servicing before it's ready to go. The brake pads are original Ferodo green linings and they contain asbestos.

On the outside of the brake plate, the actuating lever arm is missing, the nut that holds it in place, and the cable adjuster. Most of these pieces are easy to find and inexpensive to buy. For the actuating lever, I thought I'd machine my own out of aluminum rather than buy new chrome steel versions. This will allow me to make some slight changes to the set up. I will most likely make the lever about 5mm longer, which although doesn't sound like much, will help to increase the leverage and feel of the brake. These old single leading shoe brakes aren't the best for modern riding, especially with a full size Norton. But with some minor improvements, they will hopefully prove to be sufficient. They'll also be sent off to have the drum surfaced, new linings installed and then turned to the drum. And as stated in previous posts, they'll of course be treated to new bearings and bushing. One thing to note is to pay special attention to the grease nipple in the cam. I've found all of these to be filled solid with dried up 45 year old grease which needed to be picked out and thoroughly cleaned. The passageway gets so bad, that even after cleaning, you could almost miss the fact that it has holes which are intended to be greased.

So basically, for $25, I got myself a really nice hub with genuine 1960's modifications. There's not much information about Joe Dunphy to be found, but I'll continue my research. I enjoy finding out as much as I can about the history of these parts and the people that tuned / modified them.

My plan is to simply clean and polish the Joe Dunphy brake plate. I'll leave the decal in place as is, and work around it. It would be a crime to remove or disturb it. At the end of the day, the brake plate doesn't have any modifications to it, so that original decal is the only thing that really makes it special. The other brake plate that I have will of course fit into this hub as well. Since it's a standard set up, I'll be venting the front of that brake plate, and riveting on a period cast aluminum scoop that I have. Luckily for me, the scoop matches the radius of the brake plate circumference as well as the convex face of it. So as a 2nd option, I'll have a very cool vented brake plate with scoop, and the original Joe Dunphy brake plate. Two very nice options for the same very cool hub. Once finished, they'll be cleaned, polished, rebuilt and fully serviced. And with the special actuating levers, they'll be fit for service.

Sometimes I find it strange that a hub like this would be so unimportant to most. So much so, that nobody else even bothered to place a bid on it. $25 for even a standard Norton hub without a brake plate would still be a great price. I guess I won't complain about that little bit of good luck that came my way. I can imagine one other option for this hub, which would be to install a John Tickle twin leading shoe brake plate. Now that would be the business...

Bill "Bib" Bibbiani - A salute to a great man

It's been a little while, and in all honesty, it's taken me a bit to let my thoughts settle. It's with a very heavy heart that I write this, but I feel it necessary. A salute to Bill Bibbiani and the Norton legacy that he left us all with.

Bib passed away on Saturday May 4th, 2013 and left us all with a huge hole in our hearts. And took with him, several decades of knowledge and experience of Norton motorcycles. I can only hope that all the others that were lucky enough to meet him, were also smart enough to keep their ears open as he shared all those great stories.

There's really no way of starting this without going back to the beginning. If it gets long winded, please feel free to read over time, but do yourself a favor and read it all.

I can't remember exactly what year it was, and I've tried to piece it together, but I'll admit that my late 20's were all a bit of a blurred together period of time. I had fallen in love with Norton motorcycles, or at least the idea of them. And that's all that I can remember. I had yet to get one, and certainly couldn't afford one. I grew up in a house where my father always rode a bike. In his case, a Harley Davidson, which he still owns to this day. But I never had a single bit of interest in motorcycles. My dad had crashed a BSA in the early 1970's after returning from Vietnam, and suffered a head injury which left him deaf in one ear. So motorcycles were seen as dangerous, and it was never entertained that I'd even have a chance at a dirt bike. So I simply never pursued it.

Fast forward to my late 20's, and I find myself longing for a Norton motorcycle. I could go on for weeks about why, but that's not important right now. Since I couldn't afford one, and had never ridden any motorcycle, I thought I should be responsible about things, and so I bought myself an old Vespa to learn on. Obviously not quite the same thing, but hey, it was at least a vintage machine, and I had to start somewhere. Anybody thats ever made the compromise of buying a lesser version of the thing they really wanted, knows how it's just not the same. But I rode the hell out of that thing. Back and forth to work, all around town, and every Saturday and Sunday for months, I'd go to the DMV and practice riding the motorcycle license test course. And one day, I got my license. Not long after, I had saved up a bit more money and bought a Honda CB360, as the next step. It was a terrible bike with constant electrical problems. And since I could care less about it, I didn't have the motivation to really put the time and money into it. I think that the ride home from buying it, was the only time I enjoyed that bike. But my mission was accomplished. I had taught myself how to ride, moved up from a scooter to a motorcycle, and in the process, saved enough money so that once I sold the Vespa and the Honda, and added it to the cash I had, I'd be able to afford a Norton. The bike I "really wanted".

