May 2016 Newsletter - Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists

Published by the Oregon Norton Enthusiasts
MAY 2016
Shop ride at Geogg and Sandra Carrigg’s house
Photo, Mike Tyler
IN THIS ISSUE
Norton Bits
CONTENTS
The Small print
The Riders Seat
Calendar of Events
Meeting Minutes
Eugene to Portland
Tail Light Conversion
Our Bikes
Buy and Sell
3-4
5
6
7
12
13-17
18
19
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Web Manager
Newsletter Editor
Mike Tyler
George Kraus
Sam Justice
Bob Fugate
Dave Friesen
George Kraus
Bob Actis and his “mythical” Norton
Photo, Mike Tyler
2
MAY 2016
The Small Print
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the May issue of the oNe (Oregon Norton Enthusiasts), Norton Bits! This month our featured “Our Bikes” article was
submitted by Ron Cook relating to a recent Craigslist posting for a Hi-Rider at a great 2015 price. Each month will feature a different
members bike with a story about their one and only, or their entire collection. You can read his story along with photos on pages 11-13.
We welcome your story for the next issue. It doesn’t have to be 3 pages long, one page along with a photo or two would be dandy.
The Norton Bits encourages any and all submissions of either articles or photos of Norton content for future issues. It’s your newsletter,
and it will greatly improve with your participation. Submissions are due by the second Saturday of each month. I will try to publish the
Norton Bits one week before the general meeting which is the first Saturday of each month.
Cheers, George Kraus Editor.
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NORTON BITS is the official newsletter of the Oregon Norton Enthusiasts club (oNe). It will be published as needed throughout the year
in PDF format and may be downloadable from the club’s website oregonnorton.org.
We welcome submissions of topical editorial material, and non-commercial buy-sell-trade Norton-related ads are free for members.
Contact the editor for details, or better yet, just send your ad and we’ll let you know if there’s a problem.
ABOUT oNe
Oregon Norton Enthusiasts was founded in 2010 and is a chapter of the International Norton Owners Association. Membership dues are
$10 per year and are due annually in January. Please send dues to:
Sam Justice
610 SW Alder Street
Suite 1000
Portland, OR 97205
For the latest information check out our Facebook page for events and pictures. Oregon Norton Enthusiasts Monthly meetings are held at
the Horse Brass Pub at 45th and SE Belmont on the first Saturday of each month at 11am.
oNe MEMBERSHIP LIST
Although located in Oregon, oNe welcomes members from the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
LINKS
International Norton Owners Association (INOA)
Old Britts
Fair Spares America
Northwest Norton Owners (NWNO)
Norton Access Forum
Yahoo Group
Facebook
3
More Small Print
MAY 2016
Club Newsletter:
The monthly Newsletters NORTON BITS is the official newsletter of the Oregon Norton Enthusiasts club (oNe). It will be published
as needed throughout the year in PDF format and may be downloadable from the club’s website oregonnorton.org. The purpose
of presenting the newsletter in PDF format is that it (a) archives them for future reading and reference, (b) they are in a higher
resolution PDF file and therefore a better reading quality and (c) everyone should be able to open and read them. The newsletters
are now posted on the club website and Yahoo group for future reference.
Club Website:
http://oregonnorton.org
This is our club’s official website. It's our "shop window" and contains basic information about the club, events and affiliations.
Dave Friesen is the website administrator. The Norton Bits newsletter editor is George Kraus and monthly issues are uploaded and
available on the website at OregonNorton.org.
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/OregonNortonEnthusiasts
This is our club’s social media page. Here, you'll find pictures, club event notices and other "what's happening now" news and
snapshots. Dave Friesen and I are administrators of the Facebook page.
Yahoo Email Group and Email Distribution list:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/OregonNortonEnthusiasts/info
This is our club’s email group. A Yahoo group can be used more comprehensively than for just email, but it works well for our
email exchanges.
Email distribution list:
OregonNortonEnthusiasts@yahoogroups.com
This is our club’s email list and the most common way of sharing information with club members. Everyone who has subscribed to
the Yahoo group above is automatically entered into this email distribution list. I have also been blind-copying everyone on the
club member master list just in case they have not yet subscribed to the Yahoo group. Blind-copying means that no one else can
see your personal email address whenever I send an email.
If you haven't done so already, I would recommend that you join the Yahoo group, so that you don't miss out on emails from other
club members who don't have your personal email address. One important thing to note is that we take our Internet security
protocols very seriously. Doug Towsley, Dave Friesen and I are the administrators of the Yahoo email group.
Norton Videos:
The club has a number of Norton videos in DVD and electronic format for loan. Please ask Sam, George or Mike for an inventory
of the videos.
