You obviously like your Beemers, some tasty kit there! That Rudge though!!! Serious kudos. No pics of the Dominator at all? Norton began in my Birthtown, Birmingham UK, rising again phoenix-like a few years ago with a new base at Donington Park, about fifteen minutes from where I live now.

 

Oh, man. Some of my best stories involve that Norton, and I only had it a little over a year.

Norton never imported 88SSs to the US. But, after much reading, I decided that a 500cc Dommi, with twin carbs and a racing cam was the ticket. After six months plus looking, I found a freshly restored green and cream 1962 in Cotswold. As I recall, this very model had won the Isle of Man TT in '61 in the senior class, ridden by Mike Hailwood. I imported it by myself, which was a minor feat, between US Customs, the NTSB, the EPA and California DMV. Lots of paperwork and research.

Seven days after it arrived, I entered it in the San Jose All British Bike Show. It won an award.

The next day, on the day-after ride, I crashed it and broke my right leg and ankle in five places. All entirely my fault -- trying to prevent the bike from going down by putting my (right) foot down when a gravel covered turn caught me out. Yeah, I know. I can't always stop myself from those instantaneous stupidities. I didn’t walk for ten weeks and still have hardwear in my leg.

Re-restored the bike, which included that the prior restoration had left the valves clipping each other over the cylinders. Got it all fixed.

Stuff CONSTANTLY fell off that bike, loosened by the vibrations. They are not kidding when they say 'four hours of wrenching for every hour ridden' on any 60's - 70's British bike. Rule number one: always go around the bike with spanners, tightening everything before every ride! I could not be bothered.

Six months later, the RED LOCTITE and the DOUBLE LOCKING BOLTS, which held the twin carburetors to the engine, came loose while riding -- thereby dumping raw gasoline onto the magneto just below. No, it didn't burn me to death, but I was reluctant to give it any more chances. Boy, I cursed up a storm that day.

That was it. Listed the bike and sold it. Bought the Rudge next. And, as we all know now, THAT certainly worked out.

Now you see why I became a BMW motorcycle fan. The airheads are great bikes!

 

My first bike was a 1959 Francis Barnett Cruiser 80. It got very noisy indeed around 55 and I never took it beyond 65. I bought it for £30 and sold it for the same a couple of years later. It was so stable that you could ride it standing on the seat with arms outstretched. I still occasionally dream of going into my parents' garage, seeing it there and thinking, Wow, great, I've still got it after all! Sometimes I even get to ride it.

It wasn't the world's most exciting bike but I wish I'd never sold it. I'll never own another bike now, the roads have become far too dangerous and it's cars only for me.

 

Photo I took of T.E. Lawence's (1888-1935) Brought Superior SS100 motorbike (1932) in Imperial War museum London
Lawrence of Arabia died in an accident on his way from Bovington in Dorset to his Clouds hill cottage... his motorbike is privately owned !
.

 

Great story, I guess when it comes to bikes we've all got one or two in the locker, comes with the territory. Having grown up mainly focused on the speedy rice-burners I never got round to owning a BMW. Closest I came was my first bike, a Cossack Ural 650 combo. Originally belonging to my older brother from 1974 and gathering dust for 4 years or so I took it off his hands in exchange for an air rifle when I turned 16. An unashamed Russian plagiarisation of a BMW flat twin, though lacking any sophistication whatsoever, it wouldn't have looked out of place in The Great Escape. Along with some friends I spent a year or so tinkering and getting it roadworthy in time for my own road legal age of 17. In those days learners were restricted to 250cc... unless the bike was fitted with a sidecar....made perfect sense to me. That thing was a beast to handle, sidecar on the wrong side for UK roads, it even had a suicide shift nestled between the bike and chair. Definitely not the sort of thing most 17 year olds were hooning around on at the time, a real hoot. Sadly now almost 40 years later no photos survived but I'll see if there's an identical one on open source that I can post. As I recall I subsequently sold it on less than a year later for £85 to a local back patcher who'd heard about the bike through a friend of a friend.
As for the old British bikes though I still have a real soft spot. I've been lucky enough to visit the IOM for TT week for more years than I care to remember and the Classic bikes parade lap is always one of the real highlights.

 

A great exhibit, looked at it many times at the IWC. For real Brough porn, the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham UK is unrivalled - more immaculate Brough Superiors in one place than you can shake a stick at!

 

My wife 500cc ninja and my 600rr

 

In no particular order, some nice bikes I saw today at the Dania Beach Vintage Bike Show.

 

I'm rolling with a 2017 Yamaha MT-10 with a cross plane crankshaft engine, a fun bike to ride. Wheelie City.

 

Got 3 motorcycles currently.

Let's start with the best cruiser ever made: Honda Valkyrie Interstate 1999. It is a 1500cc flat six engine, similar to the goldwing, but hot-rodded with solid lifters and 6 carburators!

Proudly made in USA, in Marysville (Ohio). American design + japanese tech: you can't get better than this.


It is also the reason for my avatar name.

 

The other horse in the stables is a noble STeed, a Honda ST1300.

Sweet V4 engine mounted transversely along the bike (a la Motoguzzi), the gargantuan gas tank holds 7.7 galons (or 29L) which yields a fuel range of over 300 miles.

It seems to be somewhat popular in Europe, but it was never a good seller in USA.

Photo in the Joshua Tree National Park in South California.

 

And the last, but not the least, a nice Suzuki vstrom DL650.

Best value bike on my view: nice in the city, comfortable for long trips, cheap and easy to maintain.

 

Former owner/recreational rider while on military active duty. My last bike is pictured below...a 1988 Suzuki GSX-R750 which I purchased new...too much bike for me...got scared and sold it.

Circa 1988/1989 at the NAS North Island BOQ in Sandy Eggo, Californication...

 

Nice! Hell of a bike back in the day. I saw her bigger sister today. GSX-R 1100 from 1986. In pristine condition for a 33 year old bike.

 

Action shots. Our youngest son's motorcycle rather than mine.


Our youngest son and then girlfriend, now wife, heading east on I-15 to Las Vegas from Twentynine Palms, California the afternoon after he arrived back to base from his first deployment in Afghanistan. We drove from West Central Texas to his base with his Harley Davidson Dyna Glide in the back of the pickup in order to have it there for him when he got off the bus.

Earlier in the journey he hosted his Mrs. noelekal on the back for about an hour of the journey. That is the two of them at 75mph in front of another rider who fell in with us at Kelso, California.

 

Must be some size pickup to hold a Glide in the tub.

 

Had some fun at Oakland SX today (got to do the track walk before the races, first time for the wife) and also dropped my Gold Wing off at Corbin for a new seat.

 

When I moved back to the mainland (from HI) in '96, I sported a CR900SS Ducati, which I do regret selling. From there is was an '02 R1150GS. Last year I gave that one to a buddy and picked this up. The kit parts are from a company called Unit Garage. They provide top shelf goodies. I like this a little better for commuting. The 1150 GS just wasn't getting used as much as it should have been. The problem is now, I'll need something a little bigger for my annual meet up in Saratoga.

These pictures are from the seller:

 

It's no big deal for the ancient Dodge. It sees worse.








Speed limit's 80mph on I-10 in far west Texas, somewhere east of El Paso. Mrs. noelekal contentedly rolling down the interstate at 80mph in the ancient Dodge. She was whistling Marty Robbin's tune "El Paso" when the photo was taken.

 

Silk 700S
After seeing the glowing reviews in the mid 1970s I bought one ten years later when I got back to the UK. Big disappointment: handling excellent, engine & drivetrain a lot less so.



Long since moved on.