Winter returns

Just as we thought we were getting away with it winter returned last week just in time to disrupt the Scottish Motorcycle show. The show was cancelled on the Sunday although not everyone got the message and people still turned up only to be turned away.

I attended the show on Saturday morning and was frankly under whelmed with what was on show, boring and much the same as last year. EMAP or MCN need to try harder, I think it’s lost many “specialists” because it is so expensive to exhibit there. What is on show is effectively a giant bike shop, and it’s a bit much to expect people to get in just to look at things they can see at their local dealers,

I bought some Belgom alu, best known polish available and a number plate, which incidentally I found out I could have got locally for half the price! The reason I know this is I need to get another one because when I got home I realised they had swapped the numbers round! Doh! So I have now spent £23 on number plates where 8 would have done. I was getting a friend to take it back on the Sunday but of course the show was cancelled! Even the stunt show was a bit of a damp squib as it was to wet and greasy to get going. I spoke to Robbie Allan who used to organise the show and he was less than impressed.

The Carol Nash Classic hall was good though, lot’s of nice bikes and guest of honour was Peter Williams, unfortunately I left before he was on, on the stage there was one of my old Nortons, a JPN I sold in 88, It really could have done with a good polish! Summed up the show really.

Thistle Rally

As usual I attended the Thistle Rally, this year for the full weekend. It was very cold but at least the roads were clear which possibly contributed to the large turnout, good to see some old friends and of course there is the element creeping in that you would rather not see! The bands were Ok but nothing startling and the hotel coped well with the numbers, the club negotiated a deal for £2 a drink in the main hall, this was good for beer drinkers but of course I have a little addiction to whisky so when the time came to fill up with four star instead of diesel it became expensive. Really well run & organised Rally with full marks for value for money. As always it was a bit of a blur, but from memory a very good blur.

Winter rebuilds

Dave T has informed me of a name change for his bike, a bit like Prince, his bike will now be known as “the Norton formerly known as Smoky Joe” after much good work in the shed his commando has given up smoking a gallon a day just in time for the 26^th March smoking ban (which makes me wonder if it’ll be illegal to have Nortons driven around the dance floor at rallies in future?) Looking forward to seeing the non smoking Joe out in action.

Phil has finished the rebuild on his award winning commando (both awards Phil!!) after a year, typical of Phil’s laid back style he took his time and done it properly (????) to be fair about 9 months of this was waiting for bearings from a well known purveyor of quaintly fitting Norton goods.

My 750s fired up last night two and a half years after I bought it (or was it longer) sounding good and only required a few minor adjustments, looking forward to the good weather now to get it out there. One problem I had was the engine sprocket wasn’t seated properly on the crank taper as the woodruff key had a high spot on it. Tip here, if your engine is locked solid when you try to kick it over after a rebuild DON’T FORCE IT otherwise you will damage something. Yes I did, no it wasn’t serious Just goes to show, you can build as many Nortons as you can and still learn something. (buy a Honda?)

Club Run 2^nd April

Still on hopefully, suggestion was for a run to Alford, is that still the preferred option? After the winter rebuilds perhaps a slightly shorter run would be better? Your thoughts please. Looking for a good Norton turnout here although friends are invited also on non Nortons, don’t want to be bike racists do we?

Portugal

Only 12 weeks away, yee haa, it was 23 degrees & sunny in Lisbon on Sunday and we were under a foot of snow,

Here comes the sun,

here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Little darlin' it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darlin' it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right!

Thanks to George Harrison for that!

Keep the black side down and the shiny

bits up!

Graeme Russell who is the secretary of the Classic club lost all his bikes recently in a fire at his garage. He had a wood burning stove in his Garage which obviously spat out some sparks while he was outside chopping up more wood. He lost a lifetime of tools and bikes, be careful , I know we all become complacent about safety and these incidents should remind us all to watch what we’re doing. Ironically the only bike not ravaged by fire was his bloody Honda which was outside at the time!!!

The Small Print

The views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.

No one accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I didn't warn you.

Gino Rondelli

March 2006