A Norton Rats in Paris

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I just found those pictures i took of this Commando. It was last year in Paris at the end of the afternoon i tried to find the owner without success so here is his bike.

N.O.C Norton Jubilee

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The De Luxe version was produced to satisfy a largely imaginary demand for semi enclosed machines and was Norton's response to similar efforts from Triumph and Ariel. The front half of the side panels are quickly detachable to permit access to the battery and other parts, with the rear part lifting up to facilitate wheel removal. The seat also hinges up to reveal the tool tray and the oil tank filler. Produced in the heyday of the coffee bar racer, a great many De Luxes were stripped for these purposes, resulting in it being a very rare model these days in its original trim.





















http://www.nortonownersclub.org/

750cc MV 4 cylindres

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Despite the racing success Count Augusta insisted that the super successful four cylinder engine wasn't developed in the same way for the production series. The mistakes turned out costly for fans who were expecting a quality race bike. Instead they got the detuned 600 four which never became a huge success.
Agusta learned from the flop and in 1970 introduced the 750 Sport which was strongly orientated on the race models. This was what was expected from MV Agusta bikes and the 750 Sport was an instant success. Although it was expensive, it sold well. In following years the 750 sport was updated and in 1975 a 750S America was introduced for the US market.





The big four engines were mainly being built by hand and even though they were expensive - the firm started to have financial problems. Even the success of the big fours started to be a problem for MV Agusta. Count Agusta had passed away in 1971 due to a heart attack and, under guidance of brother Corradino, the company couldn't break out of the financial problems.



The MV Agusta motorcycle division was part of the larger MV helicopter company and by 1977 the Agusta family had lost power of the business. The last bikes were sold and in 1980 MV Agusta closed its doors.

Picture courtesy of : Laurent

Picture courtesy of : Peter Pafalvi

Picture courtesy of : Peter Pafalvi

Jeff Johnson

LinK

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A San Firmin Run

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"Of course i know some people are against it and some people are "aficionados" but at the end when its great its simply amazing. Rodeo in the U.S, Polo in Argentina, socker sometimes can be beautiful to ..."


The festival of San Fermín in the city of Pamplona (Navarre, Spain), is a deeply rooted celebration held annually from 12:00, 6 July, when the opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo, to midnight 14 July, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí. While its most famous event is the encierro, the running of the bulls, the biggest day is 7 July, when thousands of people accompany a replica of the statue of Saint Fermin along the streets in the old part of Pamplona. San Fermin is accompanied by dancers and street entertainers, such as the Gigantes (giant-sized figures who represent the King and Queen of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America) and the Cabezudos (the Bigheads). The week-long celebration involves many other traditional and folkloric events. It is known locally as Sanfermines and is held in honor of Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarra. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, which brought it to the general attention of English-speaking people. It has become probably the most internationally renowned fiesta in Spain. Over 1.000.000 people come to watch this festival.



The Running of the Bulls

The encierro meaning:to be closed in, involves many hundreds of people running in front of six bulls and another six steers down an 825-metre (0.51 mile) stretch of narrow streets of a section of the old town of Pamplona.



Preparation

Although each morning's premiere event starts at 8 a.m., the runners have gathered at least an hour earlier in an area at the beginning of the route called Cuesta de Santo Domingo to ask for the protection of the Saint by singing a chant three times before a small statue of San Fermin which has been placed in a raised niche in a wall.
A San Fermin pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro, dándonos su bendición.(2x) Viva San Fermín. Gora San Fermin. ("We ask San Fermín, because he is our Patron, to guide us through the bull run, giving us his blessing.(2x)"),
with a red handkerchief (the pañuelo) tied about their necks, and some wearing a red sash (the faja) tied around their waist. Anyone who survives a close encounter with a bull is said to have been protected by San Fermin's cloak.



The actual run

The encierro begins at 8:00 a.m. sharp when the first cohete firecracker is lit to announce the release of the bulls from their corral. A second Whipcracker signals that the last bull has left the corral.
The event is dangerous. Since 1925, 15 people have been killed (most recently, a 20-year-old American in 1995 and a Navarra man who died 2 September 2003, after falling into a coma after the run), and over 2000 have been seriously injured. Most injuries nowadays, however, are caused by the increasing rush of participants seeking to run with the powerful bulls. The organizers release multi-lingual guides (with safety tips) to accompany the running event: it is strongly recommended that these be read beforehand.



Since the publication of Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises about the event, a large percentage of runners are foreigners. Most lack the experience and skill needed to run safely in the encierro. Local people, as well as Spaniards from other areas of Spain, have had more opportunity to practice, having grown up with other encierros, bull and cow festivals, which used to be held in a wider space than in the historic center of Pamplona.