4
The Riders Seat A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
From the Rider's seat:
Mike Tyler
And here’s another movie capturing some of the bikes
(apologies if I missed any):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXcVMdlaa2s
Well, what a difference a month makes. The beautiful Spring weather
has finally arrived in Oregon and Washington State. The birds are
singing, the flowers are blooming and we’re riding our Norton’s!
Welcome to our new club members who have joined recently via
friends, acquaintances and the Yahoo community. We hope to see
you and your bike(s) again soon.
Looking ahead, we have the OVM (Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists)
show and swap meet and at the time of writing this, we are seeking a
ride leader who would be willing to organize a ride?
Thanks for such a great April club meeting and "garage crawl"
afterwards. The cool morning turned into a beautiful afternoon. It
was a really well-attended club meeting and terrific to see so many
great bikes outside, including 11 Norton’s. Crossing the Wheatland Ferry :(one of my favorite Norton
moments)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7nRsGpFzn4Q&index=4&list=PLgDzKiIi6nZ5C_bmZa0gsglte9e9iuQD
Bob Actis must surely deserve a prize for the most miles travelled to a
club meeting? Bob left Eugene for Portland at about 7am, 45 degrees
and thick fog in the valleys between Springfield and Sweet Home. He
rode the roads east of I-5 and stopped for gas twice for a 3.5 hour
136 mile ride to the Horse Brass Pub. Bob then participated in the
“garage crawl” before riding home via 99W with another two gas
stops before arriving home at 7:45 pm and a total of 276 miles
traveled. I will try and remember this next time I try and wimp
out regarding the 20 mile ride to the horse brass pub from Tigard!
Seriously, we really appreciate Bob making such a big effort and it
was lovely to see Bob reconnect with old friends. Following the club get together, Geoff led the ride across town to his
place for the first leg of the “garage crawl” where we spent an
enjoyable time hanging out and admiring his amazing bikes. We then
headed off to my place. There was just one minor ‘technical
malfunction’ requiring an electrical repair at the side of the road
(attached pic courtesy Dave F), but thankfully fellow club members
rallied around to help out and everyone arrived safely on two wheels
at my place. Such great camaraderie and a fun story to tell
afterwards.
As usual, Dave and I were wearing our GoPro cameras and have
published a couple of movies of the event that we thought you might
like:
This first movie is from Dave, capturing some of the moments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCRlVQO7jGg
It was a fantastic ride to Corvallis last year, thanks to Geoff & his
family leading the pack and Bruce sweeping from behind. Here are a
couple of reminders of a great day:
“Invading the Pitch”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFmZFn2gmg&index=5&list=PLgDzKiI-i6nZ5C_bmZa0gsglte9e9iuQD
I’ll be trailering a couple of bikes down most likely very early Sunday
morning and love to watch the day kickoff.
Looking farther ahead, we have approximately 15 club members who
are planning on attending the 2016 INOA (International Norton
Owners Association) Feather River Rally at the Plumas County
Fairgrounds in Quincy, CA from July 11-16, 2016 and preparing their
bikes for some beautiful riding. Harry Bunting, the Rally Chairman, is
very excited to have so many Oregon neighbors attend and has
hinted at a big surprise at the event, all being well.
As always, please let us know if you have any ideas for Norton or
other vintage motorcycle-related events that you think the guys will
enjoy. Happy riding!
Cheers
Mike
oNe President
503-206-1620
5
Norton Bits
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
EVERY MONTH:
oNe (Oregon Norton Enthusiasts) club meeting at the
Horse Brass Pub on the first Saturday at 11am.
See Page 8 for more details.
2016 EVENTS CALENDAR:
May 2016:
7th General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. 13-14th 2016 OPTOUR. This is the NWNO (North West Norton
Owners, WA) Opening Tour Event starting in Port
Angeles & ending in Tokeland, WA for the evening.
Please contact Mike T for more details.
21st OVM Ride. Corvallis, OR
22nd OVM Show & Swap Meet. Corvallis, OR
September 2016:
3rd General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. 10th OVM Mid-Size Mid-Valley Motorcycle Rally, Salem area
October 2016:
1st General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. TBA: Pacific Northwest Trailblazer motorcycle club (formerly
old timers banquet)
November 2016:
5th General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. December 2016:
3rd General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. Boxing Day event
June 2016:
4th General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. 13-19th Marymount motorcycle week, Tacoma WA.
July 2016:
2nd General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. 11-16th INOA (International Norton Owners Association) Rally.
