March 2016 Newsletter - Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists

Published by the Oregon Norton Enthusiasts
MARCH 2016
Geoff Carrigg’s finished 1969 Commando
Photo, Geoff Carrigg
IN THIS ISSUE
Norton Bits
CONTENTS
The Small print
The Riders Seat
Calendar of Events
Meeting Minutes
“Devals Brigrade”
Our Bikes
Buy and Sell
The Pillion
3-4
5
6
7
9
11-13
14
15
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Web Manager
Newsletter Editor
Mike Tyler
George Kraus
Sam Justice
Bob Fugate
Dave Friesen
George Kraus
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MARCH 2016
The Small Print
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the March issue of the oNe (Oregon Norton Enthusiasts), Norton Bits! This month we are starting a new feature in the Bits
called “Our Bikes”. Each month will feature a different members bike with a story about their one and only, or their entire collection. This
month we are starting off the series with a profile of one of Geoff Carrigg’s many bikes. You can read his story along with photos on pages
11-13.
I encourage 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
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More Small Print
MARCH 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 Alfa 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:
[email protected]
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.
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The Riders Seat A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
From the Rider's seat:
At long last, we’re beginning to see the end of the persistent
rain!
Welcome to our new club members who have joined recently via
friends, acquaintances and the Yahoo community.
The February club meeting turned into a very pleasant surprise. It
was great to meet new members John Sundstrom and Dan Cobb
who drove some distance to attend the club meeting and share
news about their respective Nortons. There was also an
interesting line-up of lovely bikes outside including 5 Nortons, a
Ducati 900SS, an H.R.D. (Howard Raymond Davies) Vincent
Rapide, Kawasaki W650 and a new Triumph. (https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=soGK01rhRJw). Also, what started as a quick ride to the club and back turned
into a terrific ride afterwards. Geoff Carrigg led a fun and cool
ride across town to West Linn and through the surrounding
countryside, ending for a warm-up and pint at the Highland
Stillhouse pub in Oregon City. Along the way, I had a fantastic
opportunity to ride Ted Leno’s incredible 1948 Vincent Rapide.
What a thrill!
February 12-14 was The One Motorcycle Show (the1moto.com)
in Portland, Oregon. What began as a low-key motorcycle
builders’ showcase just a few short years ago has evolved into a
national motorcycle phenomenon with thousands of visitors
during the past couple of events. The show features some
outstanding builds including many based upon the new Triumph
range. There’s always also a little space made for some classics
and it was great to see Tom Ruttan and his beautiful Triumph
Thunderbird.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nphjke-ljMw
It was also the OVM (Oregon Vintage Motorcyclists) Banquet on
February 13. Overall attendance was pretty low, but it was a
very enjoyable evening. The MC was our own Sam Justice and
the guest speaker this year was Bob Lanphere Junior. Bob’s
Father, who recently passed away at 81, established one of the
first Honda dealerships in Portland, Oregon in 1964. Bob Jr.
talked about some of the early days and how the business tool
off during the US gas shortage and following the “you meet the
nicest people on a Honda” marketing campaign, which boosted
sales by 50% within a year. Bob also talked about the gamechanger models for Honda, including the CB750 and the Gold
Wing being the longest running brand. Bob also talked about
local racing sponsorships and his Father’s incredible collection of
200+ vintage motorcycles, which require a “curator” to take care
of them. What a dream job! Thank you to the OVM team who
organized this event.
Looking 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.
Thanks to everyone who has paid their 2016 club membership
fees. It is much appreciated.
Following the March club meeting, George has kindly offered to
host a "tech day", during which he will perform his magic on a
couple of patients. We'll ride directly from the club meeting to
George's house.
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, President
503-206-1620
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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:
March 2016:
5th oNe (Oregon Norton Enthusiasts) “Tech Day” at George
Kraus’s following the club meeting.
