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

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1 The Norton Colorado Newsletter Upcoming Events Sunday, July 6: Brunch at Dave Sheesley s, Evergreen, & Mt. Evans ride 10:00 am Tuesday - Friday, July 15-18: Norton National Rally! Ashland, OR Saturday & Sunday, July 26 & 27 Century Ride Contact for info: Why is this Member smiling? See page three I am going to the National in Ashland, Oregon. The Phoenix is back together - with working e-start for the first time in over three decades! - and the stars are aligned. So I began studying maps, and it didn t take long to realize that no matter the route, I was looking at crossing a BIG, LONELY DESERT on a 40-year old Norton. Alone. In July. I ve done that before: Fool me once, and all that. So... I m going to trailer my bike and cross that desert in air conditioned comfort. In some ways getting old dismays me; the maladies, aches and flagging energy are a drag. On the other hand, with age comes wisdom. Maybe. Hope to see many of you at the National. And get over to Dave s for a bang-up brunch! PAGE 1

2 Four Corners Rendezvous -Bob Herman! I confess to a strong emotional attachment to the Four Corners Rendezvous. My first exposure to Norton Colorado was in Durango, 1999, at the rendezvous I rode to with Jim Comstock and another Pueblo County-based erstwhile Norton Colorado member whose name now escapes me.! There I met some of the active members in the club: Steve and Charley. Ernie Fitzgerald. Thenpresident Todd Blevins. Mark Achten. Frank Snively. Doug McCadam and Matt Rambo, who then were running Colorado Norton Works out of a quonset hut behind Doug s house in Dolores. Sundry others, some of whom have left the club, the state, the vale of tears.! Since then, I ve attended most or all of the Four Corners Rendezvous campouts. At McPhee Reservoir in Dolores, and for the past few years at Mavreeso campground on the West Dolores Road. Over the years, attendance has dwindled. But the experience remains, for me, one of the defining Norton Colorado cornerstones of the riding season.! For one thing, I can wear my damn sweater around the campfire without having more urbane Members snipe at me over its seediness. This sweater has patina - provenance! The kind of history that other riders covet in their leather jackets (now much too small and held together by a cats cradle of chromed chains across an insurmountable girth that wasn t imagined 30 years prior. )! More importantly, this event is one where I get to spend quality time - joyous time - with some of the club members I may see at no other time of the year, given geography, encroaching age and entropy. Sadly, this year none of the Denver metrobased members showed up. Richard Florence came down from Steamboat Springs - Huzzah! Intrepid Member Darell Teeples covets his first Chinette PAGE 2

! And consider this: avid outta state Member Darell Teeples, who s even older than I am, RODE his Hinckley Triumph from PORTLAND, OREGON to make the scene in Dolores.

3 ! And consider this: avid outta state Member Darell Teeples, who s even older than I am, RODE his Hinckley Triumph from PORTLAND, OREGON to make the scene in Dolores. Fifteen hunnert and fortyone miles he rode just to spend a few days and nights with this group of miscreants and ne er-do-wells. Think of that next time you ponder whether to watch a golf tournament on TV or ride your motorcycle to a club event more demanding than a lunch meet in the city.! Okay, enough editorializing by the editor. My event report? We had fun. We had a lot of laughs, enjoyed each others company, swapped lies around the campfire and celebrated life. Many thanks to Gary and Lulubelle, Steve and Charley for the effort they continue to put into this great early summer event. And as always, Karen s green chili was to die for...! And the awards: it s not just a paper plate, it s Chinette! Those who know the history of this rally understand the significance of the paper plate trophies. Those who don t perhaps should plan to attend next year s Rendezvous and get the scoop. This year, the coveted Mr. Norton award was presented to Craig Terry, in recognition of the innumerable occasions on which he has come to the aid and rescue of club members (e.g., me) in distress. Also this year, an unprecedented Long Distance Award was presented to Darell Teeples, who rode from his Portland, Oregon home to see what the hell the fuss was all about. Don t ask Darell who s leading in the latest PGA tournament standings... A motley crew, to be sure PAGE 3