So I started to really look for Nortons. The biggest problem is, they're few and far between and difficult to find since this was before the real internet boom and modern accessibility to Google anything under the sun. But I'd ask around, search wherever I could and just generally do anything possible to find something. The closest one I could find was in Las Vegas, and a good 4 hour drive to go and see. Things weren't looking very promising. And then, one Saturday while on my way to buy a new vacuum cleaner, I get a call from a guy claiming to be the Southern California Norton Owners Club President. A 20 minute conversation ensued and he told me that he had "several" Nortons and that some were for sale, and that I should come up and have a look. Being that he was only an hour drive from my house, I jumped at the chance, and within minutes, was in my car racing towards his house. Having no idea what I was about to find, and being very intimidated, I was truly unsure of what to expect. After all, I was a newcomer in every sense of the word, and I'll admit that I was a young smart ass that thought I knew it all. When in reality, I knew almost nothing.

I arrive at Bib's house and find my way up the driveaway and I'm greeted with open arms and the invitation to come into the back and see it all. I've stepped into a porthole in time and find myself surrounded with Norton motorcycles, project bikes and rare British parts. I could barely contain myself. Bib walked me through every bike that he had, explaining the details and the history of each one. I listened contently and tried to soak it all in. And most importantly, to keep my mouth shut to avoid from saying something stupid or making myself sound like some sort of know it all. I had previously decided that what I wanted was a MKII or MKIIA Commando Roadster in the traditional black and gold. It seemed to be the most iconic version. But, with that visit, my plans had changed and I couldn't take my eyes off the stunning maroon and silver Commando cafe racer that was the last in a long line of black and gold Roadsters. If ever there was love at first sight...

I spent about 2 hours with Bib that day, and learned more about Norton motorcycles than I ever thought possible. I could have stayed all day, but that simply would have been rude. He had work to do and bikes to tend to. I drove away that day realizing that my life had just changed forever. With that one visit, a lifetime friendship had been formed, and Bib would become a real mentor to me. If the fire had already been burning, Bib had stoked the flame so to speak.

Over the next 2 weeks, we'd talk on the phone and discuss the details. I had a lot to think about, and wanted to take this seriously. It was, after all, and much larger machine than I had ever ridden. It was also going to cost me every cent that I had saved plus the cost of the two machines I had just sold. But shortly thereafter, the decision was made, and there was no turning back. So two Saturday's later, I was at Bib's house, cash in hand and nervous anticipation literally overwhelmed me. This was the day I would ride my very first Norton.

Upon arrival, Bib already had the Commando out front and gave me the full run down of the starting procedure and all of the bikes quirkiness. I was anxious and just kept thinking that as soon as I pulled away and got down the street, I could settle in and I'd be alone with the Norton and could test ride the bike. But Bib had other plans, and said he'd be riding his Commando along for the ride. He'd lead me on a proper test ride and I could put the bike through it's paces. Now I was really nervous since I'd no longer have the anonymity of being out on my own.

Luckily, my good buddy went with me that day, and snapped this photo as we were about to pull out for that first ride. We were younger men...

I had no idea how fast this bike was, and how well set up and comfortable the clip ons and rear sets felt to me. Bib rode at least twice as fast as I expected to ride. And I mean that literally. But I had to keep up, and we raced through neighborhood streets at well over 70mph. The ride lasted a good 15 minutes, and if I wasn't already hooked, I certainly was now.

Bib informed me that he would service the bike that week. Tune the carbs, adjust the clutch, check the brakes and give it a general once over. I had assumed that I'd be leaving with the Norton that day, but that's not Bib's way. And as much as I was disappointed, I was blown away at the fact that he'd go that extra mile to ensure that the Norton I was getting, would be in tip top shape.

A long week of waiting went by, and Bib, his lovely wife Janet and trusty dog Jack, delivered the Norton to my garage. We went through all the official paperwork, general maintenance notes and of course exchanging of money. Bib seemed very attached to the bike, and almost didn't want to leave it. I was thoroughly impressed with the whole transaction, and how Bib treated me so kindly. This was the start of a long term thing for us. Bib was always there to field my calls, emails and incessant questions about all things related to this bike, and Nortons in general. He even took the bike back for another round of service in order to help me out. All free of charge.

