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.
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