Mopeds and Motonostalgia corner

[t-tony]

I remember the Norton Featherbed frames were very sought after.

Tony.

 

[Rha]

Lovely pictures of great machines and nice stories about them. Here's my go go identifying them all;
Pic 1, Excelsior Talisman
Pic 2, BSA A10
Pic 3, Ariel Golden Arrow
Pic 4, BSA Gold Star
Pic 5, Ariel Square 4
Pic 6, Royal Enfield Crusader
Pic 7, Norton Atlas???
Pic 8, Velocette engine in a Norton featherbed frame.
Pic 9, Royal Enfield Constellation.
Pic 10, Royal Enfield Bullet
Pic 11, BSA Gold Star

Gold Stars had a sound all their own - much nicer than any other 500 single. I'd think twice about trying to kick start one now.... I also had a soft spot for Ariel Arrows - quick little things in their day.
Despite loving bikes, I never had one on the road. When I wanted to go grasstrack racing as a boy, my mum did a deal with me. Provided that I promised never to have a motorbike on the road, she would let me go racing. That was over 45 years ago and I still haven't ridden a bike on the road. Bless her....

Yep the mums defo had the last word when it came to the bikes, still think if my dad didn’t have one me and my older brother would never ever have ridden bikes, my wife is exactly the same we had an almighty row when my son was 16 and I bought him a Honda 125, lucky for me they trained him up in the works van for his car test and along came his first girlfriend and he sold his bike for a car, but just like his father he never got it completely out of his system, hence 5he Street triple. Mad lads.

 

[Rha]

Yeh Tony the norton feathered frame was something the home builders were keen to fit all manor of other engines in.
Think eventually there was a Triton made by someone, Norton frame Triumph engines. Robert may know more.
Strange no one in my village owned a Triumph but local town boys had them.

 

[Ian jeffs]

So, what's the consensus on a favorite, I would have go for the Yamaha v max, a bike that tried very hard to pull your arms out of their sockets and wasn't as bad round the bends as its reputation suggested.

 

[Robert Wiles]

As you say Roy, the Norton Featherbed frame was always the first choice for special builders. Mongrels that I've heard of include;
Triton (Triumph engine)
Norbsa (BSA)
Norvin (Vincent 1000 Vtwin)
Have to say that the Norcette in the photo was a new one on me

 

[Jack Ratt]

No Roy, I didn't recognize them all, my knowledge isn't as good as Robert's. I came to bikes in the mid seventies. I lusted after a 250cc Honda Superdream and saved the cash to buy a new one. I went to Cope's in Dudley to buy one and came out with a Suzuki GSX250 instead. It was a great little bike and it was the one I passed my test on. As soon as I passed my test I traded it for a new Honda CX500 and around the same time I picked up the Triumph Bonneville from a neighbour. It was only about 6yrs old but it had been abandoned outside without a cover after a near miss traffic incident that scared my neighbour into packing in biking. To be honest I was very underwelmed with the Bonny and I have no quarms saying it was the worst bike I ever owned.

 

[Rha]

Well there lies the answer maybe why all the village boys never owned a Triumph, could be the older ones had same view as you Jack. The local town boys had the Tiger CuBs, Bonnies but we didn’t mix as they had all moved to the new town from London they weren’t allowed in the village and likewise us in the town on our bikes, this remember was just before the mod and rocker thing, biker gang rivals were terf sensitive especially if they’d only just moved here.
Silly, stupid maybe but that’s the way it was. Hemel was a new town and Berkhamstead was our local town, we had friends in that town as we went to there schools.

 

[t-tony]

As you say Roy, the Norton Featherbed frame was always the first choice for special builders. Mongrels that I've heard of include;
Triton (Triumph engine)
Norbsa (BSA)
Norvin (Vincent 1000 Vtwin)
Have to say that the Norcette in the photo was a new one on me

I can remember hearing the names of all those hybrids Robert.

Tony.

 

[Robert Wiles]

No Roy, I didn't recognize them all, my knowledge isn't as good as Robert's. I came to bikes in the mid seventies. I lusted after a 250cc Honda Superdream and saved the cash to buy a new one. I went to Cope's in Dudley to buy one and came out with a Suzuki GSX250 instead. It was a great little bike and it was the one I passed my test on. As soon as I passed my test I traded it for a new Honda CX500 and around the same time I picked up the Triumph Bonneville from a neighbour. It was only about 6yrs old but it had been abandoned outside without a cover after a near miss traffic incident that scared my neighbour into packing in biking. To be honest I was very underwelmed with the Bonny and I have no quarms saying it was the worst bike I ever owned.