Over the years of me owning the Commando, we stayed in constant contact. Bib and Janet became family to me. Plain and simple, genuine people that care about each other and are true Norton enthusiasts. It rubbed off on me in a big way and formed a lasting impression of the "right way" to do it. Bib and Janet ran the Southern California Norton Owners Club and organized rides, rallies and large meets all throughout the year. Every year. With a shoe string budget of $10 club donations. An absolute testament to their commitment.

Years had gone by, and during the economic downturn, I was forced to sell the Commando. We all know the story, and how these things go. It was literally the only asset that I owned. The bike was sold to a friend, with the promise to buy it back once I was in a better financial situation. This is a whole story in and of itself, and will be saved for another time.

Another string of events found me moving out of my beloved Southern California home of nearly two decades and back to the harsh Midwest. But the need for a Norton still burned, and as I continued to talk to Bib, he offered to sell me a very special Norton Atlas that he owned since 1992. It spent the beginning of it's life as a drag bike of sorts and had been bored out to an 810cc beast. As Bib would say, "it'd rev to 6000 on the center stand with no dancing around". The bike was also loaned at one time by Bib for a photo shoot with a good looking female model, and Bib and I joked about that as well. So when his offer to sell it came up, I jumped at the chance. I knew how much he liked that bike, and was truly flattered that he'd offer it. He must have felt that I'd give it a good home. I had worked an extra job for a number of months and saved up the chunk of money it would take to buy it. I had also been stock piling a bunch of very special bolt on items over the past few years, and they sat waiting for that very special bike. So we made plans, and I flew to California to meet with Bib and buy the Atlas. The night I landed I was having coffee with a friend, and I was to meet with Bib the following day. He called me on the phone that night and was broken up about having to tell me that he had changed his mind, and simply could not bring himself to sell the bike. He had been servicing the bike in preparation to sell it to me, and having taken it for a ride to ensure it was tuned and safe to pass along, he fell back in love with it. Bib was very apologetic, and I think he felt really bad about changing his mind. Little did he know, that what he had done, was further instill in me how much of a real Norton enthusiast he was. I wasn't upset in the slightest, and I completely respected his position. He then told me that he had an alternative plan and that I should come up the following day as scheduled, to discuss.

So as I had done so many times before, I made the journey to Bib's house, filled with anticipation and excitement at what might be. Regardless of the reason for my visit, I was always excited to see Bib and Janet. They're both such great people and it always feels like visiting family for a Sunday afternoon. But with the added benefit of being surrounded in a sea of Norton motorcycles. Upon my arrival, Bib was again apologetic for the situation. I assured him that it wasn't a problem at all. So the conversation began, and Bib told me, that we should build / restore an Atlas for me. He'd sell me a basket case Atlas, and we'd build it to my specs. I was completely taken off guard since Bib had told me on many occasions that he didn't like to build bikes that way. He preferred to rebuild a bike on his own, and then sell it when it was done. He didn't like having the customer "input" and dealing with the finicky nature of people changing their mind. He was always on his own mission and enjoyed working privately on the bikes. He was set in his ways, and that's something that I always admired about him. We had talked many times over the years and I expressed to him what I wanted to do with a featherbed Atlas and how I'd like it to be set up. I couldn't believe it, here we were, deep in conversation about the process required to build such a machine. My way, with Bib's expertise and experience. I was shocked and and excited. I'll leave the story and details of this bike to another post since it deserves much more attention than what can be said here. Here's a photo of the fruits of our labor, now many years later and having gone through additional motor rebuilding and other work.

The process of rebuilding this Norton took about 18 months, and found Bib and I working hand in hand. It was an absolute pleasure to get to experience that and share in bringing an old Norton back to life. It's a bike that we worked on together and will forever be a great memory.

Bib inspired me in a lot of ways. Probably more ways than even he realized. I recall one time telling him that I wanted to build a wideline Dominator, piece by piece. I believe his exact words were "unless you've got a ton of money, a shed full of parts and 3 years of your life to waste, then don't bother". I know that he was trying to save me the frustration, but in reality, his words simply motivated me even further. And I'm currently 3 years into building that Norton, and still have a long way to go. Bib was right, but his words have encouraged me rather than deter me.

It's difficult to think that he's no longer with us. He touched so many lives, both as a man and as a motorcycle enthusiast. But I refuse to be sad. I see this as a celebration of a great man and the legacy he left us with. A legacy that he left me with. And I can only hope that in some small way, I can make him proud to take the knowledge and experience he gave me, and continue to do good with it. To preserve the Norton marque that we both love, ride them as they were intended and all the while, doing it the right way.

Thank you Bib. For everything. For more than I can ever put into words. You are sorely missed, and will never be forgotten.
God speed.