At Long Last

The last INOA (International Norton Owners' Association) rally for the western half of the continent was held in July 2018. The rallies scheduled for 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the Covid-19 epidemic so there has been a pent up desire for Norton owners to get together for the 2023 rally in Winthrop, WA. I registered in mid-January and have been anticipating this event for five months. I suspect that many others have done so as well. In the ensuing five years we have lost several regular attendees including Doug McAdam, the founder of Colorado Norton Works. One thing about these events is that it is an opportunity to reconnect with people who have a devotion to what is a niche interest. The four days are a great time to visit, ride with others, and perhaps consume a beverage or two.

Getting ready for an event that involves parts of two day's driving and camping for four days in another country from camping in all types of weather  is not a simple matter. Then there is the matter of loading and securing a 50+ year-old motorcycle in the back of a truck for the journey. Many people ride to the rally because they have a support vehicle. Even the best maintained older motorcycles can have mechanical or electrical issues on a long ride, and heading to a rally is time sensitive.

On Saturday I asked my friends Ed and Richard to help me load my 1972 Norton Commando into my truck. They obliged, so the motorcycle and truck were ready. Sunday was spent on taking care of a myriad of details that make a trip a successful one. I am very pleased to be able to take this motorcycle to the rally, if only to show off the fine work that my friend Ron did in restoring it.

Ready to Roll

The packing was finished on Sunday night and my original plan was to leave home at 3:30 a.m. At about 10:30p.m. I checked the ferry schedule and discovered that first ferry departed at 5:15 a.m. My departure time was moved forward by forty-five minutes to 2:45 a.m. Two and a half hours sleep is not an ideal way to begin a long drive. 

However, I arrived at the Duke Point ferry terminal early enough to ensure that I would be on the 5:15 sailing. As I was waiting in line an older (than me) gentleman walked to my truck and began to talk about riding. He said that he had owned a Norton back in the day and that his four children had harassed him about riding his motorcycle all over the country. He will be 83 on his next birthday. I love meeting people like this guy. Guys who have beaten the odds and continued to ride long after many of their friends have given it up. He gave in to their pressure and sold his Suzuki V-Strom, but he really misses it.

Log boom being towed to the Harmac Mill near Nanaimo

View near Duke Point ferry terminal.

View from the ferry near Duke Point terminal.

On the ferry I snatched a few minutes of shuteye. The weather was threatening with heavy grey clouds and sprinkles of rain as we approached the Tsawwassen terminal. As I took some photos a man in a truck opened his window and asked about my bike. He said that when he was a young man he had owned a Commando but needed the money so he sold it. I mentioned that I had met many people who had sold their Commandos and almost every one regretted it. He said that he didn't exactly regret it, but he still missed that motorcycle.

A sign of things to come.

Looking nasty

Roberts Bank coal terminal, Tsawwassen, BC.

The drive to the border was easy and I was in a line of three cars at Customs. The agent asked where I was going, he told me to have a nice trip and waved me through. It was the easiest crossing of the border I have experienced in more than forty years. 

I made the decision to stay in Mount Vernon overnight because with the lack of sleep, I wasn't prepared to drive the further 240 kilometres and camp in wet cold weather. I'm saving that for tomorrow. This afternoon and evening there was a steady rain and I expect to see more tomorrow. Wednesday promises to be better.

Wet evening in Mount Vernon. WA.

At about 8:00 p.m. four riders pulled in to the motel in their Harleys. They looked quite wet despite being geared up. With the forecast for tomorrow, I don't envy them and I'm glad to be in my truck when I drive tomorrow. It does mean that I will have to do a lot of cleanup on my Commando when the weather improves. Bad weather is one the hazards of riding but it is an acceptable one.

Tomorrow's drive across the Cascades on the North Cascade Parkway is a scenic one and it is worthwhile to take the time to enjoy the drive. And perhaps on Wednesday conditions will be such that I can ride. 

The town of Winthrop, WA seems to be well known in Washington State, but not really outside of it. It is a small town with a western theme and for four days instead of horses, the streets will be filled with old British motorcycles. It does have a small brewery; Schoolhouse Brewery, that brews some pretty decent beers. So, despite the nasty weather, the rally should be a good event. Perhaps the rain will be done so we can have a great event.