Ernest Hemingway

Stray bulls might become extremely distracted. Therefore, the organizers send a "second wave" of "cabestros",or heifers ( in heat ) to run through the streets after the "first wave," in order to collect any stragglers. The shops and residences along the course are boarded up to prevent damage by either bull or human during the race. One particular stretch of the course, called Mercaderes, is particularly notorious for injuries on its sharp turn. On rainy days the bulls cannot turn well on the streets, and often collide into the wall; tear marks from the sharp horns against the pulp wood barriers give an indication as to the events of days before. While locals are always keen to avoid this corner, it is not uncommon to see tourists getting trampled and seriously injured there.



The course concludes at Pamplona's Plaza de Toros, and the bulls are herded inside the corralillos until the afternoon's corrida.
Once all of the bulls have entered the arena, a third rocket is released while a fourth firecracker indicates that the bulls are in their bullpens and the run has concluded. Some participants of the encierro remain in the arena, when vaquillas emboladas (young cows with wrapped horns) are released among them and toss the participants, to the general amusement of the crowd.

New Norton Manx 30M

Norton lauches 30M Racer
For almost forty years, the Manx Norton dominated motorcycle road racing. From world champions like Geoff Duke and Mike Hailwood ,through GP privateers to clubmen, riders used its combination of reliability, fine handling and outright speed to win countless races all over the world.
Now, almost fifty after production of the 500cc 30M model ceased, Norton is to recommence production of this iconic motor cycle.
The new model is built to the exact specification of the final 1962 Bracebridge street buid machine. However, the latest 3D CAD simulation and analysis techniqueshave been utilised to optimise the design bring it in line with the requirements of modern classic racing.Buid quality is assured by the use of state of the art materials and modern manufacturing processes.
The 30M epitomises all that is great about the Norton brand. Its re-launch at the 2009 TT combines perfectly the company's glorious past with its exciting future.

southsiders babe July 2009

Found this month in a car-boot sale, this was a special "Bol d'or 1970" number,The girl is a really pretty blond, the leather suit and helmet are really fine too.
what did she became?


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Røtte's the Danish

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Røtte's the Danish,



is a pure Viking, crossing Europe countries with an old Drakkar, a Rigid 99 bobbed Norton. Helped by his best tools, the cutter and the Tiraps, he doesn't know about major failures.

Not the kind of frightened guy, you see?

We met him at Donington Park, where he came for the Norton Golden Jubilee, the next step: Austria for a vintage Rally in July, and after France to the Coyote Days...

But sometimes "Gri-Gri's" are necessary to avoïd maledictions...

Have a good ride Røtte's, and don't forget you're our Guest!

There's a little gallery here

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Once upon a time in L.A

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Close-up of Mille Evans riding a motorcycle in Los Angeles, Calif., 1967


Elephants from Cole Brothers Circus crossing Olive Street with police escort in Los Angeles, Calif., 1953


Los Angeles Police Dept.'s American Legion Motor Drill Team, circa 1932


Police officer Stanley Elkins beside wrecked car which is used as a warning to reckless drivers in Hermosa Beach, Calif., 1948

All pictures courtesy of the UCLA Library

The Wind in Your Hair: Vintage Motorcycles

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Classic paintings and rare vases will be moved to one side in a Kentucky museum to make room for the art and beauty of the motorcycle.

The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft will present 'The Wind in Your Hair: Vintage Motorcycles' from July 18 to September 19, 2009. The exhibit will feature vintage motorcycles manufactured between 1900 to 1970, memorabilia and accessories, and three motorcycle-related photography collections by Michael Lichter, Danny Lyon and Sarah Lyon.



The Museum will also host a series of restoration and customizing workshops and lectures about collecting motorcycles and the cultural influences of motorcycles in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Kicking the exhibit off with an open reception on July 17th, the evening will feature a demonstration of pin striping techniques by local artist Miss Pinny and a motorcycle caravan.

The opening reception is free and open to the public, with leather attire optional, and some would say, expected.
via : clutchandchrome

Mediterranean Surf

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By Nick Clements
January 2009, Villefranche. I just arrived in Villefranche on a photo-assignment with ace Paris based art director and international biker, Yves J. Hayat. Standing at the quayside a noticed a wave formation on the other side of the bay. I went up to my room on the second floor of the hotel and realised there was as single surfer getting tubed time after time. I sent the image to the editor of the Surfer's Journal and the picture is the last in the June issue. I just wanted to share this with you Southsiders as this was a rare event.

Who said there's no Waves in Mediterranee ?

it's like ancient Rome meeting bali...

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WLA the Goldmine

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Surfing the web we found a Goldmine, the biggest WLA collection of pics ever, Collected by Dave Thomas

The link to the Slideshow

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The Phantom Manufacturing

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We met the Phantom team at the last Norton Festival in Donington and took pictures of this amazing bike made in U.K
Those guys are cool and rad and their work is simply impressive
Take a look at their website and dont forget the Gallery at the end of this post.
The Southsiders wish them a good and straight road to success.

