During events like this Norton Rally you meet all sorts of people. Yesterday I met a gentleman named Jerry Kaplan who rides a 1950 Norton ES2 that has seen better days. Much better days. The bike looks like it hasn't been cleaned for a while and it is covered with dirt and oil. It is what some might call a 'rat bike'.
Jerry Kaplan's 1950 Norton ES2
When I met Jerry yesterday we talked about shooting video with his GoPro Hero3+ video camera. The mount on his handlebars didn't work too well so he mounted it on a chest harness. The only problem was that because of the wide angle of the camera lens his arms came out of the side of the picture.
Jerry is one of those characters that just don't seem to give a s@#% about things. The condition of his bike indicates that but on Thursday morning I saw tangible evidence that he's a one of a kind. In preparation for the morning's events there were quite a number of Nortons lined up for the 'Minute of Thunder' and then the roll out to begin the ride to Crater Lake. The dirt where the bikes were parked was uneven and Jerry's bike has a short side stand. When he put the stand down the bike began to tip, so to prevent that he took out his wallet and put it under his side stand. It worked but once again, Jerry didn't worry about the wallet. He just did what he needed to do.
Jerry's wallet keeping his ES2 from tipping over.
Two events were planned for Thursday morning. The first was the 'Minute of Thunder where people started their Nortons and ran them for a minute in memory of those Norton riders who are no longer with us. Wit more than 30 or so Nortons revving it was a loud experience but one that I'm glad I didn't miss.
Norton 'Minute of Thunder'
Following that, the group that was going ride the 168 mile round trip to Crater Lake, OR, rolled out to begin the journey. There's no motorcycle sound like a Norton and when a large number of them roll past it is a sound that isn't soon forgotten.
Norton convoy leaving for Crater Lake, OR
Jim and I decided to take it easy, look at bikes, have breakfast, then do a short ride. We headed down the mountain in to Ashland where we found a Starbucks. We had coffee and I took the time to do the blog from our first day at the rally. There is no WiFi at the Howard Prairie Resort because we were about 30 km from Ashland in the mountains. Most people weren't even getting cell coverage and it seemed to be a problem for some.
In Ashland the temperature was about 37C and wearing a leather jacket made the temperature a bit hard to take whenever we stopped. We left town after completing the blog post but without the GPS we were at a bit of a loss. We stopped at a tire shop to ask for directions and the sales person told us we were on the right road.
We followed his directions and found ourselves on Highway 66, not the famous Route 66, but simply a state highway. The road wound its way into the hills and we began to climb. The road here clings to the sides of hills as it climbs to the summit. The road shoulders are very narrow and there are no guard rails so one has to be careful rounding curves because it is only a few feet from a good ride to disaster. If a rider went over the side it might be a long time before he was found.
Jim was ahead of me and rounding a corner I saw two people on the side of the road standing beside a motorcycle. I stopped to ask them if they knew where we were. The couple was on a BMW and were stopped for a bit of lunch. They had a map which gave me an idea about where I was so I continued on to find Jim stopped on the side of the highway about five hundred metres further on. He had stopped at an isolated restaurant which was opposite the road back to the resort. He didn't know it but after seeing the couple's map and talking to one of the waiters in the restaurant, I was able to point us in the right direction. The ride back was excellent with a twisty road and no traffic and we arrived back at the lake with no further problems.
We stopped at the lodge and saw quite a few bikes parked there. Some were in incredible condition. A considerable amount of care, attention, and money has gone into some of these motorcycles. It's just a testament to how many Norton riders really have an emotional attachment to their bikes.
Norton Commando
Norton ES2
Norton Commando with aftermarket paint job
Norton Interstate
Norton Dominator
Norton Commando. The engine seized on the way to Crater Lake.
Norton Commando
Norton Commando detail
On the way back to the campsite we passed a group of people from Winnipeg, MB. They had several extraordinary motorcycles, including a 1936 V-twin AJS, a Colorado Norton Works Norton Commando, and a 1950s Norton, in addition to a Commando. They had an amazing trailer which was pulled by a Cadillac and was able to transport three motorcycles. There was some serious money at that campsite.
1936 AJS V-twin
AJS exhaust pipes
AJS V-twin engine
1936 AJS
1936 AJS
Norton ES2. Don't know the year.
Colorado Norton Works 1975 Commando
Primary chain case CNW 1975 Norton Commando
Back at the campsite we met a guy from St. Albert, AB. Clint Campbell had a 1968 Fastback Commando which he takes very good care of. The bike is always spotless and he has a special trailer to take it to Norton rallies. Last year at the INOA Rally he won best of class for limited production Nortons. The guy beside him has a 1962 Matchless which he transports in the back of his 1967 Chevrolet pickup truck.
The chipmunks were back and were hanging around our campsite so we gave them a few more peanuts. The larger one spent a good deal of time chasing the smaller one away so he could get all the spoils from Jim and me. In two days he had us trained quite well.
The campsite chipmunk
Prior to the movie we had dinner at the resort. There was a large group from Vancouver at the next table. Their conversation was dominated by a zaftig blonde who spoke loudly, had an extremely irritating voice, and never shut up. Needless to say, dinner was not a pleasant experience and we were glad to pay our bills and leave.
The evening activity was a showing of 'Hogslayer' the movie about the twin Norton engined dragster ridden by T.C. Christenson in the mid 1970s. It was supposed to be shown at seven o'clock but the event didn't seem to be too well coordinated. The movie didn't begin until nine o'clock and it was projected on the ceiling of the meeting tent. All in all, combined with the lack of scheduled field events pointed to a very poorly organized day. Still, spending time with other people who love Nortons, seeing the wide variety of bikes, and just hearing them when they are rolling down the highway is a beautiful thing.
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