Topic: The Norton's done good!

[martin99]

Hi all.

Just got to tell you about my Norton. It's one of the ten finalists in this years' Classic Bike magazine 'Classic Bike of the Year' competition, and is there for all to see in the January edition of Classic Bike. I'm so chuffed I can hardly contain myself! I posted some pics of the old girl a few weeks ago, but here's a reminder...



The winner of the competition gets 1000 guineas, which would go a long way to replacing the bathroom that I've been promising the missus for the last three years (and will help get her off my back for the next three! ).

Genuinely though, to see it pictured in Classic Bike is reward enough for me and winning would obviously be the icing on the cake, but it's amongst good competition! Voting online closes on 5th Feb, and it will share a stand with all the other finalists at the Excel Show in London from 4th to 7th Feb, the winner being announced on the last day.

Anyways, ever since I've known it had been chosen as one of the finalists (I entered it months ago and forgot about it until I got the 'phone call from classic bike), I've always planned to unashamedly ask you all for your vote in the spirit of camaraderie and effective wife management, but regardless of the ethics of that there may be an even more serious dilemma for those of you already feeling my pain and yearning to know how you can help me out....one of the other finalists is a rather well done Phil Read CB750F2 replica! (It's not as good as mine though, and you wouldn't be interested in the other eight! ).

To register a vote for the Norton, email 'VOTEBIKE7@BAUERMEDIA.CO.UK'. In the interests of fairness I should give details of all the others.....oh, well!

Happy New Year!






 

[Bob Wessner]

Congratulations. You did a great job there!

[Old Scrambler]

I like yours for its original model status. The Phil Read bike was a special..........but it does have history.  Nice Job!

[martin99]

Thanks fellas.

I've been looking for a link to them all, but I think you'd have to have the magazine to see them. The full list is:

1971 BSA Lightning
1983 RD350
1961 BSA Shooting Star (my personal favourite, apart from mine of course )
1976 Beta RC125
1959 Trizton ( yeah, I wondered too. This is a mad special, built with TWO Triumph engines in a stretched Norton Featherbed frame)
1974 Suzuki T500
1958 Norton Dominator 99
1981 Kawasaki Z650/900 (Another special, with a Z900 engine in a modified Z650 frame, done cafe style - very nice!)
1969 Triumph Bonneville
1979 Honda CB750 Phil Read replica

The whole point of this is that all the bikes are restored by amateur enthusiasts in their spare time, and it usually throws up quite an interesting mix !

[bill440cars]

  Congratulations on a job VERY well done on the Norton AND being in the running!


      Do all we can to help, right folks?

[robmanero]

I absolutely love that bike and you will certainly get a vote from me. I will be sure to grab the Jan issue of CB next time I go by Borders. Great Job!

[martin99]

For anyone who's interested, here's the link for the MCN Excel Show. You can see all ten finalists by clicking on the thumbnails. 

http://www.londonmotorcycleshow.com/whatCBOTY.html

[bill440cars]

      Well, I have to say that the "Twin Engine" Norton was pretty Awesome, but I'd have to go with that Red Norton myself...........................................
............Oh wait! The RED one is YOURS, right? You REALLY have done yourself PROUD and have every right to be "bustin' at the seams"!

[martin99]

One last bump and unashamed request for support on this one!

My father in law and I took the bike to the Excel Exhibition Centre in London today for the start of the MCN Bike Show tomorrow, met all the other finalists and what a smashing lot they are too! From all parts of the UK, some had driven for six hours to be there and as the organisers were a bit behind there was plenty of time for chat and a few laughs!

Quite validating to talk to like-minded folk and realise you're not the only one who's forgotten what their kids look like, after many, many hours beavering away in the shed! Never been to a major show on build-up day before, expected it to be total chaos and it was - but a totally brilliant experience all the same. Now looking forward to the show on Sunday when we're back for the winner to be announced. Nobody I spoke to today thought they would win it, each has a favourite other than their own but what we all agreed on was that it was great to have got this far, bike restoration is often such a solitary pastime its great when others show their appreciation of all the effort that's been put in (and helps you to feel less of a Billy-no-friends saddo )

One fella even suggested whoever won the cash splits it ten ways, so we all go home with a few quid! (I didn't agree with that though ).

Email voting closes on Friday. Thanks all who have been kind enough to vote for the old girl so far, and for all the great comments I've received. I'll let you know how it goes on Sunday, and will do my best to post a few pics too!

[bill440cars]

       Now, why in the world would that guy think that you all should SHARE the Buck$, unless he is pretty sure that he is gonna get beat and wants to come away with Something? Yeah right, I'm with YOU. I mean whoever wins (should be YOU) deserves to take home whatever goes with the win! After all, none of those other folks had anything to do with YOU being involved.  

[martin99]

Thanks Bill, but you know it's all pretty lighthearted stuff really and if we were all the same what a boring world it would be huh?

[bill440cars]

Thanks Bill, but you know it's all pretty lighthearted stuff really and if we were all the same what a boring world it would be huh?

              You make a good point! BTW, That IS one FINE LOOKING Norton. I don't think I've seen one look any better, IF as good!