No, I've never really got the Triumph thing either. Mates that had them were forever arriving at the local on foot or on the bus because their bikes were in a million bits in their mum's kitchen. Everyone took the p155 out of the brave soul who bought a secondhand Honda CB450. His was the last laugh though when the electric starter whirred it into life every time and it didn't leave it's oily calling card wherever he parked it. And when he put a pair of megaphones on it, it sounded immense. Happy days indeed....

 

[t-tony]

I used to love the sound of the Triumph Twins but it was the reliability of the Japanese bikes that killed our bike industry.

Tony.

 

[Rha]

Hi @Ian jeffs, I’m afraid the time you were into biking the bikes were taking on a complete change from what we’ve been talking about, I personally only had a couple of bikes in the sixties and your Yamaha would have been like something from outer space lol, however we’ve all obviously got something in common if not the actual bikes, and that’s the something that sits inside us that remembers the motorbike as something really special in our lives be it years and years ago or maybe not so long. Same when you drive a BMW Z. Having said that you obviously still have or would have another bike, if so what older bike would YOU choose given the chance.

Roy.

 

[Jack Ratt]

In the late 1980's I bought a BMW R80 Boxer off one of my mates. As soon as I got it I sold the CX500. The Boxer was a great bike and I only sold it to finance the purchase of the GL1000. I kept the GL1000 for 12yrs. I had short term ownership of a naked GL1100 too but I preferred my GL1000.

 

[Ian jeffs]

Roy
I remember walking to school as a teenager , the house next to my school entrance always had a Norton commander parked outside, never got to ride one but it looked awesome. Always thought the Norton's looked a bit more beefed up than the triumphs.

 

[Rha]

In the late 1980's I bought a BMW R80 Boxer off one of my mates. As soon as I got it I sold the CX500. The Boxer was a great bike and I only sold it to finance the purchase of the GL1000. I kept the GL1000 for 12yrs. I had short term ownership of a naked GL1100 too but I preferred my GL1000.

Now your a real biker talking Jack, I remember the names of them bikes but was so into my cars I only watched the IOM TT on tv bikewise. Your obviously gonna leave me miles behind in this thread not owning a bike since 1966.
I’ll bow out now as my limited knowledge of anything after the sixties will leave me stranded. Hopefully some more up to date bikers will join you and keep it as interesting as it has been so far. @Ian jeffs maybe worthwhile picking up this thread with Jack as he still had bikes when you had your Yamaha.

Roy,

 

[Rha]

Roy
I remember walking to school as a teenager , the house next to my school entrance always had a Norton commander parked outside, never got to ride one but it looked awesome. Always thought the Norton's looked a bit more beefed up than the triumphs.

Thanks for getting back Ian and nice to know you can appreciate something you obviously grew into. I m out now as you should now talk about the more up to date bikes. Apologies, I’ll try and just read without throwing any red herrings in.

Roy.

 

[Jack Ratt]

My biking days ended around 2006. I hit a badger in 2004 when out on my ZZR1100 and nearly wrote myself off. I quickly bought a VN1500 Kwacker, Harley Fat Boy rip off. Great bike but my biking days were coming to an end. I sold it and bought my old Merc.
I still have a bike though, a Honda Bros, 650 Vee Twin, mono shock, single side swing arm, that I plan to turn into a cafe racer, but that's for when I finally pack in work sometime in the distant future

 

[Ian jeffs]

I was lucky enough to ride bikes for 40 years without too many scrapes but sold the last one in November and used the money to buy the zed.
The last one was a 2017 Harley low rider and to be honest for a £15k bike I was pretty disappointed, loads of noise but very little bang.
My brother in law has just bought a triumph Thruxton and it's a superb bike, a lot better than the 1970s oil slick creators, seems triumph got it right in the end and can make bikes to compete with the Japs these days .

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Ariel Leader, BSA Gold Star, Ariel Square Four, Royal Enfield Bullet, Norton xx, Norton Commando, The Cafe racer looks like Goldie too.
These all best guesses as I was never into bikes. No Triumph or Matchless or AJS?

Tony.

Agree with all these

 

[Geoff Crispin]

I remember the Norton Featherbed frames were very sought after.

Tony.

Yes with the Triumph 650 twin carb engine

 

[Zeti]

What a great read! I read and I learn! What a great source of beautiful experience!
I'm really happy! Keep them coming and consider all replies are crowned by default with the big gold "like" button!