Son of Poseidon, wielder of the trident and Messenger of the Great Sea; Trident is also the perfect marriage of the Norton Featherbed frame and Triumph 650cc Bonneville engine (ideally the pre-unit but a latter year unit will do thankyou very much!).
This ones a corker: big pearly tank, giant bellowing conch horn exhaust and a purpose for speed.
Mercury-like globule of a tank moves under the power of a tremendous Norton Commando twin; whose slanted barrels atop that distinctive amoeba shaped timing cover sprint this cafe racer to great speeds. A Slimline frame holds these ponies in check allowing the rider to put them down to pavement in fine style! Alloy rims with modern tyres and newer disc brakes give two-wheeled confidence.
Open-face lids, goggles, silk scarves, leathers and big boots. All mean grimaced and ready to roll. Bikes are Norton, BSA and Triumph are the ride to rumble on of course. I’m sure when this quintet crack open their throttle mechanical music ensues.
Those clip-ons are a low-low-low custom geometry for speed runs up and down the Great North Road. “where we going for the Sunday morning ride lads? Brighton?”
When the desire arises to transport your bike(s) or just to get your unresponsive Moto home you need a truck. The International Flatbed example shown here can tote like the best of ’em and look good doing it. A Norton racer sits proudly on its bed waiting for a destination
be it track, windy road or just the garage. Cafe 59
Another look again at that Norton ES2 seen at the weekend. This candy sweet little number has received a careful restoration to the nut and bolt. A half liter cracker.
The cherry-pie a la mode colour scheme gives a period appearance further enhanced by the polished chrome and powdercoated mudguards and primary cover.
Even the tank badge with stylish knee grip pads, spear motif and a hint of art deco receive the designers attention. Suitably smashing!
As mentioned previously in this blog, the Norton logo has all the classic lines of a perfect moto-graphic. A balanced counter to its Triumph competition: in red on a giant ‘N’ over a BMW-esque rondel this badge is worthy of any racers tank.
Then when boldly cast into the polished and cherished engine timing cover it brand echoes like some engine tattoo permanently stamped on the proud pounding chest of the twin-chambered heart of matters.
… A Norton Dominator. So smooth the lunchtime martini won’t spill a drop. In honor of the new series of Mad Men here’s a perfect ad from the late fifties with the slick suit wearing frock flowing denizens of the ‘golden’ post-war years looking on admirably.
Dick Whitman is waiting for the Bonnie about to appear on the scene in ’59…
After the CAD bike a couple of posts ago here’s a video which takes it a step further. A full real life/animated short. A neat wee story about the trials of Norton ‘ownership’. Masterfully created by Steve Twist as part of an Undergraduate Degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation at Bournemouth.
Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop 1962-2003
To celebrate this Scottish evening of haggis, tatties and neeps, washed down of course by whisky, we’ll take time to celebrate the racing career of a truly fine Scottish rider. It is of course the 25th of January Robbie Burns Night (my birthday too!).
Hailing from Hawick (pr. Hoyk) in the Borders of Scotland, he went on to win several and notable races on the Isle of Man as well as in the British Superbike Series. His most famous victory came in 1992 in the Senior TT Mountain course where, upon a rotary Norton, he pipped the great Carl Fogarty at the post, Carl going hell for leather even set a lap record that sat for years. This race is considered one of the greatest of the TT’s history.
…A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that…
A fairly recent film from Canada starring Joshua Jackson (of Dawsons Creek, Fringe etc.) also has a starring role for a Norton Commando. The story’s premise is our main character learns he has cancer so decides to ride across the country to the west coast in search of himself. Carefully played, beautifully shot (especially the riding scenes) and a fine movie to see.
Josh obviously enjoys Brit Iron; seen here below, begoggled, on a later model Triumph.
A beautiful trio: the burly and sublime B-17 Flying Fortress (which I luckily got to fly on earlier this year with my father); an Ava Gardner looking brunette beauty; and a classic Norton Dominator (Dommie). evocatively shot by photographer Giles Clement.
Here’s where a certain Norton motorcycle changed world affairs; in 1952 a young medical student Ernesto Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado travelled the length of South America witnessing the poverty, exploitation, and economoc extremes that changed the course of his life indefinitely. Their steed, a 1939 500cc model was named El Poderosa “The Mighty One”,
The truly beautiful Honor Blackman, atop a gorgeous Norton, looking at home for sure. Indeed she is the original action girl with such characters as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, opposite the one true Bond, Sean Connery, as well as being the first Avenger opposite Steed: Cathy Gale.
Cathy goes undercover in a biker gang in the episode “Build a Better Mousetrap”; donning her usual black leather suit astride a Royal Enfield. Steed, with bowler and ‘brolly goes pillion.
The quite beautiful French model Audrey Marnay shows off a new accessory from the Longchamps range of fashion luggage sitting atop a gorgeous Norton Moto.
geordiebiker.com 