The roots of The Phantom Manufacturing Company run deep. The cogs of the four founders, Erasmus Thump, Titus Bottomly, Enoch Podsnap and Mrs. Mabel Ramsbottom meshed in the late Spring of 1919 on the banks of the Cam river and the company was born shortly thereafter. Responsibilities were distributed as such – Erasmus was responsible for invention and exploration, Titus was the team spanner man and basher of hard things, Enoch was responsible for testing and helping Erasmus raise funds when sales were not quite to plan, and Mrs. Ramsbottom, as company secretary, made all things run smoothly. Over time they acquired a staff of skilled individuals to help in all aspects of manufacture of some of the finest sporting vintage motrobikes the world has ever seen.




History of the Phantom EG

" We build the Phantom EG the way we have always built motorbikes -- by the hands of skilled artisans. Our lads specify or form every piece of the machine. Of course, no two clients are the exact same shape, or have the exact same taste. As a result, every Phantom is unique, 'commissioned' as would a piece of fine art. The EG was designed from the start as an homage to those amazing machines that spunky gentlemen (and ladies) used to set speed records at Brooklands and board track racer circuits back in the 1920s.

The Phantom EG is not for everyone. There are other motorbikes that are faster, and still others more comfortable. What sets the Phantom EG apart from all others, is the abundance of soul. The spirits of The Phantom's founders, along with those legendary riders of the day such as Harry and Charlie Collier, W. D. Chitty, Bert Le Vack, Jake De Rosier, Jack Emerson, "Barry" Baragwanath, Gwenda Stewart, and scores of others both famous and not, run through every part of a Phantom EG. All these riders may have passed into history, but their presence is felt every time you sit astride a Phantom EG ".

The GALLERY

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VW and Custom Show

Benoit our VW reporter took some cool shots from the last Saturday Show at Castelmaurou.


Follow the link for a gallery

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Visiting the Andover Norton Factory in 1971

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Warning!

the new Police game...

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A French rebirth: We want you !

Gima
(Groupement Industriel Métallurgique et Mécanique) a motorcycle brand from 1947 to 1954 located in the middle of France, is going to build new lightweight motorcycles, in the first times it will be a 125cc, four strokes, and later they will make 250 and 350 singles.

A very cool adventure, everything is ready for production, BUT, last problem: the winter crisis...

The enterprise had this last Winter some financial problems and must proof now to the commercial court the sustainability of their project.



You can help them by signing the petition here...

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Mac Motorcycles

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I know it has been all over the web but as we are ,at the Southsiders, british motorcycles lovers we cannot ignore the birth of this new english brand and we wish them a big success for the futur.




When you're looking at those pictures you can easily find where do the inspiration is coming from and i must say that the "references" are good and the treatment they done here is better than a lot of rebirth, classic or vintage whatever ... bikes you can find on the road.
Ok i dont understand the fenders or the wheels or tyres but the choice of the engine is interesting and the general look of the bike is a good interpretation of " classic vintage " motorcycles and i like it.
Of course you can see that they maybe try to mix so many classic styles together but at least they did it, so welcome and long life to : http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/

Jai Alai a Basque tradition

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I remember when i was in school we were running out of the classroom to be the first to touch the wall to play during recess ....
F


Jai alai is a fronton (open-walled arena) used to play a variety of Basque Pelota called Cesta Punta, and, more broadly, Cesta Punta itself.

The Basque Government promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world" because of the balls' speed. A 125g–140g ball covered with goatskin can travel up to 302 km/h (188mph) (José Ramón Areitio at the Newport Jai Alai, Rhode Island).



The court (or cancha) for jai alai consists of 3 walls (front, back, and left), and the floor between them in play. If the ball (called a "pelota") touches the floor outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds. Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3 ft (about 1 m) of the front wall that is also out of bounds. The ceiling on the court is usually very high, so the ball has a more predictable path. The court is divided by 14 parallel lines going horizontally across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall.




In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player. The game begins when the frontcourt player of the first team serves the ball to the second team. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation. Losers go to the end of the line to await another turn on the court. The first team to score 7 points (or 9 in Superfecta games) wins. The next highest scores are awarded "place" (second) and "show" (third) positions, respectively. Playoffs decide tied scores.



A jai alai game is played in round robin format, usually between eight teams of two players each or eight single players. The first team to score 7 or 9 points wins the game. Two of the eight teams are in the court for each point. The server on one team must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it bounces from there to between lines 4 and 7 on the floor. The ball is then in play.



