WE RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE RE NOT ALL THERE JANUARY 1, Norton Colorado

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1 The Norton Colorado Newsletter Upcoming Events Saturday, January 1o: Pub Meeting The Burns 9009 Metro Airport Ave Broomfield Saturday, February 7: Winter Banquet The Old Neighborhood 7923 Allison Way Arvada What is Bob Doing? If you were there, you d know I m waxing nostalgic this month, which is a pretty common malady among those who choose to squirrel away the winter in the Rockies. Especially poignant for me now, though, in that my tenure as editor of this august newsletter is coming to a close. The February issue will be my last, and as always results at an important transition, I m equivocal about leaving this post. Thankfully, the reins will be taken up in the capable hands of longtime member (and former editor) Scott Robinson. I look forward to his fresh interpretation of the unique and very special phenomenon that is Norton Colorado, beginning with the March issue. See you at the Winter Banquet! PAGE 1

2 Cannonball Creek Gathering -Eric Bergman Peter Allen called out a motley collection of motorcyclists for an impromptu gather at Cannonball Creek Brewery in Golden on Saturday, the day before our official event at Pints Pub. I thought I d put an easy point on Jack Abeyta by riding my Norton over, barely far enough to warm up the engine, but Jack and Peggy showed up just after I did. That boy is serious about winning the President s Award this year! After the Nortons, the 1951 Vincent Touring Rapide was probably the coolest bike there. The guy got it from his father, but only after it had been submerged in a Mississippi River flood. Vincent made a short run (about 100, according to Peter) of bikes in red and this was one of them, although it s been repainted now. Among the other motorcycles that turned out was a mil-spec ULM and a set of cafe racers ridden by young women who parked them just behind the BBQ truck in a perfectlychoreographed row. Peter was still gushing about that at Pints Pub the next day, noting that the guys parked their bikes in complete disorder (as usual). We ll try to get the women to come to one of our events and teach us how to line our bikes up properly. Dauntless members Jack & Peggy Abeyta PAGE 2

3 Norton Porn o the Month: PAGE 3

4 Perfectly Pleasant at the Pints Pub -Eric Bergman " The forecast had been quite favorable for our pub meeting at Pints Pub but the day started off with a lot of cloud cover that kept the temperatures down, and it was a bit chilly and gloomy when I headed down 6th Avenue towards The Queen City. " When I got there, the sun was starting to peek out a bit and I found Arnie Beckman standing out front with his P-11 leaned up against the front of the pub (no sidestand). It was just opening time, so we went in and occupied our private room upstairs, the Jury Room. " Bob Martin, Jim Colt and Ron Pierce had gone for breakfast across the street at Dozens and then they came over to Pints for lunch. The other guys straggled in over a period of time, including James Lafler and his friend Huge Mike, who had ridden down all the way from Fort Collins, until we had a quite decent turnout (with six Nortons), which overflowed the Jury Room. " I started with a fine 12- year old single malt and then switched to beer to go with my bangers and mash. The food and drink at Pints got uniformly good reviews, and our waitress Emma was a sweetheart, gracious and efficient. The atmosphere at Pints is really pleasant, very very British. I am sure we will schedule another pub meeting there before long, and if it were a bit larger I think it d make a great location for a Winter Banquet. " While we were eating, the clouds cleared off and the sun began warming things up. By the time we came out and dispersed, the skies were clear blue and the air was calm. Perfect. PAGE 4

5 Rode a Norton Eric Bergman Jack Abeyta Marty White Steve Siler Arnie Beckman James Lafler Rode Something Lesser Bob Martin (SJA*) Jim Colt (KTM) Ron Pierce (SJA*) Peter Allen (Hinkley) Got There John Zemp Lew Wackler Skip Foree * SJA = Soulless Japanese Appliance PAGE 5

6 A veritable bevy of Norton Colorado members enjoying the day Talk Like a Real Limey Insult o the Month UPHILL GARDENER: Noun - A male homosexual. Whether referencing this proclivity is actually an insult or not is not my concern, but when used, it s intended as such. E.G.: I see Elton John just got married. Forty years ago he pretended to be bisexual, but it was common knowledge that he is an uphill gardener. PAGE 6

