November, Blank page, Blank mind

Its always a difficult time of year to produce anything worth reading as most of the riding has been done and talked about and most people (certainly the Scots anyway) are preparing for the long cold winter ahead. This year is better though, it’s been slightly warmer and I even managed a pleasant sun filled ride on Sunday which was a bonus for half way through November. The salt spreaders had a brief call to arms a couple of weeks ago but the heavy rain seem to have washed most of it from the roads and the slightly higher temperatures have meant the council workers have been denied their overtime destroying our already poor roads! So get your bike out while you still can in relative comfort.

This weekend sees our Christmas dinner (a bit early I know) for the first time at the Killin hotel, hopefully we get a reasonable turnout and I’m sure the Hotel will be a big improvement on our previous venue who slipped down the customer satisfaction ratings to an all time low last year. I do wonder why in a time we were facing a global recession the owners and staff thought that providing shoddy service, staff who didn’t care, freezing and shoddy rooms, and cold food would entice us back. It’s a shame because the previous venue has in the past done us well but it was time to move on. Since we are at least 10 degrees warmer than last year I’ll hopefully see most of you arrive by bike!

Motorcycle News, Britain’s premier bike newspaper (the only one actually and the equivalent of the Sun) which never lets facts get in the way of a good story has reported on the launch of the new Norton 961SE, according to Norton’s website the UK allocation is sold out! This can only be good and they are launching a cooking model at the NEC show later this month along with a café racer version. I look forward to seeing that. However, the video MCN made from the factory worries me, it still looks like a big tin shed with not much happening, have they delivered a bike to a customer yet? I’d be interested to know.

This link should take you to the video, I’d be interested to know your thoughts

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1119137831?bctid=47531715001

Another negative came into my mind as I was reading my Roadholder last month, Stuart Gardner the MD and owner of Norton was over at Bonneville salt flats on the Rotary poncing about trying to break records assisted by our Vice President Pete Scratchard. Reading the story I just thought “what is going on”? The NRV588 was supposed to be a serious attempt to re establish Norton as a top name in Domestic racing, not for a rich guy to try to boost his ego on a huge flat expanse of salt! Interestingly he managed a best one way time of 173 mph (the speeds are averaged over two runs though) which is 36 MPH slower than the 750 Commando streamliner reported in the same article and slower than the 189MPH recorded at the NW 200 Road race in Northern Ireland in 1989 by Robert Dunlop. So all that development and 20 years on the bike is significantly slower.

You may be thinking that I’m just criticising because I can but my point is that I’m passionate about Nortons and the Norton name, I like most of you are wary about the name being made a laughing stock again so I think we are entitled to criticise until we see delivery of the promises by latest owners to return the Norton name back to the forefront of motorcycle manufacture and more importantly their responsibility to the aspirations of the fans who have kept the name alive in the winter years. What I see just now is some rich guy playing with his fancy and expensive train set and not delivering on the hopes of thousands of British bike lovers.

Rant over! Not bad for starting this with a blank mind!

Donnington Fiasco, the latest.

Some of you may have noticed a few lines penned by me on our Applecross meeting stuck between Kev Feltoe’s war and peace offering about his trip up and down the road to the meeting. My letter or report was edited heavily which doesn’t bother me but the one bit I wanted left in was a dig about Donnington. Obviously no longer welcome in the club mag but interestingly one of the last Executive Committee meeting invited comments from all present, all agreed it was not the great success it should have been. On a positive note the EC managed to get a £2000 refund as compensation for the lack of facilities. Does that mean we can all claim a refund as the people affected? I work that out at about £2 each , OK just mischief making but keep it in mind the next time your speaking to an important NOC person.

Positive Positive Positive

Right want to end on a positive note, its been a good year so far, matter of fact a great year (full roundup next month) and this month a lucky member will become the owner of a new Commando and all for just being a member of this great club so good luck to you all for that.

I’ll pray that it’s one of the select bunch of people who get this every month that’s successful.

No NOC calendar this year but on the positive side it means you can have a calendar with pictures of naked ladies on your wall instead of boring Nortons (Unless you live in Wales where you will no doubt have the sheep farmers calendar there)

Spain looms large on the horizon and I’m looking forward to it already, still trying to sort out travel plans but that’s what winter nights are for. I can feel the heat on my back already (or is that my dinner on fire)

Get out there and enjoy an hour or two on your bike and just remember Nil illegitimi carborundum

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

November 2009