Topic: Going to look at a Norton Commando, anyone familiar?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I finally met the owner of those bikes. We had one day at 60 degrees about a month ago and I put on my jacket and tore out to his place. It's kind of in the sticks. I pulled up and there he was unloading some firewood out of his truck. Had a Norton belt buckle on, maybe in his late 50's. I told him I had seen the bikes from the road and couldn't believe my eyes when I looked in, and that I had to meet him. He said "yep, those are my Nortons. They're not for sale and if you try to steal them I'll kill you". I laughed, although a shiver went up my spine.

Ended up spending a few hours with the guy and could really relate to him. Was just a cool guy who loves motorcycles. He spent his youth pretty much dedicated to old brit bikes. Turns out the bike on the shed porch was his first Commando and he literally rode it until the motor couldn't be rebuilt anymore. He showed me the Atlas/Commando hybrid he built that lives inside his bedroom and about 6 other Nortons, BSA's, Triumphs and BMW's scattered throughout the house.

He said his friends always try to get him to sell one because he 'has so many'. He tells them they had the same opprotunity he did to buy them back when they were plentyful, and someday they'll fund his retirement. Smart fella really. I don't imagine I'll end up with one, but we got on pretty well and I'm sure he'd give me a fair shot when he finally lets them go. If that ever happens...

In somewhat related news, I keep going back and forth on how I feel about having sold that bike. I miss it hanging around, it had a strange vibe to it. In the end maybe the story of my thousand dollar Combat Commando pulled from a shed will be more interesting than keeping the bike.

[Terry in Australia]

Geezus, where do you blokes find this old iron? I would have bought the Norton if I'd seen it before now. I almost scored a mint 1976 850 MK3 in a straight swap with my Laverda before Christmas, but the Norton owner pulled out of the deal, but as I made nearly 6 thousand bucks from the Laverda sale, I wasn't too upset. I think I'll have to start buying US bikes and stockpiling them at my sisters place in CA, providing it doesn't slide into the canyon with the other 20 houses in her street! Cheers, Terry.

[bill440cars]

         Originally, I'm from the Little Rock (started out in Jacksonville, then to North Little Rock/ 2 locations there and finally in Little Rock, before getting Married and eventually moving out of town) and there used to be several of the British bikes around (BSA, Triumph and Nortons/ with an occasional AJS and Matchless) I had a buddy there who bought a new Royal Enfield Interceptor back in 1965 or 66, but I imagine he's sold THAT long ago. There was also a guy who used to frequent my Granddad's motorcycle shop, who bought my Granddad's '55 Indian (rebadged Royal Enfield) 500cc Woodsman and built it for racing on the scrambles track and did quite well. I am told by another friend of our family, that the guy still had it AND some others. But he wouldn't sell them to anyone. The guy who knew all this, told me that he was constantly trying to buy all of that stuff off of him. Well, the one with the bikes, died and I don't know if he ever got those bike or not.

        Understand, I'm not trying to Hi Jack here, just thought I'd through that in. There could be more stuff just like what B.O.X.K.N.I.F.E. found.

                              Good Luck, Bill
       

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

         Originally, I'm from the Little Rock (started out in Jacksonville, then to North Little Rock/ 2 locations there and finally in Little Rock, before getting Married and eventually moving out of town) and there used to be several of the British bikes around (BSA, Triumph and Nortons/ with an occasional AJS and Matchless) I had a buddy there who bought a new Royal Enfield Interceptor back in 1965 or 66, but I imagine he's sold THAT long ago. There was also a guy who used to frequent my Granddad's motorcycle shop, who bought my Granddad's '55 Indian (rebadged Royal Enfield) 500cc Woodsman and built it for racing on the scrambles track and did quite well. I am told by another friend of our family, that the guy still had it AND some others. But he wouldn't sell them to anyone. The guy who knew all this, told me that he was constantly trying to buy all of that stuff off of him. Well, the one with the bikes, died and I don't know if he ever got those bike or not.

        Understand, I'm not trying to Hi Jack here, just thought I'd through that in. There could be more stuff just like what B.O.X.K.N.I.F.E. found.

                              Good Luck, Bill
       

Bill, they're out there. I never paid much attention to the fact that my grandpa has a '41 Ford coupe in his shop that hasn't ran for decades. Not a dent on the thing, original flatty motor. To anyone else it's a 'barn find' that some old coot wont let go of, but I totally understand his point of view and don't see it that way. My best friends step dad has a 71 1/2 camaro that never gets driven in his shop, and 73 Challenger.

Motorcycle related, I know of a guy who recently inherited his buddies sandcast but it's not for sale, 'just yet'. The guy that came to fix my furnace looked in my shop, saw the bikes, and said his mother has a smaller one of the CB125's with something like a hundred miles on it. Good luck!!

[bill440cars]

        I hear ya. If you know where the 1500 block on Washington Ave. is, over in North Little Rock, that's where my Granddad's motorcycle shop used to be. Now, it's just a grassy spot, as they've torn the place down some years ago and even busted up the concrete floor and cleared the area. Also used to be an elementary school (Riverside Elementary, in fact) that was catecorner from the shop. Of course IT'S gone now and the place is fenced in and used to park school buses. My old stomping grounds were There, Levy (when I went to Ridgeroad Jr. High), then to Little Rock out on the otherside of University Ave across from UALR (when it was much smaller) and about 2 blocks behind McDonald's (it's gone now). I've got a lot of History in that area. Lived down there up until Dec. '72! There used to be quite a few of the old British bikes, were also some of the Jawa/CZs down there too and then the Jap bikes started arriving! Richard's Honda was originally Richard's Harley Davidson, then H-D/Honda and next thing ya know, it was just Richard's Honda. I don't know of the other family members names, but the old man was Dan Richard's and last I heard, which was quite a few years back, the business was still in the family and thwy've been there for many years. That's what kills me, if there woul;d have been some way that I could have taken over (with my Dad helping me, in his spare time), my Granddad's shop would have been in business for 78 years this year (did I count that right, his shop was started up in 1932!) Oh well!