4 Louella searches for the Perfect Bean Mr. Norton 2014 has something in his eye PAGE 4

5 Why Harley Riders are Smarter than BMW Riders -Eric Bergman..in which the Prez speaks truth to power...! I was riding my Commando today in the foothills behind Golden and I stopped for lunch at the Country Roads Cafe in Kitteridge (highly recommended by the way). They have an outside patio which is very pleasant and a couple of motorcyclists were sitting there and obviously interested in the Norton as I pulled in. They invited me to join them and we had a pleasant wide-ranging chat, including an extended conversation about how cool Bob Martin is. One of the guys, I think his name is Rob, had met Bob a couple times and remembered his connection to the Norton club. It turned out that I had met Rob also, a couple years back at one of the motorcycle shows at Heritage Square.! My companions were both on modern BMWs, a GS of some kind (Rob) and one of the autobahn blasters. Rob also has a big K-bike and he readily admitted that he didn t enjoy it much because you had to go so damned fast to have any fun. He was worried about losing his license. If the market for used K-bikes wasn t so bad he d sell it. Both of them talked a lot about how much fun they had on smaller, slower bikes (like a Kawasaki KZ400) when they were younger. How big is yours?! This is a conversation I ve heard many times and I wonder why so many people are still seduced by ultrapowerful motorcycles. In that context we talked about Bob Martin s dalliance with über-schnell BMWs a couple years ago. Rob had bumped into Bob Martin once at Foothills BMW when he was working himself up to buying one. I m really not trying to pick on Bob here, but the truth is that he kept popping up in our conversation! PAGE 5

! I was still thinking about this while riding down Bear Creek Canyon towards home after lunch. It's always a pleasure to listen to the sound of a Commando at work.

6 ! I was still thinking about this while riding down Bear Creek Canyon towards home after lunch. It's always a pleasure to listen to the sound of a Commando at work. The volume of sound is quite variable of course. At idle or running at part throttle it just burbles along, making sounds that are very easy on the ears, soft, deep and sonorous. And when you open it up you have the famous snortin, but the need to open it up is not very frequent unless you re specifically out scratching. Commandos are pretty light and they have such good torque that you can move along at a quick pace without really having to flog them. I like the variety of sounds the bike makes, like the moods of a living thing. I like that I can move through a neighborhood rather quietly if I wish.! As usual on any half-decent day for riding, I encountered a considerable number of Harley-Davidsons on the road today and it suddenly occurred to me that they make a lot more noise than I ever make on my Commando. Even when just running at modest speed with traffic through a town like Evergreen they sound like the riders have the throttle cracked open pretty far. Why? The usual answer is open pipes but the pipes on my Commando are pretty much straight through too and unless I am hammering the throttle it never makes noise like most Harleys How small is yours? (allowing for the difference in engine size). Then the answer hit me like the kickstarter on a Norton with a bad layshaft bearing: it s because the Harley riders are ALWAYS on the throttle! Everyone knows they don t make much power, and that s commonly taken as a criticism, but the upside is that you get to enjoy the hearty roar of the engine working as hard as it can most of the time.! This brings me to my thesis: that the best motorcycle is the one that gives you the most pleasure without requiring you to risk your driver s license (or life). A Moto Morini 3-1/2 is one of the most fun motorcycles ever built, because you can flog the thing mercilessly and barely have to worry about the speed limit, and the bike is designed to be flogged and responds so well to it. Many of you know that I own two Laverda triples, 1000cc beasts that in their day were near the top of the performance heap. They have very different characters, however, because of the layout of the crankshaft. The 1977 Jarama has the original 180 crank (like an in-line four with one crank throw cut off) that was known to vibrate more than a bit and be a most uncivilized sort of machine. The 1984 RGA Jota has the later 120 layout that is considerably smoother, and that bike is actually a bit faster than the Jarama. But I adore the Jarama because of it s fascinating, almost animalistic sounds and vibrations, even at low revs and when riding at a modest pace. The RGA Jota is no fun until you get near the end of the federally-mandated 85 mph speedometer and then it s just urging PAGE 6

you to go even faster, and I find myself thinking about selling it because I m not willing to use it in the manner required to get real enjoyment from it.

7 you to go even faster, and I find myself thinking about selling it because I m not willing to use it in the manner required to get real enjoyment from it. The Norton is similar to the Jarama in providing abundant pleasures even when riding at a moderate pace. Even listening to it at idle is a pleasure. Can you say that about any modern sport bike? Not many.! So Harley riders are actually a lot smarter than I have been giving them credit for. Yes, their bikes are sluggish and heavy and don t handle very well and aren t especially reliable either (not that a Norton rider cares about that). But they are getting a lot more pleasure out of riding those things than the guy on his Boxer Cup Replica who can break the speed limit out on the Interstate in first gear without effort. I know several members of Norton Colorado who've done this experiment with modern Ducatis in recent years, and they all decide that it s too frustrating riding them at legal speeds and too expensive riding them at the speeds they prefer to travel at.! So, while I do wish Harley riders would forego the straight pipes and fit something that muffles the volume a bit, I applaud them for understanding, even if only instinctively, how to obtain a lot of pleasure from riding a motorcycle at reasonable speeds: by riding a motorcycle with a characterful engine that is not particularly powerful for the weight of the bike, that you can crack open almost anytime without getting into serious trouble. They are wiser than many other motorcyclists in that respect. Along those lines I am thinking the 1956 Laverda 100cc Sport lurking in my garage could turn out to be the best motorcycle I will ever have. One o them smarter H-D riders... PAGE 7

