Donnington 2009 revisited part 2

 A plethora of images keep appearing in my inbox from some friends, it fair keeps you smiling in these dark dreich times and thanks to you guys (you know who you are). Today we managed to get out for a short run, very wet and cold but at least the ice and snow had a day off which is brilliant. It is forecast to return to the ice age tomorrow. What happened to global warming? Is it more bullshit dreamt up from those in power to make us feel even more miserable and subserviant?

Out on the T3 Guzzi today, Fiona on her ER6 for some essential shopping obviously, however because we haven't been out for so long we got lost and took several wrong turns, annoying when that happens, a 5 mile trip turned into 25 miles, bugger!

The roads are in a shocking state, third world in places and several hundred potholes that are to put it bluntly potentially lethal, what do we pay our first world taxes for?, can someone remind me? Is it for the hugely inflated wages of the politicians and public sector bosses to sit on their fat arses and spend our money unwisely? 

Anyhoo enough of that, back to the real world of Motorbikes and Nortons at that!

Charge

More charge

Dicing at a sedate pace

Richard from Belgium, entertaining as always and in no way sedate

I enjoyed watching him on a charge

Sedate ish

Richard winning the Rear rack race

Going for it

Did I tell you about the Rotary, the Single and the Commando?

Pretty sure this is the well known outfit of Hans from Holland

MVD getting no attention, don't know te interloper between MVD and Phils bike

Nortons

I thought Marc's bike needed a clean

Marc looking for his duster

Heaven

Quality

Not sure it was worth it but interesting just the same

Well thought out

Donnington Norton Launch 2009 Part 1

 Trying to keep the photos coming, mostly bikes today, this was from the launch of the Donnington Nortons in 2009, I went there with the intention of putting a deposit on one of the first batch but after speaking to Tweedledee (the owner) and Tweedledum (the engineer???) my cheque book stayed in my pocket, It would be 10 years before the two of them were "found out".

I rode down on the Thursday with David T if I remember correctly and left on the Saturday before the "Dress Ball" on the Saturday night. If I wanted to get dressed as a clown at a bike meeting I could have bought a Harley (I was going to say BMW but oops I have) 

Friday there were track sessions and it was good to see the bikes ridden, some faster than others! 

enjoy, oh and plenty more to follow.

Getting ready for the off

Nice JPN

Nervous? Alan Clark on 510 BNM I think

Did you remember the Petrol

Nice single and twin

Fettling

Commando modernised , nice job

A seeley I think

Look at the front end? 

Alan waiting for the race , hanging back to give the lads a chance

Nortons

I did worry about this lad, map of the circuit on the tank? Home made aerofoil on the back?

Nice take on the Commando cafe racer theme

Cool

Cooler

Very nice

Plenty luggage here

The 961, yours for only £16,000, oh and you may have to wait a few years after you paid for it to get the bike! 

I was mightily unimpressed by the Frame design

Rotaries which had been borrowed, wonder if the rightful owners ever got them back?

Global interest

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Home brewed special

Ian Verrinder from London Branch wondering why I am taking a photo or if he bought me a drink the night before

Nice

Vezio 2007 revisited

 Another delve back into the archives this time to June 2007 and a second time for me to visit Vezio. This was where the Norton Rally was held in 1999, my god last century, seems like only yesterday and yet that was 22 years ago. The rally in 2007 followed the wedding of our good friends Hessel and Silvia, we had a couple of weeks off so after the wedding headed the 700 miles to Vezio. It rained, my god did it rain, all the way through Germany and Switzerland and it was still raining when we got to Vezio, at times Fiona said following the Norton was like following a ship with the big bow wave being created as we splashed our way down flooded Motorways. My Norton started leaking oil in a big way en route (The crankcase has started to split across the main bearing flange and therefore the oil from the crankcase was being blown into the chaincase and then mostly onto me and my rear tyre which is ideal in wet conditions!)

The good thing about lubricating the rear tyre is it keeps wear down, a side effect was the chain was being well lubed so that was a positive. The bike though did get me there and home although it did require a full engine strip on my return.

I still remember vividly that journey in the wet, then heading back over the St Bernardo pass letting Fiona through so she could enjoy the bends as I certainly wasn't with the oily rear tyre. Some of our friends who were at the meeting are no longer with us sadly but if that teaches us a lesson it's get out there and do it, don't put it off, Carpe Diem! 

Just remembered this was my birthday so we had a weekend one at Applecross, set off for Holland for the wedding, then to Vezio for weekend two, met up with our Belgian pals in Kortrik then back to the UK to enjoy my actual birthday at Applecross for weekend three. I miss these crazy trips!

Germany Rain

There is some oil!

350 miles of constant rain does not make any motorcyclist happy

Clearing up

Campsite

Getting Sunny

Everybody was drying gloves and clothes

And helmets

BSA's

Enjoying a beer (spot the vintage Nokia, state of the art then!)

Nice

Good turnout from all over Europe

A local bike and a Rome registered BSA

I like this

Our friend Arno on his roadgoing Manx, he rode this from Austria

Giorgio's bike from Genoa

Our good friend Wolf (RIP)

Giorgio (RIP)

Blinged up Commando

When was the last time you saw a Sunbeam loaded up for camping?

Collection of bikes

The bar

Great atmosphere

remember parties? BC

The well known Commando of Benoit from France

Maintenance on the way home

plenty oil

Have a wine and forget

Camping in France

Brugge

Leaving its mark in Brugge

Now just a few hundred miles to Applecross and back