7 Winter Project Idea o the Month " It happens to all of us. You finish nipping up the last cheesehead bolt and head off to the fridge for yet another lukewarm Guinness to celebrate A Job Well Done. Wiping bitter suds off your slack chin, you cast an uneasy eye toward the yogurt tub full of extras : those silly little gizmos left over on reassembly. " What to do? This time, instead of hiding them in a box and living in denial, celebrate your cleverness at eliminating extra weight in the rebuild: Build statuary! " Repurposing is all the rage these days, and your family and friends will marvel at your previously unknown talent. Tomas Vitanovsky poses with one of his beautiful, often whimsical creations, using sundry parts scavenged from parts bins. To see more of his work, check it out here: PAGE 7

8 Tech Tip o the Month: Special Fasteners PAGE 8

9 Swan Song o the Month -yer faithful servant In September, 1982, I bought a tired and neglected 1975 Commando Mk 3 Hi-Rider. Huddled in the far corner of a gas station lot in Concord, New Hampshire, I d first seen it in April, but resisted approaching the owner until September, when I waved $1250 at him and loaded the bike into my Jeep J20 pickup. A long way up to the bed, that. Having ridden and owned sundry Japanese bikes for fifteen years, I was unprepared for the challenges and triumphs (as it were) forthcoming as the Norton and I worked hard to become friends. First off, that silly Hi-Rider regalia had to go. European bend bars and a Roadster seat knocked things down a notch, but I kept the Hi-Rider tank. In New England, an eightymile range was not much of an issue; one could be two states north in eighty miles, and fuel certainly was available in all of the towns that were connected at the hip all through the region. And I liked the lines of that diminutive tank. Fast forward a bunch of years, and having settled on a mesa north of Pueblo, Colorado, in 1998 I drove my pickup back to the east coast and rescued my bike from the moss-and-mold environment of my father-in-law s garden shed, ramped it up into the Nissan pickup and brought it west. Over the winter I refreshed the neglected bike, and one day I met a guy in Pueblo who said: You have a Norton? Then of course you know Comstock. Well, no, I didn t know anyone by that name, but eventually I found my way over to Jim s Automotive (and Small Diesel) and barged in with the intro: I hear you know a thing or two about Nortons. After about an hour and a half I excused myself and let Jim get back to work. In summer 99 with Jim I attended my first Norton Colorado event, the Four Corners Rally, which was then held north of Durango. There I met many of the club stalwarts of the time: then-president Todd Blevins, Frank Snively, Mark Achten, Doug McCadam and Matt Rambow, Steve and Charley, and a bunch of other guys, some of whom are still involved and some who have gone on to other things. Soon after this rally I joined Norton Colorado and over the years thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of weekend rides, swapping lies around the campfire and good friendships. In March 2006, Jim Comstock s automotive shop burned down, due to a stupid move by the operator of an auto body shop then sharing the building Jim s Automotive occupied. My Norton was in Jim s shop that night; I was preparing it for a trip down the Baja Peninsula with Doug McCadam. POOF: in the blink of an eye, my bike was toast. Not to mention Jim s shop, several of his own bikes, including the one-off race bike I d watched him meticulously build over the previous months. A disaster, yes. But a double-edged one: Jim moved on from there to establish a home-based business as you all know, and the journey I took from there with the smoldering carcass of my Commando turned into a gratifying adventure and a lesson in comradeship. PAGE 9

10 Those of you who have joined Norton Colorado in the past six years or so probably are not aware of the generosity club members showed, and the support they provided, allowing - nay, demanding - that I rebuild my burned-up bike. Without that support and encouragement I doubt that I would have rebuilt the bike. With it, I ended up with a very special motorcycle that will for the rest of my life represent the best of what a club is - and what friends are. Those of you who have been in the club since those days know the story. For newbies, an account can be found here: " So many club members helped with that project, I was truly humbled. In 2008, two years to the day from the fire, in the company of a half dozen Norton Colorado members, I fired the bike up (eventually!) and triumphantly resurrected the Crispy Critter as the Phoenix. PAGE 10