Teams alternate catching the ball in their cesta and throwing it "in one fluid motion" without holding or juggling it. The ball must be caught either on the fly or after bouncing once on the floor. A team scores a point if an opposing player:

- fails to serve so the ball bounces between lines 4 and 7 on the floor
- fails to catch the ball on the fly or after one bounce
- holds or juggles the ball
- hurls the ball out of bounds
- interferes with a player attempting to catch and hurl the ball



The team scoring a point remains in the court and the opposing team rotates off the court to the end of the list of opponents. Points usually double after the first round of play, once each team has played at least one point.

The players frequently attempt a "chula" shot, where the ball is played off the front wall very high, then reaches the bottom of the back wall by the end of its arc. The bounce off the bottom of the back wall can be very low, and the ball is very difficult to return in this situation.



In the United States, jai alai enjoyed some popularity as a gambling alternative to horse racing, greyhound racing, and harness racing, and remains popular in Florida, where the game is used as a basis for parimutuel gambling at six frontons throughout the State: Dania Beach, Miami, Ocala, Fort Pierce, Orlando, and Hamilton County. The first jai alai fronton in the United States was located at the site of Hialeah Race Course near Miami (1924). The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near Miami International Airport. Year round jai alai operations include Miami Jai Alai (the biggest in the world with a record audience of 15,502 people in 27 December 1975), Dania Jai Alai and Hamilton Jai Alai in North Florida. Seasonal facilities are: Fort Pierce Jai Alai, Ocala Jai Alai and Orlando-Seminole Jai Alai. Inactive jai alai permits are located: Tampa, Daytona Beach, West Palm Beach, and Quincy. One Florida fronton was converted from jai alai to greyhound racing in Melbourne.



By contrast, jai alai's popularity in the north-eastern and western United States waned as other gambling options became available. Frontons in the Connecticut towns of Hartford and Milford permanently closed, while the fronton in Bridgeport was converted to a greyhound race track. A fronton in Newport, Rhode Island has been converted to a general gaming facility. Jai alai enjoyed a brief and popular stint in Las Vegas, Nevada with the opening of a fronton at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino; however, by the early 1980s the fronton was losing money and was closed by MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian. The MGM Grand in Reno also showcased jai alai for a very short period (1978–1980).

In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the Florida State Legislature passed HB 1059, a bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of poker in a Pari-Mutuel facility such as a jai alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003.



The International Jai Alai Player Association-UAW Local 8868 is the recognized bargaining agent for jai alai players in most Florida frontons. The union had also represented jai alai players and fronton employees in Connecticut until its three frontons permanently closed, and in Rhode Island where at the behest of the gaming regulators, the Rhode Island Legislature abolished the playing of live jai alai in favor of video lottery terminals. It is a very popular sport within the Latin American countries, and the Philippine Islands due to its hispanic influence, although it has been banned due to illegal gambling.

Although the sport is on the downside in America, the first public amateur jai-alai facility was built in the United States in 2008, in St. Petersburg, Florida, with the assistance of the city of St. Petersburg.

Good Links :
http://www.national-jai-alai.com/
The History of Basque Pelota in the Americas

1968 Triumph Bonneville

Vintage Advertising

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Found in "The Motorcycle" magazine from 1952

Hot news from Donington Park 1

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Our Special Reporters actually around the Donington track are watching classic races, it smells Castor oil...

Hot Hot Hot !





In Live for the Southsiders Channel Laurent and Daniel.

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Waiting for the report

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My broken Collar-bone forced me to stay home and flat. But at this hour, I should be with my pals to "the Festival of Norton" at Donington Park.

Yesterday evening Laurent sent me a pair of pics, I know they'll make the "new Norton factory" visit today.
waiting now for the full report , I'm sure we'll have hundreds of pics and videos to look for.
So, Stay tuned guys...






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Just a pic IV

I shot in front of the barn these two old Ladies, A 1936 SS100 Panther and a 1929 Scott TT

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A Norton Commando History

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Of course its a big big program trying to make a Commmando history, but here is a brief and humble resumé of our ever best favorite bike.

The Norton Commando was the last twin piston-engined motorcycle produced by the Norton Motorcycle company founded in 1898 by James Lansdowne Norton. Their last production bikes were twin-rotor wankels.



During the 10 years it was in production it was popular all over the world. In the UK it won the MCN "Machine of the Year" competition for five successive years from 1968-1972
Some regard it as the British Motorcycle Industry's swansong, selling well from its introduction in 1967 through the end of the British bike industry as a commercial concern in the mid 1970s

The origins of the Norton Commando can be traced back to the late 1940s when the 497cc Norton Model 7 Twin, designed by Bert Hopwood and initially an export only model. The twin cylinder design evolved into the 650 cc Norton Dominator and 750 cc Norton Atlas before being launched as the 750 cc Commando in 1967.



