dmathers
06-01-2004, 10:57 PM
The Buckeye Ride
‘Pa’, my trusted Norton, sits in all his glory, so proud, sparkling clean and glistening in the lights acting like he’s the Grand Marshall in some fancy parade riding high above the crowd…………on the back of a flat bed tow truck.
After four weeks in intensive care; Cylinder heads rebuilt, 020 over pistons, Bore Tech treatment on the cylinders and countless hours taking care of several miscellaneous service issues, lots of cleaning and polishing and ‘Pa’ was looking pretty good and ready for another maintenance free riding season. (British bike and maintenance free? That’s an oxymoron)
Twenty miles into the first ride ‘Pa’ stumbles to a stop as if the ignition had been switched off. A quick inspection and some choice British curses and he starts up and we ride away; for a ¼ mile then repeats the process three more times until he absolutely refuses to start again. This was the first time in thirty years that ‘Pa’ has left me stranded.
This was the ride that my sons had been waiting for. Ever since childhood they had been talking about how great it was going to be for the three of us to ride motorcycles together. We took picture in front of the house before we left to record the moment, Drew on his Yamaha Radian, Chris on his Honda CBR and me on the Norton Commando, all smiles and excited. What was planned as a tour of four city parks ended with a two-hour wait on Eastern Ave. for the tow truck on Sunday evening.
In ‘Pa’ defense it wasn’t a British electrical part that that failed but a Taiwanese “go fast” ignition coil that shorted out and destroyed itself and the aftermarket ignition module with it.
It only took an additional five hours to remove the old coil and modify the brackets to hold a different style aftermarket coil and replace the ignition module. I feel pretty confident that thing are now in correct order, we rode for fifty miles yesterday and ‘Pa’ didn’t quit and nothing fell off.
Now that all is well in my garage, the three of us are planning on riding to the LocalRiders.com meeting next Tuesday. Watch out for triple trouble.
Never a dull moment on a Norton.
6/1/2004
‘Pa’, my trusted Norton, sits in all his glory, so proud, sparkling clean and glistening in the lights acting like he’s the Grand Marshall in some fancy parade riding high above the crowd…………on the back of a flat bed tow truck.
After four weeks in intensive care; Cylinder heads rebuilt, 020 over pistons, Bore Tech treatment on the cylinders and countless hours taking care of several miscellaneous service issues, lots of cleaning and polishing and ‘Pa’ was looking pretty good and ready for another maintenance free riding season. (British bike and maintenance free? That’s an oxymoron)
Twenty miles into the first ride ‘Pa’ stumbles to a stop as if the ignition had been switched off. A quick inspection and some choice British curses and he starts up and we ride away; for a ¼ mile then repeats the process three more times until he absolutely refuses to start again. This was the first time in thirty years that ‘Pa’ has left me stranded.
This was the ride that my sons had been waiting for. Ever since childhood they had been talking about how great it was going to be for the three of us to ride motorcycles together. We took picture in front of the house before we left to record the moment, Drew on his Yamaha Radian, Chris on his Honda CBR and me on the Norton Commando, all smiles and excited. What was planned as a tour of four city parks ended with a two-hour wait on Eastern Ave. for the tow truck on Sunday evening.
In ‘Pa’ defense it wasn’t a British electrical part that that failed but a Taiwanese “go fast” ignition coil that shorted out and destroyed itself and the aftermarket ignition module with it.
It only took an additional five hours to remove the old coil and modify the brackets to hold a different style aftermarket coil and replace the ignition module. I feel pretty confident that thing are now in correct order, we rode for fifty miles yesterday and ‘Pa’ didn’t quit and nothing fell off.
Now that all is well in my garage, the three of us are planning on riding to the LocalRiders.com meeting next Tuesday. Watch out for triple trouble.
Never a dull moment on a Norton.
6/1/2004