11 " Fast forward a another year and now-prez Eric Bergman was about tired of editing the monthly newsletter, which he d been doing since the Eisenhower administration. I agreed to take over that task, figuring a year or so of that would be a good repayment to the club for everything. " Fast forward again. Now it s five years that I ve been putting out this newsletter, and while I ve enjoyed the gig - still do - it s time to pass the torch. Fresh blood invigorates and keeps things dynamic, and I m pleased to say that another club member has stepped forward to take over the editorial chair and provide his perspective on the world of Norton Colorado. " Next month s issue will be my last, if the transition goes smoothly as planned. I look forward to celebrating life with all of you at the winter banquet, and will continue to be an active club member, attending events as I can and swapping lies around the campfire as long as Yahweh so dictates. Winter Getaway o the Month PAGE 11

12 Thanks to Darell Teeples for this awe-inspiring view of Stelvio Pass PAGE 12

13 NORTON COLORADO NEWSLETTER Norton Colorado Membership City Phone Prez Points Jack Abeyta X Westminster (303) abeytaa@aol.com 85 Frank & Jennifer Albert X Evergreen (303) frankalbert@att.net 1/0 Randy & Sharon Albright X Golden (303) dirtywhitedog@comcast.net 8/0 Peter & Mickey Allen X X Evergreen (303) vincenttwin@gmail.com 9/0 Karen Bailey & Steve Lavin X Denver (303) karenbailey33@gmail.com 1/1 Matt Baroody X Littleton (303) matthewbaroody@msn.com Arnie & Stephanie Beckman X X Denver (303) arnnsteph@comcast.net 15/1 Eric Bergman & Susan Saarinen X X Golden (303) OneNorton@gmail.com 91/5 Rick Black X Arvada (720) Greg Boechler X Parker (720) greg@boechler.com 3 Gary Bolduc & Laurie Smith X Dolores (970) Nortons@gmail.com John Boyd X Aspen (970) johnny3nortons@gmail.com Tom Brown X Grand Junction utahtom17@yahoo.com King & Claudia Browne X Golden (303) kingbrowne@comcast.net 11/0 Dave Campbell X Highlands Ranch (720) dc.cccolo.gmail.com 21 Jonathan Chaikin X Sedalia (303) Jonathan@abacuscabinetry.com 15 Peter Chronis X Denver (303) pchronis43@msn.com Perry Clark X Castle Rock (303) jclark515@aol.com 3 Larry & Marilee Claxton X Cedaredge (970) claxtonlarryj@gmail.com Jim & Jacalyn Colt X X Boulder (303) ColtCo@frii.com 18/1 Ernie Comstock & Diane LaFavor X Lafayette (303) comsteg@gmail.com Jim & Margaret Comstock X Pueblo (719) norton880fi@yahoo.com 10/10 Dave Coxon X Niwot (303) dvcoxon@rockymountainpower.com John Dahl X Arvada (303) jdahl0778@msn.com 10 Paul-M. David X Denver (303) paul@winepairings.biz 2 Christopher & Jennifer Eng X Nederland (303) cengcycling@gmail.com 1 Bones Engelman X Denver (720) bonesilhd@comcast.net 21 Mike Fields & Vicki Borden X Denver (303) mpfields1@yahoo.com 20/3 Jim & Marti Fisher X X Erie (303) jfisher@coloradogroup.com 8/2 Richard Florence & Linda Sheean X Steamboat Springs (970) richardsflorence@gmail.com 10 Skip Foree X foreemilelli@yahoo.com 14 Mike Gallagher & Lisa Gills X Lafayette (720) mgallagher01@hotmail.com 11/0 Peter Geise X Louisville (720) stone-haus@comcast.net 12 Kris Geller X Colorado Springs uukkee@aol.com 13 Tony Hagger X Franktown (303) thehaggers@msn.com 5 Geoffrey & Karen Harris X Littleton (303) spaceman1959@comcast.net 7/1 Steve Harris & Charley Gremmels X X Durango (970) NoNortons@gmail.com 1/1 Bob Herman & Lisa Scalise X Crestone (719) romomoto@gmail.com 21/0 Pete Homan X Denver (720) Michael Homs X Denver (303) mjhoms@hotmail.com 10 Dennis Horgan X Denver (303) dennis_horgan@msn.com 4 Rohn Hyde X Denver (303) James Ingram X Leonard, TX (214) james@ingramandfriends.com (Continued on next page) Paintless Dent Removal Shop o the Month This outfit is in Santa Rosa, California, recommended by a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows... PAGE 13