Quincy, CA
21-23rd AMCA Oregon Trail 3-Day Ride
23rd OVM Ride to the Rendezvous at Antique Powerland
30th LeMay Vintage Motorcycle Festival. Tacoma, WA
August 2016:
6th General meeting. Horse Brass Pub. 6th OVM Dennis Frye ride to Larch Mt
7th: OVM Oaks Park Picnic. Portland, OR
14th OVM Batwater Station Ride and picnic lunch on the
Columbia river
Shop ride at Mike Tyler’s house. Photo, Mike Tyler
6
Norton Bits
MARCH MEETING MINUTES
Photo, Bob Fugate
March MINUTES
The 2016 April meeting of the Oregon Norton Enthusiasts at the
Horse Brass Pub on Belmont couldn’t have come on a nicer
day, clear and 70F. The warmth brought out 21 members and
guests. Most everyone there rode a motorcycle. There were
11 Norton’s in the row outside along with other brands. There
was the usual chatter at the tables about carb mixture, sore
backs, paint projects, fiberglas gas tanks, the usual stuff. The
main thrust of whatever meeting there was centered on getting
out of a closed space and onto motorcycles. The plan of the
day was to go see what other members had going on in their
garages.
As gear and helmets appeared and from the first futile chuff of
a cold Norton turning over to the triumphant thunder scooting
unwary pedestrians off of the sidewalk the garage crawl got
underway. Cheers
Bob Fugate
Secretary
7
Norton Bits
APRIL MEETING TECH RIDE
Okay fellow Norton Enthusiasts. It’s past dues time!
If you have paid your dues for the year, thank you. If
not, then it’s time to pay up if you want to continue
getting the newsletter. Come on, it’s only $10.!!!
Shop ride at Geogg and Sandra Carrigg’s house
Photo, Dave Friesen
8
Norton Bits
MAY MEETING
Don’t forget Saturday May 7th, 11:00 am, is
oNe’s general meeting held at the Horse
Brass Pub, 4534 SE Belmont St,
Portland,OR 97215.
Horse Brass directions: click HERE.
Photo Bob Fugate
9
Norton Rally
JULY 11—16, 2016
10
MAY 21ST & 22ND, 2016
OVM
Roadside technical malfunction. Photos, Dave Friesen
Poster, George Kraus
The fix in Mikes shop. Photos, Dave Friesen
11
Norton Bits
T
EUGENE TO PORTLAND RIDE
Shop ride at Geogg and Sandra Carrigg’s house. Photo, Mike Tyler
The ride to Portland started at about 7:00 am, 45 degrees, and thick fog in the valleys between Springfield and Sweet Home. I stayed on
roads East of I-5 and stopped for gas twice for a 3.5 hour 136 mile ride to the Horse Brass Pub. The garage crawl was very enjoyable
seeing projects and visiting, except for all the traffic which is a shock compared to Eugene. The return ride followed 99W with another
two gas stops arriving home at 7:45 pm with a total of 276 miles traveled. I can really feel that it’s a lot more work riding the Norton
compared to the Suzuki Katana.
The highlight of the trip was Sandra’s reaction to finally seeing the Norton that she saw pictures of but never believed I owned.
Looking forward to seeing you all again at the Corvallis show.
Best Regards,
Bob Actis
12
Tech Tips
LED TAIL LIGHT CONVERSION
LED tail light cluster conversion kit
for my Norton Commando
H
By Mike Tyler
4. Disconnect the wires to the tail light. Note that there is a good
explanation in the instruction packet that explains which of the
existing wires the new wires with the kit will connect to when
assembling the new unit
Here are a few notes concerning my recent experience with the “Bulbs
that last forever” LED tail light cluster conversion kit for my Norton
Commando.
Continued next page
You may have seen the unit. It works with both negative and positive
ground machines and both the standard rounder L670 and ‘boxy’ L917
and some aftermarket tail light assemblies
I purchased the unit from CNW (Colorado Norton Works). Matt Rambo
and his CNW Company are terrific, so I wanted to give them a little
extra business while buying a pair of handlebars following a recent
incident (..that’s another story). The unit could be purchased directly from the supplier, but I just learned
that it is no longer available. However CNW still has them (see * below).
Anyway, the part arrived and I asked my friend Geoff Carrigg for his
help in installing the unit. I'm a complete apprentice when it comes to
electric work and Geoff is the electrical Zen-master!
It was relatively straight forward to install but the instructions that come
with the unit are a little poor. Here’s a recap of the steps we took.