26th World of Speed Museum - Portland Cars &
Coffee morning featuring Triumph Motorcycles. Meet at Cascade Moto at 7am or the WOS museum
at 8am
April 2016:
23rd OVM Piccolo Ride
May 2016:
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
August 2016:
6th OVM Dennis Frye ride to Larch Mt
14th OVM Batwater Station Ride and picnic lunch on the
Columbia river
TBA: OVM Oaks Park Picnic. Portland, OR
September 2016:
10th OVM Mid-Size Mid-Valley Motorcycle Rally, Salem area
October 2016:
TBA: Pacific Northwest Trailblazer motorcycle club (formerly
old timers banquet)
November 2016:
December 2016:
Boxing Day event
June 2016:
13-19th Marymount motorcycle week, Tacoma WA.
July 2016:
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
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Norton Bits
FEBRUARY MEETING MINUTES
FEBRUARY MINUTES
The February meeting of the Oregon Norton
Enthusiasts was held on the 6th at the Horse Brass
Pub at 11 AM. There were seventeen members and
guests present with nine bikes out front, five of them
Nortons. Announcements about the upcoming ONE
show and an indoor flat track event in Salem were
made. After the March meeting there will be a tech
day at George Kraus’s house. Numerous folks
stepped up to pay their 2016 dues. No other
business was conducted.
Cheers
Respectfully submitted
Bob Fugate
Secretary
Bob Lanphere Jr. at the OVM
Banquet as MOC.
Sam Justice at the OVM Banquet as MOC.
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Norton Bits
MARCH MEETING
Don’t forget Saturday March 5th, 11:00 am, is oNe’s
general meeting held at the Horse Brass Pub, 4534
SE Belmont St, Portland,OR 97215. After the
meeting we will ride (weather permitting) to George
Kraus’s house for a tech session — installing a
anti-wetsump valve on Bruce Kerr’s Commando.
Refreshments will be available.
Horse Brass directions: click HERE.
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Norton Bits
THE DEVILS BRIGADE RIDES AGAIN
Devils Brigade Rides Again
The actual Devils Brigade was the First Special Forces Brigade of
WWII. It was comprised of one battalion of US Army Rangers and
two battalions of Canadian Commandos under the command of a US
Army colonel. It was an especially tough and heroic bunch, and a
movie staring William Holden as the commander was made decades
ago. I apologize for any deepest respect for them and for
all veterans. As will become clear, the unique joint Canadian-US
nature of the Devils Brigade is the reason for the expropriation of the
name.
Twenty years ago when I was newly a member of the INOA and when
we were part of the NWNO chapter, NCNO hosted an INOA Rally at
Quincy, California. I was still learning basic repair and maintenance
for my Commando. I’d never been to an INOA rally; so when Steve
Neal (then president of NWNO) announced that he would lead a ride
from Seattle through Portland to Quincy, I resolved to go. Many others
in both Seattle and Portland also announced that they’d go, but when I
showed up at the Horsebrass on the appointed day. It was just Steve
and I; and Steve had his van with his Commando on a trailer. We set
out all the same.
many of the old Devils Brigaders for the ride to Quincy this summer
as he can “rally”. I am getting the old Commando ready for one more
go. During WWII the real Devils Brigade (a name allegedly given
them by the Germans for their habit of rather nasty night time raids
behind German lines) employed psych war against the Germans
inciting genuine fear in the enemy. The Brigade’s commander, who
had a flair for the dramatic, had leaflets dropped to the Germans which
read in German, “the worst is yet to come”. So, oNers, who is willing
to join us, this summer, for the 20th anniversary Devils Brigade ride?
It’s time to make some memories. Join us at the INOA Feather River
Rally July 16-19, Quincy California.
Sam Justice
At Madras we encountered a half dozen members of the British
Columbia BMOC all on Commandos save one fellow on a Triumph
Bonneville. We proceeded toward Quincy a group of Commando
riders, mostly Canadian, but united in our aim to reach the rally.
