Belatucadrus Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 Then again it's probably safer there than on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 Well it's definitely different. I wonder what a 650cc Norton bog would look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 In the earlish'50s I had an ex army side valve Norton 500, and that could hardly move itself, let alone a pillion passenger. After I found it was far to heavy for me to push the beast, from Pately Bridge to Grassington. I asked a garage in Pately if they would be kind enough to store it for a couple of days until I could get the use of fathers transport. No problem. When I got the thing home and had a good look at it all various parts had been pilfered from inside and outside the engine.. Over the years I have passed through Pately many times and I always wish upon them what they gave me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 Sad story catgate, I thought the Garage in question would have looked after the bike till you came to collect it. I had a Norton 650 for about three years, and boy could it move. Mind you it was a beast to kick start. It ran flawlessly for the years I had it. I changed from the Norton to a BSA Gold Rocket then an Enfield Sports. I ran an Enfield Sports while I was in the Army too when I was out in Penang, both great bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 I worked for most of my crust earning years for a well known American company in the hospital/health field. Because of my position I came into contact with all sorts of companies and their reps.. Somehow one of these chaps became a chum when it turned out that we were both "bike enthusiasts. One day he rang me and asked if I would be interested in a BMW 750. Well I was interested in the bike but I did not know that I was interested in the price. It turned out that the . owners, who lived next door to one of John's daughters, were moving house. A couple of days later he rang and quoted the price. I have forgotten what it was but it was so cheap that it was ridiculous. It had top box, solid panniers, full faring, very good tyres, and a low mileage. John had given it several coats of looking over and could find nothing untoward and so I became the new owner of a superb outfit for a very satisfactory price. That was the start of our "continental biking" which went on for many years.(not all on this bike) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belatucadrus Posted August 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 Mine had a fairing fitted to it. Not in the same league as you lot but it was my first set of powered wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 1 hour ago, catgate said: I worked for most of my crust earning years for a well known American company in the hospital/health field. Because of my position I came into contact with all sorts of companies and their reps.. Somehow one of these chaps became a chum when it turned out that we were both "bike enthusiasts. One day he rang me and asked if I would be interested in a BMW 750. Well I was interested in the bike but I did not know that I was interested in the price. It turned out that the . owners, who lived next door to one of John's daughters, were moving house. A couple of days later he rang and quoted the price. I have forgotten what it was but it was so cheap that it was ridiculous. It had top box, solid panniers, full faring, very good tyres, and a low mileage. John had given it several coats of looking over and could find nothing untoward and so I became the new owner of a superb outfit for a very satisfactory price. That was the start of our "continental biking" which went on for many years.(not all on this bike) Sounds like you got a bargain there catgate. A friend of mine has a BMW 1200. Push button start and all this game, shaft Driven and all the rest of it. He has had it for a few years now, the thing is what he paid for it new I could have bought a new Car. The prices of some of these new bike's are astounding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 15 minutes ago, Belatucadrus said: Mine had a fairing fitted to it. Not in the same league as you lot but it was my first set of powered wheels. I remember the Puch Belatucadrus. There used to be quite a few running around a few years back but I hardly ever see one now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belatucadrus Posted August 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 I think the problem lay in the change of regulations for bikes for 16 year olds made in the early eighties the new ones were gutted in performance to make them safer but the old pre adjustment ones were still legal and much quicker. I think they got run into the ground over the years. The other problem is that you really had to run them flat out most of the time. When I was using it to commute from school to home there was one car I just hated to see, it was a black Morris minor driven by an elderly couple and they'd footle along at about 30-35 mph right up to the point where you tried to overtake them at this point the speed would start to creep up which made overtaking them a pain in the butt and bloody dangerous. I'd often have to back off, only for them to slow back to their usual lackadaisical crawl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 There is still plenty of drivers like that around now. I have noticed on the A1 from Alnwick unto Berwick there is a 60 MPH speed in force. These daft buggers crawl along at 45 mph until you try to get passed them and their speed starts to creep up. What makes them tick is still a mystery to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 I still prefer four wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 At my age I wouldn't consider getting on a Motor Bike unless it was on private land. Four wheels for me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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