Please note that this relates to my 1974 Commando with the plastic tail
fairing that covers the wires. I also have L917 ’boxy’ tail light lens:
Pictures of some of the key parts and the lights working can be found
below the step-by-step instructions:
Step-by-step
Step-by-step Instructions:
Disassembling the old unit:
1. Remove the plastic tail light lens via the two fixing screws
2. Remove the plastic tail fairing that covers the wires and which
attaches to the rear license plate tail light bracket
3. Remove the bulb unit by sliding it up and out of the inner tail light
lens assembly
All photos Mike Tyler
13
Tech Tips
LED TAIL LIGHT CONVERSION
5. Unscrew the 2 long hexagonal pillar nuts that hold the rubber
backing plate and the metal fixing plate to the license plate tail light
bracket
6. Remove the rubber plate and the metal fixing plate from the rear
license plate tail light bracket
14. Then reinstall the rubber backing plate to the metal fixing plate by
pushing the small screws through the whole assembly and then
through the license plate tail light bracket
Continued next page
Tip: save your fasteners as you will need some when
fitting the new LED assembly (e.g. 2 long hexagonal
pillar nuts)
Minor mods
Minor modifications (the tricky bit):
7. With the metal fixing plate removed from the bike, separate the
concave metal reflector from the metal fixing plate.
• We removed the concave metal reflector by grinding off the small rivet
that holds it to the metal fixing plate with a dremel tool and then
prying it from the metal fixing plate. This concave metal reflector is
not needed for the new LED unit.
8. Cut off the two integral screws that are used to hold the metal fixing
plate to the license plate tail light bracket. • This was the trickiest part of the process. We ground off the screw
threads flush with the metal fixing plate and then punched the
riveted screw heads through the metal fixing plate.
9. Note that once the old screws are removed, the instructions say to
make a screw thread in the metal fixing plate to accept the new
screws that come with the LED unit. Actually, the holes that were
created by removing the screws in my metal fixing plate were
square. We also found that the new screws don't need to be
screwed through the metal fixing plate as the 2 long hexagonal pillar
nuts will hold them in place when they are reinstalled and tightened.
Plastic tail fairing
L917 boxy tail light lens (for
this example instruction)
Assembly
Assembly:
10. Push the wires that come with the LED kit through the hole in the
rubber backing plate
11. Connect each wire to the LED circuit board. The color matching
and locations are clearly indicated in the instructions.
12. With the concave metal reflector piece removed and the 2 screws
drilled out from the metal fixing plate, push the 2 new shorter screws
that came with the kit through the eyes of the LED board.
13. Insert the small plastic spacers between the LED board and the
metal fixing plate
License plate tail light bracket
All photos Mike Tyler
14
Tech Tips
LED TAIL LIGHT CONVERSION
15. Using the original 2 long hexagonal pillar nuts, tighten them onto the
2 short screws. This will secure the LED unit to the license plate tail
light bracket
16. Push the electrical wires from the LED board through the license
plate tail light bracket
17. Connect the new LED wires to the original wires on the bike (the
color matching is in the instructions)
(original) Bulb unit
Tip: we then tested the unit before refitting everything just
in case!ALL AOK!
18. Tidy up the wires and cable tie them to the mudguard bracket in
preparation for reinstalling the plastic tail fairing
19. Refit the plastic tail fairing that covers the wires, attaching it to the
mudguard and also the 2 long hexagonal pillar nuts at the rear of the
license plate tail light bracket
20. Reinstall the plastic tail light lens via the two fixing screws
2 x long hexagonal
pillar nuts
The bottom Line:
Is it good?
Is it good?
• It’s still a little too early to tell but I think the unit is very good. It’s not
quite as amazing as we thought it would be, but it’s definitely a lot
brighter than the standard bulb. The brake light seems very bright.
What does it looks like?
• Attached below are a few pictures from the process and the lights
How long did it take to install?
• It took about an hour and we were taking it nice & easy.
What is the quality of the product?
• The unit seems good. The instructions were a little poor but they are
trying to accommodate multiple types of installation.
Is it worth $99? • Probably not.. this is very subjective but I think it’s worth no more
than about $50
All photos Mike Tyler
Metal fixing plate (note that the original attaching screws
and concave metal reflector have been removed)
15
Tech Tips
LED TAIL LIGHT CONVERSION
What are the alternatives?
1. Leave the standard unit as is.. or
2. Replace the standard bulbs with LED bulbs (remembering to find
ones that will work with a positive ground or make the necessary
adjustments to your wiring). I've done this with my other bikes. The
bulbs are significantly cheaper and the cost/benefit case is much
greater.
I'm interested, where do I get one?