Somewhere along the way we started referring to ourselves as the
Devils Brigade. I struggled with a dying alternator (the Canadians had
to push start me several times and I ran with only the pilot light) and
contact lenses that wouldn’t come out, but we made it in reasonably
good order. We had a great rally. Colin Kelly won best Roadster in the
show, and we had some great rides. On the way home we visited
Crater Lake and then the Cycle Hub in Portland. Believe it or not
Cliff, the Sandy Bandit, actually handed out free beers, gave a tour of
his shop and joined us at Pal’s Shanty for dinner.
Over the last twenty years I’ve enjoyed many INOA rallies and
chaired or co-chaired two. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing my old
friends from that first rally. Colin tells me that he will get together as
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Norton Rally
JULY 11—16, 2016
Our Bikes
1969 NORTON COMMANDO PROJECT
1969 Norton Commando Project
By Geoff Carrigg
In December of 2004 I was looking for a “project” motorcycle and found one
advertised in the Northwest Norton Owners newsletter that I was able to
purchase for $400.00. It was a true “basket case” and was completely
disassembled down to the bare frame. It appeared that it had been in this
state for many years. It had not been stored carefully and important parts
were missing. For example we could not locate the crankshaft. I offered to
pay the seller extra if the crankshaft could be found but it never was. When it
last stopped running, this motorcycle had led a very hard life. Pretty much
everything was worm out. The cylinders were at maximum oversize. Gouge
marks inside the crankcase indicated that something had broken inside the
engine and this may have explained the missing crankshaft. I have attached
some before photographs.
registered in Oregon before too much money was invested in it. I had a
check done to make sure that the VIN number did not come up as stolen. I
then visited the local Oregon DMV office where I was presented with a
complex and uncertain process to obtain a title. I don’t know if it is still
possible but at that time businesses existed to help obtain titles for older
vehicles and I chose to give that a try. The process involved the title
company registering the bike in a state that did not issue titles for older
motorcycles. The bike was then “purchased” back with a bill of sale and valid
out of state registration. It worked and Oregon DMV happily issued an
Oregon title and registration for my Alabama registered Norton. Once the title issue was resolved, I began the process of restoration. It took
almost a year to get it back together. The list of work done is extensive
including such things as new brakes, tires, cables, bearings, seals,
Photos Geoff Carrigg
The bike had matching engine and frame numbers that indicated it was a
1969 Norton Commando. During 1969 the Commando was available as the
Fastback, “R” and “S” models. These were all essentially the same machine
with mostly cosmetic changes creating the different models. I am not 100%
sure which of these it would have been because it was in such poor
condition and missing many parts. headlamp so I believe that it was most
likely an “S” model. However it
included the center mounted oil tank and ring around the
The bike was purchased in Washington State with a Bill of Sale only and did
not include a title. The first concern was to ensure that it could be titled and
crankshaft, sleeved cylinders, new pistons and a paint job. Although I tried to
use as many of the original parts as possible, the result was not an accurate
restoration to a specific model. Some of the changes that have been made
include Boyer electronic ignition, single Mikuni carburetor conversion, turn
signals, Production Racer replica front fender and rear set foot controls. I
originally had in mind to make it into something in the “style” of the Norton
production racers of the early 1970s. However I delayed investing in the
expense of the production racer body work and completed the bike as a
practical rider.
Continued next page.
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Geoff’s Project
1969 NORTON COMMANDO PROJECT
1969 Norton Commando Project —Continued
In addition to the fairly expensive bodywork, the production racer has
an aggressive uncomfortable riding position and after riding the
completed bike I decided that I liked it as it was and abandoned the
production racer replica idea.
No performance enhancing modifications were done to the engine. If
anything it was detuned by modifications intended to improve reliability.