The revolutionary part of the Commando compared to earlier Norton models was the frame developed by former Rolls Royce engineer Dr. Stefan Bauer. Bauer believed the classic Norton Featherbed frame design went against all engineering principles, so designed his frame around a single 2.25 inch top tube.



To try to free the Commando from classic twin vibration problems, which had severely increased as the capacity of the basic design expanded from 500cc of Edward Turner's 1938 Triumph Speed Twin. Bauer, with Norton Villiers Chief Engineer Bernard Hooper and assistant Bob Trigg, decided that the engine, gearbox and swing-arm assembly were to be bolted together and isolated from the frame by special rubber mountings. This eliminated the extreme vibration problems that were apparent in other models in the range, as it effectively separated the driver from the engine.



Named the Isolastic anti-vibration system, with Hooper listed as the lead inventor on the system's patent document. Although the Isolastic system did reduce vibration, maintaining the required free play in the engine mountings at the correct level was crucial to its success. Too little play brought the vibration back; too much, and the result was "interesting" handling.

The Norton Commando was introduced in 1967 at the Earls Court Show. The first production machines completed in April 1968 had bending frame problems, removed with the introduction of a new frame in January 1969. The original model, called the 'Fastback' was joined by the production racer 'S Type' which had a high level left-side exhaust and a 2.5 gallon petrol tank.



Production of the machine was initially complex and located across different parts of England, with the engines produced in Wolverhampton, frames in Manchester, while components and final assembly was at Burrage Grove, Plumstead. In late 1968 Plumstead works was subject to a Greater London Council compulsory purchase order, and closed in July 1969. With assistance of a Government subsidy, the assembly line was moved to North Way, Andover; with the Test Department in an aircraft hangar on Thruxton Airfield. Frame manufacturing was transferred to Wolverhampton, where a second production line produced about 80 complete machines each week. Components and complete engines and gearboxes were also shipped overnight, from Wolverhampton to the Andover assembly line.

SS for Street Scrambler

The production racer, featuring an OHV tuned engine, front disk brake and was finished in bright yellow - known as the 'Yellow Peril'. In March to June 1970 the updated S called the 'Roadster' had the 750cc OHV engine, low-level exhaust, upward angled silencers with reverse cones. September 1970 saw the introduction of the classic 'Fastback Mk2', which had alloy levers with modified stands and chain guards. The ‘Street Scrambler’ and the ‘Hi Rider’ were launched in May 1971, with the ‘Fastback Long Range’ with increased petrol tank capacity from July 1971.

1970 production racer

The Hi-Rider

The ‘Combat’ engine was introduced in January 1972 saw the appearance of the ‘Mk4 Fastback’, updated ‘Roadster’ and the ‘750 Interstate’. The ‘Combat’ delivered 65b.h.p. at 6500r.p.m. with a 10 to 1 compression ratio, but the stressed 750cc twin proved extremely unreliable, with main bearing failures and broken pistons common.

The 'Combat' engine combined with quality control problems gave the company a bad reputation, which was highly covered in the press. By the middle of 1972 BSA Triumph group were in serious financial trouble. The UK Government decided to bail the company out with a financial rescue package, providing it would agree to merge with Norton Villiers. Norton Villiers Triumph was duly formed and the new company got off to a shaky start.





The last of the 750 series, the MkV was produced from November 1972 to mid-1973 as a 1973 model and featured improved crank bearings and the standard grind camshaft. Compression was reduced to 9.4:1.

The police were showing a lot of interest in the Commando and so Neale Shilton was recruited from Triumph to produce a Commando to police specifications. The end result was the 'Interpol' machine, which sold well to police forces, both at home and abroad. The machine was powered by a 750 cc. O.H.V. engine and included panniers, top box, fairing, and had fittings for a radio and auxiliary equipment.



In January 1973 the ‘Mk.5 Fastback’ was launched and the ‘Long Range’ was discontinued, foreshadowing the first 850cc machines launched in April 1973. The ‘Roadster’, ‘Hi Rider’ and the ‘Interstate’ all began to use a new 828cc. engine, which had similar power to the 750cc models but were less stressed.

1973 also saw the start of development on a new machine with a monocoque pressed steel frame, that also included a 500cc twin, stepped piston engine called the 'Wulf'. However, as the Norton Villiers Triumph company was again in serious financial problems, development of the 'Wulf' was dropped in favour of the rotary Wankel type engine inherited from BSA.

The Wulf

In late 1973 redundancy notices were issued at Andover, followed by a sit-in at the works. The Conservative Government withdrew the subsidy in early 1974, restored by the Labour party post the general election. NVT resultantly decided to concentrate production of the Commando at Wolverhampton and Small Heath, causing unrest at Meriden which resulted in a workers’ sit in and stopping production at Small Heath. By the end of 1974 NVT had lost over £3 million.

