norton

Some excellent rally pics from the UK!

Time to get back into the e-mails with this nice collection!
With special Thanks to Kenneth Pantling for all the hard work. Some very nice rides here!

Steve,

These pictures were taken at The Goat Public House in Skeyton, North Norfolk, UK. The annual gathering there is in aid of cancer charities and draws in an astonishing variety of vintage bikes and cars for such a small rural gathering. Skeyton is right next door to Coltishall which was the site of one of the famous WWII Battle of Britain Spitfire bases. Douglas Bader, the pilot with tin legs, was based at Coltishall and allegedly downed a significant part of his beer consumption in The Goat.

Some of the pictures are of the same bike from a couple of different angles so you may well want to dump some of them. Also the bikes varied from pristine to distinctly agricultural so if any of these pictures are of interest, take your pick.

Kenneth Pantling

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And here some more from a few years back. Nice Square Four and that Scott is sweet!

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The latest from Murph…

Steve, 

 
Love the Stan Keyes Norton, nice tank.

 I was at a Classic Motorcycle Race in Mill in the Netherlands last weekend and got a whole bunch of great pictures for an upcoming article in the next few weeks, but I thought you might like a few of the shots first. 
 
Regards from Holland,
 

Murph.

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Published picture links:
 

The Stan Keyes “Cyco Cycle” Norton Racebike(s).

Known Stan a while now. He builds a hell of a bike. I think this is the one he podiumed on at the Daytona vintage races a few years back. Oh and that’s the Land speed record setting CX Honda in the background.

Here’s another one of his street builds..

And since I know someone will ask (and I can’t find my old post on the bike for some reason), here’s the LSR bike that he rode but did not build.

Three Stunning Brit Bikes.

Our old friend Charles Lathe sends in these three beauties.

Hey Steve,

Last weekend, we rode up to the Triumph Come Home Rally in Oley, Pennsylvania and saw some great bikes and met some great people. I’m attaching photos. The ’59 Triton — if you can call a bike with that much machine work in it a Triton — really wowed me. I took a bunch of photos of it so if you want to see more, let me know.

Regards, Chuck Lathe, North Carolina

Chuck, put me down as a solid yes on those other pics. I’d love to see more.

The Triton

A Rickman / Metisse

A Speed Twin

Secret Norton restoration video. I posted this when it came out but it makes me ponder a grander philosophical question.

This is one of the all time great Christmas motorcycle present video’s ever.   It chronicles how two sons secretly restored an old Norton that (while obviously cherished by their father) was sitting in boxes in his basement.  When they surprise him with it he completely chokes up.  It’s a really great story with a heartwarming ending.

But it makes me wonder, why do we let so many great memories that we cherish so dearly and which bring us such joy waste away in out basements and garages?  nine times out of ten it’s not the money.   Are we lazy?  Do we think we’re immortal?

I don’t know…  Anyway, if you have an old project sitting in a shed or basement or rental unit, go fix the damm thing and enjoy it while you still can.  You really can’t take it with you.