14 NORTON COLORADO NEWSLETTER Norton Colorado Membership (continued) City Phone Prez Points Stephen Jarvis X Durango (303) jarvist@mindspring.com Blair Jenkins X Westminster (303) gs.blair@hotmail.com Debby Johnson X X Longmont (303) Nortons@gmail.com 62 Ed & Diana Johnson X edwardjohnson11@msn.com Tim Johnson X Davis, CA timson4@gmail.com Jamie & Michelle Jones X Conifer (303) jmjones91@msn.com 11/9 Jim Kelly X Berthoud (303) jkeldirt@gmail.com John Kinlin X Denver (303) jkinlin@msn.com / harrisjg@msn.com 7 Mike Konshak X Louisville (303) mike@2onahill.com 7 Tom & Nora Kruplak X Parker (303) kru4@comcast.net James Lafler X Loveland (970) jpl777@bajabb.com 36 Sid & Karen Leavell X Durango (970) busters@bresnan.net Mark Liu X Westminster (303) markdavidliu@aol.com 13 Sam Manganaro X Cortez (540) sam@vincentworks.com Bob Martin X Broomfield (303) bobamartin@msn.com 29 Michael McAdams & Vennie Mangus X Englewood (303) mkelectricinc@gmail.com 7/1 Doug McCadam X Dolores/Baja (970) dougsnortons@hotmail.com 10 Ken McEntire X Englewood (303) Vern Neuscheler X Boulder (303) vernarthur@gmail.com Bob Ohman X Colorado Springs (303) reohman@att.net 19 Ron & Joan Pierce X Lafayette (303) ronpierceco2@aol.com 14/1 Jerry Pokorny X X Colorado Springs (303) jerry_pokorny@msn.com 7 Lynaire Reeh X Englewood (303) lynaire.reeh@gmail.com Scott & Julie Robinson X X Thornton (303) mister.r (or) 47/8 Trish Sanders & Cory Zambrano X Denver (303) /0 Randy & Evan Schneider X Wellington (970) redienhcsr@aol.com 10/10 Andi & Kristina Seiler X Münzenberg andi.seiler@gmx.de Lee, Bryan & Austin Shanley X Longmont (303) shanfam48@msn.com 4 David Sheesley X Evergreen (303) dks@davidksheesley.com 10 Scott Shuler X Fort Collins (720) scott.shuler@colostate.edu 6 Steve Siler X X Frederick (303) ssiler@mtechg.com 15 Al & Barb Slarks X Boulder (303) al@slarks.com 8/5 Wayne, Ursula & Christopher Smiley X X Frederick (303) wssmiley@comcast.net 22/1 Ryan & Molly Sorenson X Durango (970) sorensonryan@hotmail.com Bill Stone X Kaleen, Australia bilstone@bigpond.net.au Paul Swenson X Colorado Springs beemerpaul@aol.com 8 Tom and Camille Tallick X X Arvada (303) ttallick@gmail.com 1/0 Jo Teague X Littleton (303) jmteague@comcast.net 3 Darell Teeples X X Portland, OR (503) dedet@easystreet.net 5 Craig Terry X Glenwood Springs (970) craigterry@acsol.net Gene Toner X gtoner35@aol.com Al Turner X X Denver (303) al_tu@hotmail.com 4 Jay & Teri Ann Tynes X X Elizabeth (720) tubbrex@aol.com 8/1 Herb & Karen Varona X Westminster (303) /3 Lew Wackler X Boulder (303) lewackler@yahoo.com 7 Darrell Walker & Kaet Snyder X Basalt (970) darrellwalker@yahoo.com Dale & Cathy Watson X Conifer (303) dhwats73@gmail.com 9/1 Dave & Robin Webster X Haiku, HI (808) bsadw@hotmail.com 7/9 Denny & Cathy Westervelt X Denver (303) dennywestervelt@aol.com 6/1 Martin White X Louisville (303) weeno6@netzero.com 31.5 Russ Willard X Lewisville, NC rwillard8@triad.rr.com Michael Wilson (paid through 2015) X X Littleton (303) md_wilson@comcast.net Bob Wood X X Billings, MT (406) drrwwood@gmail.com 1 Jon & Kirsten Zemp* X X Denver (720) jondzemp@gmail.com 5/1 Bob Zimmerman X Colorado Springs (719) rzimmmerman@msn.com 2 Total Memberships * Joined after August 1, 2014; dues paid through 2015 PAGE 14