The cylinders were sleeved back to standard bore. Because the
cylinder/head had been shaved I had to fit two decompression plates to
the cylinder base to get the compression ratio down to a reasonable
8.5:1. It was first started and run with the standard dual Amal
carburetors and if they had worked properly I would have been happy
to keep them. However they had a problem of erratic idle. I had been
through the process of dealing with worn Amal carburetors a number of
times and learned that for a Norton the single carburetor conversion is
an easy and cost effective way to get a nice running engine. I
purchased a conversion kit from a company called Rocky Point Cycle
that provided everything needed for the conversion including the
manifold, pre-jetted carburetor, air filter and throttle cable. The kit fitted
easily and the engine ran well with no jetting adjustment required. The
single carburetor does cause a slight reduction in top end power but
was in line with my goal to produce a reliable and user friendly rider
rather than a “hot rod”.
Continued 12
next page
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Geoff’s Project
1969 NORTON COMMANDO PROJECT
1969 Norton Commando Project —Continued
The completed bike was test ridden for the first time in
November of 2005. During the initial test period I had to
remove the head twice. Once to replace a valve guide that
came loose and once to replace a guide seal that I
damaged fixing the loose guide.
The attachment point for the side stand on the early
Commandos was weak and mine failed causing the bike to
fall over and sustain some minor damage. I removed the
side stand planning to use the center stand only but
unfortunately the center stand on the early Commandos
was also a poor design. It is a very short unstable stand that
is attached to the frame whereas later models have a much
improved stand that is mounted to the engine cradle. I
drilled the engine cradle and fitted a later stand that has
since worked well.
The bike had the original fiberglass tank that had been
treated with a sealer so I assumed it would be O.K.
Unfortunately the sealer used was not alcohol resistant and
the tank developed a leak. As a temporary fix I treated the
tank with a modern alcohol resistant tank sealer (Caswell
Plating Epoxy) and this has held up for about 10 years.
However I am starting to suspect that the tank is beginning
to dissolve again and that a new steel tank is in the near
future.
I had issues with wet sumping. I fitted an automatic check
valve (and oil pressure gauge) that solved the wet sumping
and worked well for several years. However after on a
couple of occasions the engine failed to get oil pressure on
start up so I removed the valve and replaced it with a
manual valve with an ignition interlock. This has worked
well.
It has now done about 6000 miles and after the initial
problems were resolved it has proven to be a nice running
and reliable motorcycle.
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Buy and Sell
ADVERTISE YOUR STUFF HERE
Wanted:
Cook is looking for a right-hand switchgear housing for
• Ron
a 71 commando. Need not be pristine. Switches not critical. is also looking for a left-hand side frame cover for a
• Ron
1971 Norton commando. Fiberglass or steel.
[email protected] CNW.
Friesen is looking for an 850 pre-MKIII Oil Pump.
• Dave
[email protected]
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.
[email protected], 503-206-1620
For Sale:
Justice, Norton Parts for sale
• Sam
sjustice6587@qwestoffice.net
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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)
tank for slimline featherbed frame (export style,
• Gasoline
dented and rusty)
clutch parts
• Pre-Commando
market generic front fender from Walridge, new
• After
Monobloc and Concentric carb parts
clutch and throttle cables
• various
leading shoe front brake (original to pre-Commando
• single
bikes)
•
•
oNe Parts
various handlebars for Norton bikes
Pictures available on request.
…………………………………………
1975 Mk III Norton Commando
George Kraus is selling a 1975 Mk III Commando on
eBay for a friend. This original bike was recently brought
back to running order after prolonged storage to make it
safe to ride. Any parts replaced, were all sourced from
Andover Norton. Only genuine Norton factory parts were
used if available. The wiring is as it left the factory and
there is no evidence of any modifications made to the
bike, it appears to be a very nice unmolested original
example. http://tinyurl.com/hbx74fv. Sale ends Monday
February 29th. or contact Greg at 503-703-8067.
•
Please note: you can have your free ad on these
pages. Send in your ad today! 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.
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The Pillion
REGON N
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George E Kraus 2016
This is a copy of the T-shirt design we will be
producing and offering for sale to you the
members and at the 2016 NCNOC/INOA Rally in
Quincy.
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