However, the company still managed to produce new Commando models, with 1974 seeing the release of the Roadster based ‘JPN Replica’ and the ‘Mk.2a Interstate’.

Norton Commando Interstate Mk3


The 850cc MK3 Commando was launched in March 1975 and for the first time was fitted with an "electric starter" - better described as electric "assister", as it would soon drain the battery. The range of models was reduced to just two machines, the ‘Mk.3 Interstate’ and the ‘Roadster’, both with a left side gear change, right foot brake and rear disk brake to comply with United States vehicle regulations. The specification remained unchanged until October 1977 when the last machines were made, although few 'Roadster's were made in the end due to the higher cash sales value of the Interstate.

In 1975 the Industry Minister recalled a loan for £4 million and refused to renew the company’s export credits. The company then went into receivership and redundancies were announced for all of the staff at the various sites. At Wolverhampton an action committee was formed in an effort to continue production and develop the ‘Wulf’ engine - but the works was closed anyway.

NVT was saved when the Small Heath/Meriden part of the company was subsidised by Industry Secretary Tony Benn as Industry Secretary, but this did not include Commando production. Ironically, the new company bought the gates from the now demolished Wolverhampton Tong Castle works, and erected at the works entrance in Marston Road, Small Heath.

Racing


A superb collection of Gus Kuhn Nortons at the Race of the Year at Mallory Park in 1971. Note the van in the background! Thanks again to Ken Veasey.

Right from the beginning the Commando took part in racing events.

After successes in 1969 by dealer entered machines like Paul Smart's second and Mick Andrew 's 4th places in the Isle of Man TT Production class and a win in the Hutchinson 100 Production Class by Mick Andrew on the Gus Kuhn entered Commando and 4th by Peter Williams' Arter Bros machine, the company decided to produce a racing model - hence the developed S and "Yellow Peril" models.



In partnership with John Player Special cigarettes from the early 1970s, Norton went factory racing. Early entries were based on the Commando, and in 1973 Peter Williams won the 1973 Formula 750 Isle of Man TT, with Mick Grant second.



Racing continued until the collapse of Norton Villiers into BSA Triumph in 1973, and did not return until the Rotary Nortons of the
1980s.



Now we know the Story keep on riding with the British businessman Stuart Garner, but this will be another step

Some interesting Links below:

Jerry Doe Website and Forum

Matt Rambow Website Colorado Commando Specialist

Jos Kooijman & Constant Trossel  Website Holland Commando Specialists

Daniel Delfour Website our Commando Specialist.

Norvil Website Commando specialists in UK

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The motorcycle passion of Lawrence of Arabia

Thomas Edward Lawrence

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Its hard to know exactely what to think about him. This guy was crasy, he was rad and smart but he was at the same time mad and racist in a word he was Ambiguous.
F


Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence CB, DSO (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935), known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British soldier renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt of 1916–18. His vivid writings, along with the extraordinary breadth and variety of his activities and associations, have made him the object of fascination throughout the world as Lawrence of Arabia, a title popularised by the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia based on his life.
Lawrence's public image was due in part to American journalist Lowell Thomas's sensationalised reportage of the Revolt, as well as to Lawrence's autobiographical account, Seven Pillars of Wisdom.





Lawrence was born at Gorphwysfa in Tremadog, Caernarfonshire (now Gwynedd), Wales. His Anglo-Irish father, Sir Thomas Robert Tighe Chapman, who in 1914 inherited the title of seventh Baronet of Westmeath in Ireland, had abandoned his wife Edith for his daughters' governess Sarah Junner (born illegitimately of a father named Lawrence, and who styled herself 'Miss Lawrence' in the Chapman household). The couple did not marry.
Thomas Chapman and Sarah Junner had five illegitimate sons, of whom Thomas Edward was the second eldest. The family lived at 2 Polstead Road (now marked with a blue plaque) in Oxford, under the names of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence. Thomas Edward (known in the family as "Ned") attended the City of Oxford High School for Boys, where one of the four houses was later named "Lawrence" in his honour; the school closed in 1966. As a schoolboy, one of his favourite pastimes was to cycle to country churches and make brass rubbings. Lawrence and one of his brothers became commissioned officers in the Church Lads' Brigade at St Aldate's Church.

Lawrence claimed that in about 1905, he ran away from home and served for a few weeks as a boy soldier with the Royal Garrison Artillery at St Mawes Castle in Cornwall, from which he was bought out. No evidence of this can be found in army records.
From 1907 Lawrence was educated at Jesus College, Oxford. During the summers of 1907 and 1908, he toured France by bicycle, collecting photographs, drawings and measurements of castles dating from the medieval period. In the summer of 1909, he set out alone on a three-month walking tour of crusader castles in Syria, during which he travelled 1,000 miles on foot. Lawrence graduated with First Class Honours after submitting a thesis entitled The influence of the Crusades on European Military Architecture – to the end of the 12th century based on his own field research in France, notably in Châlus, and the Middle East.