15 Membership Membership in Norton Colorado is open to anyone, regardless of whether they own a Norton, or any motorcycle whatsoever. Dues are $20/year individual, $22 for a couple or family unit, payable to "Norton Colorado" and sent to the Treasurer, whose contact information is listed on the last page of this newsletter. The list on page 14 is the official membership, as understood by the Newsletter Editor on the date of publication of the newsletter. Please let me know if I have made an error. The membership year begins with the Winter Banquet in February. New members who join after August 1 are credited with membership for the following year. Western Slope Riders Many Norton Colorado members live in the western part of the state, and fina"y have noticed that it s inconvenient to ride 500 miles for High Tea on the Front Range. Said members have formed a loose confederation known as the Western Slope Riders, and are having their own High Tea and other fun times. A" Norton Colorado members are welcome at these Western Slope events, so if you city kids want to find out what the shoe feels like on the other foot, plan to ride out and join the Western Slope contingent. Contact: Gary Bolduc, for info on upcoming WSR events NORTON COLORADO NEWSLETTER Club Events The following events have been scheduled for the 2014 season. Participation in these events will be counted for the President's Award. The coming month s events are shown in red. Events may be added, dropped, or rescheduled through the year. Watch this space, and check the schedule on the club website: Jan 1, 2015 (Thu): New Years Day Ride Jan 10, 2015 (Sat): Pub meeting Feb 7, 2015(Sat): Winter Banquet PREZ POINTS STANDINGS: (points, events, solo rides:) Eric Bergman! 98! 18! 19 Jack Abeyta! 91! 16! 12 Debby Johnson! 63! 10! 20 Scott Robinson! 47! 9! 6 James Lafler! 42! 9! 4 Martin White! 36.5! 11! 0 Bob Martin!! 31! 14! 0 Peggy Abeyta! 31! 8! 2 Rick Black!! 30! 6! 0 Wayne Smiley! 22! 6! 0 Bob Herman! 21! 3! 8 Bones Engelman!21! 4! 0 Dave Campbell! 21! 3! 14 Arnie Beckman! 20! 6! 1 Jim Colt!! 20! 12! 0 Mike Fields! 20! 5! 0 Steve Siler!! 20! 4! 0 PAGE 15

16 WHERE THE HELL IS NORTON COLORADO?" DECEMBER 1, 2014 Every parent s fondest dream Current Occupants Grand Wazoo Eric Bergman (303) onenorton@gmail.com Consigliore Arnie Beckman (303) Arnie.Beckman@coloradodefenders.us Exchequer (Send $$$ here) Charley Gremmels (970) NoNortons@gmail.com 1832 Forest Ave., Durango, CO Ride Coordination Czarina Debby Johnson (303) nortons@gmail.com Swag Boss Jim Fisher 303) jfisher@coloradogroup.com Ministry of Truth Bob Herman (719) romomoto@gmail.com Dead Tree Publication Colt Reproduction Norton Colorado th St. Golden, CO Addressee Name 4321 First Street Anytown, State