8 Vintage Bike Show, Palisade -Bob Herman The vintage bike show in Palisade was, once again, a fine display in a fine venue. Looked to me like about a hundred bikes were lined up along Palisade s main drag, and crowds were milling for hours among the variously restored/patina d/tarted up offerings from Europe, Japan, Land o the Free and Old Blighty. Those of us who had bikes in the show were committed to loitering in the downtown area throughout the day, as it is expressly forbidden to pull a shown bike out of the lineup before judging, which happens in late afternoon. Happily, a vodka distillery a block from the main street offers up the most incredible, gonzo bloody marys, which, I ve been told, really hit the mark... The sharp-eyed reader will recognize Steve Harris Commando behind the T500 Cafe bike PAGE 8

9 Winner, Rat Bike Class Bloody Marys. Nuff said. PAGE 9

Web-derived Eye Candy o the Month Talk Like a Real Limey Word o the Month Goose and Potatoes - Okay, to be truthful, I ve only heard this sobriquet uttered by Aussies.

10 Web-derived Eye Candy o the Month Talk Like a Real Limey Word o the Month Goose and Potatoes - Okay, to be truthful, I ve only heard this sobriquet uttered by Aussies. But hey - the sun never sets on the Empire, right? Ladies and fussy people stop reading now. Common usage: If you were to wear looser trousers I would not be made so aware of your prodigious goose and potatoes! Bonus points: Is that a goose and potatoes in your pants or are you just glad to see me? PAGE 10

11 A Call Out from King Browne!! The attached scan is a flier for local flat track racing. If you've never seen bikes with no brakes being thrown at high speed into curves while sliding and struggling for grip with the front wheel crossed up, it's amazing to watch. This series is small and informal, with more racers than spectators, truly grass roots racing with everyone from the 6 year olds to the pros "banging bars" in separate heats. It will seriously make you want to buy a small bike and learn how to slide it through a corner. It's also only 20 minutes up the road from Denver.! Also coming up is the Pike's Peak Hill Climb the week of June 23rd with practice days the 24th - 27th and the finals on Sunday June ,000 feet, 30 degrees, and 156 turns, this is a historic event with international prestige. Plan to buy a ticket soon because spectators may be limited to 4,000 attendees this year and come early as the gates up the mountain open at 3AM and close by 6AM. Everything from rally cars to liter class dual sport bikes will be racing up the mountain. Web site here: Finally if you have only watched roadracing on TV, come and watch the real thing at a Mountain Roadracing Association (MRA) event. Next round is at Pueblo Motorsports Park on 6/21-6/22. This racing is all about ultra-fast bikes and riders leaning far enough in the corners to scrape their knees and sometimes their elbows. Very exciting and Pueblo is a good track for spectating. Wander through the pits and catch an eyeful of state of the art racing hardware. It might even make you want to sign up for a track day, to experience the sensation of going as fast as your bike and abilities will allow without concern for radar traps, oncoming traffic or distracted cell phone drivers. Web site here: If you want to attend any of these, let me know. I love to ride to and attend as many events as possible over the summer season. Support local Racing! King Browne kingbrowne@comcast.net (note: the above events have come to pass before this issue goes to press. However, the Mile High Outlaw Series is ongoing. Contact King, get out there and cheer on the steel-shoed lunatics! -ed. PAGE 11