On completing his degree in 1910, Lawrence commenced postgraduate research in medieval pottery with a Senior Demy at Magdalen College, Oxford, which he abandoned after he was offered the opportunity to become a practicing archaeologist in the Middle East. In December 1910 he sailed for Beirut, and on arrival went to Jbail (Byblos), where he studied Arabic. He then went to work on the excavations at Carchemish, near Jerablus in northern Syria, where he worked under D. G. Hogarth and R. Campbell-Thompson of the British Museum. He would later state that everything that he had accomplished, he owed to Hogarth. As the site lay close to the Turkish border, near an important crossing on the Baghdad Railway, knowledge gathered there was of considerable importance for military intelligence. While excavating ancient Mesopotamian sites, Lawrence met Gertrude Bell, who was to influence him during his time in the Middle East.
In late 1911, Lawrence returned to England for a brief stay. By November he was en route to Beirut for a second season at Carchemish, where he was to work with Leonard Woolley. Prior to resuming work there, however, he briefly worked with William Flinders Petrie at Kafr Ammar in Egypt.

Lawrence continued making trips to the Middle East as a field archaeologist until the outbreak of World War I. In January 1914, Woolley and Lawrence were co-opted by the British military as an archaeological smokescreen for a British military survey of the Negev Desert. They were funded by the Palestine Exploration Fund to search for an area referred to in the Bible as the "Wilderness of Zin"; along the way, they undertook an archaeological survey of the Negev Desert. The Negev was of strategic importance, as it would have to be crossed by any Ottoman army attacking Egypt in the event of war. Woolley and Lawrence subsequently published a report of the expedition's archaeological findings, but a more important result was an updated mapping of the area, with special attention to features of military relevance such as water sources. Lawrence also visited Aqaba and Petra.
From March to May 1914, Lawrence worked again at Carchemish. Following the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, on the advice of S. F. Newcombe, Lawrence did not immediately enlist in the British Army; He held back until October, when he was commissioned on the General List.



Arab revolt
At the outbreak of World War I Lawrence was a university post-graduate researcher who had for years travelled extensively within the Ottoman Empire provinces of the Levant (Transjordan and Palestine) and Mesopotamia (Syria and Iraq) under his own name. As such he became known to the Turkish Interior Ministry authorities and their German technical advisors. Lawrence came into contact with the Ottoman-German technical advisers, travelling over the German-designed, -built and -financed railways during the course of his researches.

Even if Lawrence had not volunteered, the British would probably have recruited him for his first-hand knowledge of Syria, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. He was eventually posted to Cairo on the Intelligence Staff of the GOC Middle East.
Contrary to later myth, it was neither Lawrence nor the Army that conceived a campaign of internal insurgency against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, but rather the Arab Bureau of Britain's Foreign Office. The Arab Bureau had long felt it likely that a campaign instigated and financed by outside powers, supporting the breakaway-minded tribes and regional challengers to the Turkish government's centralised rule of their empire, would pay great dividends in the diversion of effort that would be needed to meet such a challenge. The Arab Bureau was the first to recognise what is today called the "asymmetry" of such conflict. The Ottoman authorities would have to devote from a hundred to a thousand times the resources to contain the threat of such an internal rebellion compared to the Allies' cost of sponsoring it.



At that point in the Foreign Office’s thinking they were not considering the region as candidate territories for incorporation in the British Empire, but only as an extension of the range of British Imperial influence, and the weakening and destruction of a German ally, the Ottoman Empire.
During the war, Lawrence fought with Arab irregular troops under the command of Emir Faisal, a son of Sherif Hussein of Mecca, in extended guerrilla operations against the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. He persuaded the Arabs not to make a frontal assault on the Ottoman stronghold in Medina but allowed the Turkish army to tie up troops in the city garrison. The Arabs were then free to direct most of their attention to the Turks' weak point, the Hejaz railway that supplied the garrison. This vastly expanded the battlefield and tied up even more Ottoman troops, who were then forced to protect the railway and repair the constant damage.



In 1917, Lawrence arranged a joint action with the Arab irregulars and forces under Auda Abu Tayi (until then in the employ of the Ottomans) against the strategically located port city of Aqaba and was promoted to major in the same year. Aqaba was heavily defended on the seaside but lightly defended in the rear, because the desert was considered uncrossable. On 6 July, after a surprise overland attack, Aqaba fell to Arab forces. The following year, Lawrence was involved in the capture of Damascus in the final weeks of the war and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1918. In newly liberated Damascus – which he had envisioned as the capital of an Arab state – Lawrence was instrumental in establishing a provisional Arab government under Faisal. Faisal's rule as king, however, came to an abrupt end in 1920, after the battle of Maysaloun, when the French Forces of General Gouraud under the command of General Mariano Goybet, entered Damascus, breaking Lawrence's dream of an independent Arabia.



