Ducati Monster Forum

About a week ago, we made an addition - albeit a temporary one - to our garage. When our friend, next-door neighbor, and riding buddy Tom passed away last month after a tough fight with cancer, we continued doing what little we could to make things easier for his partner Johanna. One of those things was to take care of Tom's mid-1970s Norton 850 Commando while his estate goes through probate, which had been sitting in storage for as long as anyone can remember, awaiting restoration.

It's a beautiful bike, even non-running, and it's temporarily taken up the best spot in the garage and pushed the Ducs outside under bike covers.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/5133928675_711835d2de_z.jpg)

Looking at it and fiddling with it a bit (first thing I'm working on -- dealing with the half tank of 15+ year old gas) is fun and makes me remember good times with Tom. But the coolest thing happened just yesterday. When we rolled the bike out into the yard to look it over with one of Tom's longtime friends who's first in line to buy it, my step-daughter couldn't resist the opportunity to climb aboard and imagine herself riding it.

She's steadfastly refused to ride with either me or her mom since I moved to Arizona three years ago - she and I get along really well, but she insisted that sport bikes (and sometimes, all motorcycles) scare her, and trying to include her in our trips was always a dead end. Much cajoling got her to a point where she agreed that she'd ride behind Tom (one of the smoothest riders I've ever tried to follow), but he got sick shortly after that and never rode again.

Yesterday, I asked out of habit if she wanted to go on an afternoon ride with me, fully expecting her to answer no, again.

Not this time.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/5133930963_03a940d23c_z.jpg)

Chalk it up to the Norton magic -- and memories of my good friend.

Amazing bike, and am amazing story.  I'm torn between a touring bike, a supersport, and a classic looking bike such as the norton you have there.

There's not gonna be some dead bodies over the guy who is in line to buy it right?  I mean, I would have to fight off the urge to kill the guy myself.

Cool Story.

Sorry to hear about Tom, Sounds like he was one awesome guy.

 :)

So....how'd she like the ride? :)  Very cool bike, please keep us updated on it's travels and destinations.

 ;)

D - she did great, thanks for asking!

We cut the tags off her TourMaster leopard-print leather jacket that had been hanging brand-new in the closet for the past two years, and did about 40 miles of sweepers down the hill into Skull Valley and back. The biggest issue was a gusty 35-45 mph wind that was pushing us around quite a bit, especially where the road follows the exposed ridgetop. About ten miles in, I pulled over and asked how she was doing - did she want to head home or go all the way down the hill? Onward, she said.  [thumbsup]

When we got home later, she told me that she was a little scared on the way down, but wanted to push through it. She said she had a lot of fun on the way back up the hill. Not enough, apparently, to wake up early the next morning in time for a breakfast ride with some of our friends, but expecting that of a 15 year old would just be greedy.  ;D

Awesome story.  Hope the Norton sees the road under its own power again, AND the girl you mention grows into her love of bikes. 

RIP Tom, you were a great friend from what I've read on here ~

JM

Awesome story (minus the cancer part of course)


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