12 Intrepid Member James Lafler has naught but contempt for the elements! And he has e-start, of course... PAGE 12

13 NORTON COLORADO NEWSLETTER Norton Colorado Membership City Phone Prez Points Jack Abeyta X X Westminster (303) abeytaa@aol.com 18 Mark Achten & Sandra Holmes X Englewood (303) mhajap@msn.com Frank & Jennifer Albert X X Evergreen (303) frankalbert@att.net 1/0 Randy & Sharon Albright X X Golden (303) dirtywhitedog@comcast.net 4/0 Peter & Mickey Allen X X Evergreen (303) vincenttwin@gmail.com 3/0 Karen Bailey & Steve Lavin X X Denver (303) karenbailey33@gmail.com 1/1 Matt Baroody X X Littleton (303) matthewbaroody@msn.com Arnie & Stephanie Beckman X X Denver (303) arnnsteph@comcast.net 12/1 Eric Bergman & Susan Saarinen X X Golden (303) OneNorton@gmail.com 27/1 Rick Black X X Arvada (720) Greg Boechler X X Parker (720) greg@boechler.com 1 Gary Bolduc & Laurie Smith X X Dolores (970) Nortons@gmail.com John Boyd X X Aspen (970) johnny3nortons@gmail.com Tom Brown X Grand Junction utahtom17@yahoo.com King & Claudia Browne X X Golden (303) kingbrowne@comcast.net 4/0 Dave Campbell X X Aurora (303) dc.cccolo.gmail.com 5 Jonathan Chaikin X X Sedalia (303) Jonathan@abacuscabinetry.com 8 Perry Clark* X X Castle Rock (303) jclark515@aol.com Larry & Marilee Claxton X Cedaredge (970) claxtonlarryj@gmail.com Jim & Jacalyn Colt X X Boulder (303) ColtCo@frii.com 6/1 Ernie Comstock & Diane LaFavor X X Lafayette (303) comsteg@gmail.com Jim & Margaret Comstock X Pueblo (719) norton880fi@yahoo.com Dave Coxon X X Niwot (303) dvcoxon@rockymountainpower.com John Dahl X X Arvada (303) jdahl0778@msn.com 5 Paul-M. David X Denver (303) paul@winepairings.biz Bones Engelman X X Denver (720) bonesilhd@comcast.net 5 John Eyler X Lakewood (610) iconserv@ptd.net 1 Jeff Field & Katrina Bergman X Fort Collins (970) jjfield@gmail.com / katesbergman@gmail.com Jim & Karen Field X Westminster (303) kjfield21@reagan.com Mike Fields & Vicki Borden X X Denver (303) mpfields1@yahoo.com 3/3 Jim & Marti Fisher X X Erie (303) jfisher@coloradogroup.com 2/1 Richard Florence & Linda Sheean X X Steamboat Springs (970) richardsflorence@gmail.com Skip Foree X foreemilelli@yahoo.com 2 Mike Gallagher & Lisa Gills X X Lafayette (720) mgallagher01@hotmail.com 1/0 Peter Geise X X Louisville (720) stone-haus@comcast.net 3 Kris Geller X X Colorado Springs uukkee@aol.com 7 Tony Hagger X X Franktown (303) thehaggers@msn.com Geoffrey & Karen Harris X Littleton (303) gsharris1959@comcast.net Steve Harris & Charley Gremmels X X Durango (970) NoNortons@gmail.com 1/1 Bob Herman & Lisa Scalise X X Crestone (719) bob@rockymountainmotorcycletours.com 1/0 Pete Homan X X Denver (720) Michael Homs X X Denver (303) mjhoms@hotmail.com 1 Dennis Horgan X X Denver (303) dennis_horgan@msn.com Rohn Hyde X X Denver (303) James Ingram* X X Leonard, TX (214) james@ingramandfriends.com (Continued on next page) Video Clip o the Month Actually, a whole bunch of videos from the Isle o Man TT. How long does it take YOU to travel miles??? PAGE 13