As was his habit when travelling before the war, Lawrence adopted many local customs and traditions (many photographs show him in the desert wearing white Arab garb and riding camels), and he soon became a confidant of Prince Faisal.
During the closing years of the war he sought, with mixed success, to convince his superiors in the British government that Arab independence was in their interests.



In 1918 he co-operated with war correspondent Lowell Thomas for a short period. During this time Thomas and his cameraman Harry Chase shot much film and many photographs, which Thomas used in a highly lucrative film that toured the world after the war.
Lawrence was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath and awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the French Légion d'Honneur, though in October 1918 he refused to be made a Knight Commander of the British Empire.



At the age of 46, a few weeks after leaving the service, Lawrence was fatally injured in a motorbike accident on a Brough Superior SS100 in Dorset, close to his cottage, Clouds Hill, near Wareham. Situated in East Street, Wareham Town Museum has an interesting section on T. E. Lawrence. A dip in the road obstructed his view of two boys on their bicycles; he swerved to avoid them, lost control and was thrown over the handlebars of his motorcycle. He died six days later. The spot is marked by a small memorial at the side of the road. The circumstances of Lawrence's death had far reaching consequences. One of the doctors attending him was the neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns. He was profoundly affected by the incident and consequently began a long study of what he saw as the unnecessary loss of life by motorcycle dispatch riders through head injuries and his research led to the use of crash helmets by both military and civilian motorcyclists. As a consequence of treating Lawrence, Sir Hugh Cairns would ultimately save the lives of many motorcyclists.



Some sources mistakenly claim that Lawrence was buried in St Paul's Cathedral; in reality, only a bust of him was placed in the crypt. His final resting place is the Dorset village of Moreton. Moreton Estate, which borders Bovington Camp, was owned by family cousins, the Frampton family. Lawrence had rented and subsequently purchased Clouds Hill from the Framptons. He had been a frequent visitor to their home, Okers Wood House, and had for many years corresponded with Louisa Frampton.
On Lawrence's death, his mother wrote to the Framptons asking whether there was space for him in their family plot at Moreton Church. At his funeral there T. E. Lawrence's coffin was transported on the Frampton estate's bier; mourners included Winston and Clementine Churchill and Lawrence's youngest brother, Arnold. The famous stone effigy of Lawrence by Eric Kennington can be seen in the Saxon church of St Martin, Wareham.

1953 Triumph Thunderbird

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What do black motorcycles, mandatory leathers for competitors making speed-record attempts, and Marlon Brando have in common?



They all have a connection to this Triumph Thunderbird.
Light, agile British machines began to make significant inroads into the American market following World War II, and Triumph was among the most successful. In fact, after 1950, more Triumphs were sold in America than in any other country.
The big bike in the line was the Thunderbird, a 650cc vertical twin introduced in 1950. The next year, motorcycle speed-record attempts began taking place under the direction of the Southern California Timing Association on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and in a few years, a Triumph rider would change the sport forever.



At the time, it was common for riders to strip down to bathing suits in an attempt to lower aerodynamic resistance. Around 1953, 18-year-old Tommy Smith was wearing just a bathing suit and tennis shoes for a record run aboard a Triumph Thunderbird. He got into a wobble and bailed off at 130 mph, suffering extreme skin injuries that required several grafts and more than two years to heal.
After that gruesome incident, racers were required to wear leathers.



In spite of that crash, record runs helped establish Triumph’s reputation for building fast, lightweight motorcycles. But the Thunderbird also helped define Triumph’s image in two other ways.



In 1953, the year this motorcycle was made, all Thunderbirds were blue. Americans wanted them in black, though, so the factory complied, creating a tougher-looking, U.S.-only version known as the Blackbird.
But the most famous element of the Triumph Thunderbird image came from Marlon Brando’s performance in a 1954 movie called “The Wild One.” Riding his own 1950 Thunderbird, Brando portrayed motorcycle-gang member Johnny in the film that started the biker-flick genre.
A still shot of a leather-jacketed Brando, astride the bike, with a stolen dirt-track trophy attached to the headlight, has become one of the most enduring images of motorcycling from the ’50s.



This particular Thunderbird, made in the midst of that historic time, is now owned by Dick Brown of Ashville, Ohio, and was previously on display in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.


Courtesy of the : AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame

Lets Cross the Ocean

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Made in U.S.A



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