You can still buy them from CNW (Colorado Norton Works) at their
website: http://coloradonortonworks.com/part-categories/new/
#post-877 LED circuit board
installed
*Note that these LED upgrades are no longer available from the
manufacturer. CNW is planning to make their own LED boards but
they do not have a completion date at this time. If CNW is able to
make their own and they are a good price, they should be even
better than the model above.
Special thanks to Geoff Carrigg for all his advice, expertise and for
keeping this apprentice on his toes! I learned a lot!
Mike Tyler
President, oNe (Oregon Norton Enthusiasts)
Picture of the short bolts and (white)
spacer through the LED circuit board. Note that this is where the old securing
screws were ground off.
Concave metal reflector (center
hole is where it was separated
from the Metal fixing plate)
All photos Mike Tyler
16
Tech Tips
1
LED circuit board without tail
light lens fitted, illustrating all
the lights (1 of 2)
LED TAIL LIGHT CONVERSION
3
LED circuit board with tail light
lens fitted, illustrating all the
lights (1 of 2)
Note that it is relatively “dark”
surrounding and at the top of the
lens. This is a reflector area and
has an alloy reflective foil glued on
the inside of the lens
4
LED circuit board with tail light lens
fitted, illustrating all the lights (2 of 2)
5
LED circuit board without tail light
lens fitted, illustrating the brake
light ON. The camera can't cope!
2
LED circuit board without tail light lens fitted,
illustrating all the lights (2 of 2)
All photos Mike Tyler
17
Our Bikes
HI-RIDER OR NOT HI-RIDER?
I read all the recent hi-rider comments with great interest.
Funny, all the different comments, most of which are tongue in
cheek I'm sure but how could you call a relative ugly?! I have a certain fondness for the now-peculiar looking model. Hi-Rider or not Hi-Rider?
A nice note from Ron Cook relating to a recent Craigslist
posting for a Hi-Rider at a great 2015 price.
My first ride on a Norton was on a 72 hi-rider. In 73, while on a
road trip on my 72 Kawasaki 500 triple, I stopped in Spokane
to visit a high school pal who happened to have the 72 Norton.
Even then, not a familiar sight. I remember thinking the Norton
felt more substantial in power, handling and braking than the
several Bonneville's I'd owned. Especially power! I had only
lost one contest of acceleration with my 500 to a friend with a
750 Kawi triple. Of course at 19 years old, we had to drag. I
was stunned when I could not get more than a half a bike on
the Norton till past 90 when the Norton continued to pull and
the Kawi was running out of breath. It was several years and
bikes later but I found a 72 roadster in 1976 needing the forks
straightened for $600. It was everything I remembered and
more. Every bike company at that time jumped on the
chopper/cruiser bandwagon, so no different than riding the
style wave today. But that first experience on a Norton,
regardless of the funky clothes that were the latest craze at the
time, had all the guts and exclusivity that I/we dig so much
today every time we fire the old machines up.
Who said you can't go back. Thanks, to all the club!
Ron
“…classic 74 Norton barn animal…
Photo Mike Roberts
18
Buy and Sell
ADVERTISE YOUR STUFF HERE
Wanted:
Friesen is looking for an 850 pre-MKIII Oil Pump.
• Dave
davefriesen@mac.com
For Sale:
Justice, Norton Parts for sale
• Sam
sjustice6587@qwestoffice.net
Tyler is (always) looking for any old school cool
• Mike
Norton/Triumph//BSA/Vincent signs and other interesting
vintage motorcycle memorabilia for his "man cave" garage.
mike.tyler@nike.com, 503-206-1620
Please note: you can have your free ad on these
page s. Send in your ad today ! We welco me
submissions of topical editorial material, and non
commercial buy-sell-trade Norton-related ads are free
for members. Contact the editor for details, or better
yet, just send your ad and we’ll let you know if there’s
a problem. If you sold your item please let me know.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Photo, Mike Tyler
I have a number of Dominator and Atlas parts for sale. Aside
from several pairs of handlebars which belong to the club,
the parts are mine and left overs from the restoration of the
1958 model 88 and the Atlas.
Sams Parts
Engine cylinders for Atlas
Engine casing for Atlas and for model 99
Cylinder heads for Atlas and one model 88 head
Engine plates for Atlas
Slightly used standard 750 pistons
Seats for featherbed frame (probably slimline) (in need of
restoration)
Seat cover for late model Atlas (with hump, new)
Gasoline tank for slimline featherbed frame (export style,
dented and rusty)
Pre-Commando clutch parts
After market generic front fender from Walridge, new
Monobloc and Concentric carb parts
various clutch and throttle cables
single leading shoe front brake (original to pre-Commando
bikes)
oNe Parts
various handlebars for Norton bikes
Pictures available on request.
19
The Pillion
20