14 NORTON COLORADO NEWSLETTER Norton Colorado Membership (continued) City Phone Prez Points Stephen Jarvis X X Durango (303) jarvist@mindspring.com Blair Jenkins X X Westminster (303) gs.blair@hotmail.com Debby Johnson X X Longmont (303) Nortons@gmail.com 23 Ed & Diana Johnson* X X edwardjohnson11@msn.com Tim Johnson X X Davis, CA timson4@gmail.com Jamie & Michelle Jones X X Conifer (303) jmjones91@earthlink.net 3/3 Jim Kelly X Berthoud (303) jkeldirt@gmail.com John Kinlin X X Denver (303) jkinlin@msn.com / harrisjg@msn.com 3 Mike Konshak X X Louisville (303) mike@2onahill.com 6 Tom & Nora Kruplak X X Parker (303) kru4@comcast.net James Lafler X X Loveland (970) jpl777@bajabb.com 6 Sid & Karen Leavell X X Durango (970) busters@bresnan.net Mark Liu X X Westminster (303) markdavidliu@aol.com 1 Sam Manganaro X X Cortez (540) sam@vincentworks.com Bob Martin X X Broomfield (303) bobamartin@msn.com 10 Michael McAdams & Vennie Mangus X X Englewood (303) mkelectricinc@gmail.com Doug McCadam X X Dolores/Baja (970) dougsnortons@hotmail.com Ken McEntire X X Englewood (303) Vern Neuscheler X Boulder (303) vernarthur@gmail.com Bob Ohman X X Colorado Springs (303) reohman@att.net 13 Ron & Joan Pierce X X Lafayette (303) ronpierceco2@aol.com 7/0 Jerry Pokorny X X Colorado Springs (303) jerry_pokorny@msn.com 2 Lynaire Reeh X X Englewood (303) lynaire.reeh@gmail.com Scott & Julie Robinson X X Thornton (303) mister.r (or) 21/3 Trish Sanders & Cory Zambrano X X Denver (303) /0 Randy & Evan Schneider X X Wellington (970) redienhcsr@aol.com/epschneider@hotmail.com Andi & Kristina Seiler X X Münzenberg andi.seiler@gmx.de Lee, Bryan & Austin Shanley X X Longmont (303) shanfam48@msn.com David Sheesley X X Evergreen (303) dks@davidksheesley.com 3 Steve Siler X X Frederick (303) ssiler@mtechg.com 5 Jim Simons X Erie (303) jameswsimons@hotmail.com Al & Barb Slarks X X Boulder (303) al@slarks.com 3/0 Wayne, Ursula & Christopher Smiley X Frederick (303) wssmiley@comcast.net 6/1 Ryan & Molly Sorenson X X Durango (970) sorensonryan@hotmail.com Bill Stone X X Kaleen, Australia bilstone@bigpond.net.au Paul Swenson* X X Colorado Springs beemerpaul@aol.com Tom and Camille Tallick X X Arvada (303) ttallick@gmail.com Jo Teague X X Littleton (303) jmteague@comcast.net 1 Darell Teeples* X X Portland, OR (503) dedet@easystreet.net Craig Terry X X Glenwood Springs (970) craigterry@acsol.net Gene Toner X X gtoner35@aol.com Al Turner X X Denver (303) al_tu@hotmail.com 2 Jay & Teri Ann Tynes X Elizabeth (720) tubbrex@aol.com 1/1 Herb & Karen Varona X X Westminster (303) /1 Lew Wackler X X Boulder (303) lewackler@yahoo.com 1 Darrell Walker & Kaet Snyder X X Basalt (970) darrellwalker@yahoo.com Dale & Cathy Watson X Conifer (303) dhwats73@gmail.com Dave & Robin Webster X Haiku, HI (808) bsadw@hotmail.com Denny & Cathy Westervelt X X Denver (303) dennywestervelt@aol.com 2/1 Martin White X X Louisville (303) weeno6@netzero.com 19 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 Bob Zimmerman X Colorado Springs (719) rzimmmerman@msn.com Total Memberships * Joined after August 1, 2013; dues paid through 2014 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: July 6 (Sun): Brunch and Mt. Evans Ride - host David Sheesley July (Tue-Fri): INOA Rally, Oregon July (Fri-Sun): Century Ride (2 day ride, total 500+ miles, age of rider and motorcycle = 100 years or more) Aug 2-3 (Sat-Sun): Wimpy Campout - host Jamie and Michelle Jones Aug 7 (Thu): First Thursday - Crash45 and GB Fish & Chips Aug 17 (Sun): Group Ride to Estes Park Sept 5-7 (Fri-Sun): Missile Site Campout < Sept 14 (Sun): English Motoring Conclave (date not confirmed) Sept 28 (Sun): Breakfast Ride - host Jim and Marti Fisher Oct 11 (Sat): Plains Ride - host Scott and Julie Robinson Oct 26 (Sun) (Sun): Open Garage - host Al & Barb Slarks Nov 9 (Sun): Fall Tech Day TBA Dec 6 (Sat): Pub meeting TBA Jan 1, 2015 (Thu): New Years Day Ride Jan 11, 2015 (Sun): Pub meeting TBA PAGE 15

WHERE THE HELL IS NORTON COLORADO? JULY 1, 2014 Gonzo member Richard Florence s new ride Current Occupants Grand Wazoo Eric Bergman (303) 278-7445 onenorton@gmail.

16 WHERE THE HELL IS NORTON COLORADO? JULY 1, 2014 Gonzo member Richard Florence s new ride 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

WE RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE RE NOT ALL THERE

WE RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE RE NOT ALL THERE Norton Colorado www.nortoncolorado.org Newsletter September2015 Upcoming Events See page 10 for the entire official 2015 events schedule. September 11 th 13 th