BRINGING CLASSICS BACK TO LIFE: NORTON MOTORCYCLE.
Hi to all you guys and gals out there in hiveland i'm back in the #mancave by #brofund to bring you more bikes.
As many of you will learn over the coming weeks I have a bit of a thing for motorcycles, today I thought I would bring you a little more about my work on vintage bikes. This has become a major interest of mine over the years, although now living a split life between the UK and the Philippines I don't find as much free time to work on my projects as I would like to.
The trade off is I get to dive in tropical waters and haven't had to endure a English winter for a few years so complain I will not. When in the UK I live in the beautiful county of Cornwall, Newquay is my home town, it's a vibrant surfers hang out with a abundance of stunning beaches and good waves to surf.
I have a great man shed where I store many bikes but when it comes to my vintage projects I tend to do a lot of the work at my friend Mark's place, that has a lot to do with the depth of knowledge available there, both he and his father Tom are awesome engineers with a lifetime of bike building and racing experience.
A long running project has been this 1935/36 Norton model 30.
Looks fast standing still.
Together with Tom who is 84 we have been working on and off with this machine over a number of years and it may be many more until it is fully finished. This bike was recovered from a water filled ditch many years ago and was in a awful condition, many parts beyond salvage and some missing altogether.
You can't just go and buy spares so the difficult task of hunting down parts or in many cases making them is the only way forward.
Old school skills.
Having guys around you who appreciate and understand classics like this makes the whole process a joy, it saddens me that these kind of skills are being lost as generations look for the future inside a smartphone, the loss of good practical hands on skills is breeding a "generation useless". We need to change this before it's lost for ever.
I look forward to the day we get this baby back on the road especially for Toms benefit as it would be great to see a bike as old as him roaring along the tarmac.
Your day will come!
I have been looking for a home for my bike blogs for a while, myself and @papilloncharity had been talking about our love of bikes but struggled to find a place where they could reach the audience they deserve but I believe I have found it, my hope is that the community feels the same way.
That's all for today, until we meet again stay safe out there folks!
My last bike blog;
(https://hive.blog/hive-174122/@biggypauls/bike-crazy-a-lifelong-love-of-bikes)
Beautiful bike! Must be pretty cool riding one of those. Looking forward to the next one.
Yup that ones a long time coming but will be good to give it a blast one day.
Here's some nostalgia for you. Found in an old local newspaper. A Vincent Black Shadow for under £400! A friend has a Vincent Comet that belonged to his grandfather, who was an engineer at Vincent.
Bargain i'll take two:)
I can remember when this shop was still going, but that was many years after the ad. I've not had a bike for a few years, but my friend has several.
I have so many I forget where they all are, I have them tucked away all over the UK, do you have any space in your shed😁
Got several sheds, but they are all full of stuff. I had to clear some sheds we demolished years ago that were full of crap. Unfortunately no vintage bikes.
Was worth a try:)
Bargain i'll take two:)
That's cool!!!
we will get it finished one day.
This is a worthy business! Be sure to share it later!)
Give me a couple of years and I will. Plenty more in the pipeline.
The main thing is not to stand still!
It's been difficult to move forwards in these times but slowly we will get back to normal.
Wish you good luck!
We will get there, projects like this take time but we have plenty of others to distract us while hunting for parts.
I am sure you will succeed!
Oh yes!!!
:)