Guilty Pleasures

[daveuprite]

Yes - they still race!..... there were a few at the Lord of Lydden weekend last October, mixed-in with the LC's and it was quite close between the two. I've not raced - although have done a fair few track days - but if I had've done the MZ's look to be a hoot (and relatively cheap to boot). There're usually one or two MZ racers for sale on eBay and I'm strangely drawn to them....

Blimey, I used to do Lord of Lydden. Actually I was more Serf of Lydden actually. Never went round there quicker than 50 secs - it just didn't suit me - although it's a great little track. It's bloody competitive that LoL weekend. What I like is that you can win on a very well ridden RS250 or an SS600, even against litre superbikes. Richard Norris used to be crowned Lord on a 250 quite regularly, as I remember, and Rikki Ballerini.

You should contact the MZ Race Club and give it a go. They used to have a club bike that they lent to people at trackdays as an introduction to get them interested. Several of their members started that way and went on to be competitive. And the paddock vibe they had was really good - all sharing spares and helping each other out. The other good low-cost series was 'Past Masters', which was mainly TZR250s. Again faster than you might think in the hands of a decent loon.

[daveuprite]

I've never been a big heavy tourer fan, although I can see how they must be nice for wafting down to Italy in huge comfort etc. However I've always been interested in hub-centre-steering bikes (I'd love a Bimota Tesi, but that ship has sailed I think). So the GTS1000 is my next guilty pleasure bike. Again, pretty sure I'll never buy one, but that front end does look cool.

[phil_h]

You should contact the MZ Race Club and give it a go. They used to have a club bike that they lent to people at trackdays as an introduction to get them interested. Several of their members started that way and went on to be competitive. And the paddock vibe they had was really good - all sharing spares and helping each other out. The other good low-cost series was 'Past Masters', which was mainly TZR250s. Again faster than you might think in the hands of a decent loon.

I had a go with them !
Raced a hire bike at Brands Centenery meeting.
Absolute hoot, and much faster and better handling than you'd believe.

rfga2831.jpg (88.65 KiB) Viewed 2234 times

[daveuprite]

You should contact the MZ Race Club and give it a go. They used to have a club bike that they lent to people at trackdays as an introduction to get them interested. Several of their members started that way and went on to be competitive. And the paddock vibe they had was really good - all sharing spares and helping each other out. The other good low-cost series was 'Past Masters', which was mainly TZR250s. Again faster than you might think in the hands of a decent loon.

I had a go with them !
Absolute hoot, and much faster and better handling than you'd believe.
rfga2831.jpg
rfga2831.jpg

Excellent! That's what I meant. Now you and Mark need to buy one each and enter yourself next year. You know it makes sense....

[macvisual]

Another Guilty Pleasure would be this beauty, think I'd need a huge shed or sheds to store all these 2-wheel pleasures of mine.....! So many motorcycles.......so little time......lol


Norton Commando 961 Sport by APM - Photography, on Flickr


mac

[mark vb]

You should contact the MZ Race Club and give it a go. They used to have a club bike that they lent to people at trackdays as an introduction to get them interested. Several of their members started that way and went on to be competitive. And the paddock vibe they had was really good - all sharing spares and helping each other out. The other good low-cost series was 'Past Masters', which was mainly TZR250s. Again faster than you might think in the hands of a decent loon.

I had a go with them !
Absolute hoot, and much faster and better handling than you'd believe.
rfga2831.jpg
rfga2831.jpg

Excellent! That's what I meant. Now you and Mark need to buy one each and enter yourself next year. You know it makes sense....

OK, I've been on the MZ Experience website and it looks fun and quite tempting! But, as you might expect, it's no longer functioning while the virus is doing its thing; when it reopens is anyone's guess but I'll keep an eye open. Wouldn't fancy doing laps on this, though....

[daveuprite]

Another Guilty Pleasure would be this beauty, think I'd need a huge shed or sheds to store all these 2-wheel pleasures of mine.....! So many motorcycles.......so little time......lol


Norton Commando 961 Sport by APM - Photography, on Flickr


mac

I wonder what's going to happen to the value of these 'new' Nortons, now that the company has collapsed in such dodgy circumstances. Perhaps they become really collectible because there won't be any more. Or since there is now no spares or after-sales back up, maybe the value will bomb and enthusiasts could pick up a bargain.

That's what happened in 2002 when Bimota collapsed (it's been revived quite successfully since) and whole shipments of SB6Rs, SB8Rs and others suddenly lost a heap of money - I scooped up two superb bikes back then at half their previous value, and prices have recovered recently.

The 961 bikes were smart looking retros. Any one on here ever ridden one? Don't know what they're like.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

It may be that the new owners (see separate thread) will put Norton back on its feet.

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=49677

I've never even seen one, but I gather they really aren't any better than a modern Triumph twin. The only magazine road testers allowed access to them seem to have been the like of Alan Cathcart, who didn't get where he is today by penning overly-critical copy.

Even now, he won't mention what really happened at Norton

https://www.cyclenews.com/2020/02/artic ... istration/

No mention of the ripped-off pensioners, or the owners who say their bikes were 'recalled' to the factory over trivial issues, then found stripped for parts that were used to complete so-called 'new' machines for other customers. Or the sale of the rights to produce the big twin to the Chinese.

I sincerely hope the new owners can sort this out...they have a good reputation for business ethics, apparently.

[Saint rob]

Returning briefly to the matter of MT01's, the one I really fancied but couldn't get hold of was the 50th Anni edition, only sold in France with yellow/black speedblock paint or a blue Sarron alternative.

Wigan Yam/Chorley Yam had some yellow speedblock ones done by Dream machine, they looked awesome. A chap called Dave from Penrith on the old MTOC forum had one

The French ones were OE factory paint jobs, but I'm not surprised to hear Dream Machine did something similar.... their standard is excellent in my (fairly limited) experience. Interestingly, there's a rare SP version for sale at the mo, on eBay. Is there not a MT forum still going?

Returning briefly (Yet again) to the matter of MT01's. Tim launched a new forum after the old one suddenly stopped being hosted, many of the original contributors have returned but it's not quite as active as it was. http://www.mtoc.uk/index.php

[Hugh]

Greetings,

My guilty pleasure was and still is my Norton MkIII Commando Interstate, Manx Silver. I was amazed by the places this bike would take me, one minute on the A6 and the next I would be riding along Brushfield. Perhaps that is how I snapped the frame just above the foot peg mountings. I still have her, still got all the original parts plus engine skid plate but this year she will be given a new frame (mind you I have been saying that for the past 10 years ). Must confess I doubt very much that we will go green laneing together any more with the state of my hands, better to stick with the Serow

weight.jpg (112 KiB) Viewed 1920 times

TTFN

Hugh.