Restored Faith

RESTORED FAITH

CW READERS’ COLLECTION

Norton Cafe espresso

BECOMING A VINTAGE bike owner has a special way of breathing new life into one’s motorcycling existence. This has certainly held true for Michael Roberts, a 58-year-old lifelong rider from Vancouver, Washington, who purchased his prizewinning 1970 Norton Commando Roadster just a year ago. Since that time, Roberts has discovered a whole new side to motorcycling in the warm, friendly atmosphere surrounding vintage rallies and shows.

A restaurateur by trade, Roberts has owned a verita ble smorgasbord of machin ery over the years. His first taste of two-wheeled sport came as a young teen, sneaking joy rides on a `53 BSA Gold Star belonging to his older brother, who was away in the Army. Roberts soon went legit aboard a 1942 Harley-Davidson he picked up for $43 while a senior in high school.

In the past decade or two,

Roberts’ motorcycling interests have leaned heavily toward Japanese sportbikes, and he’s owned more than a few. But now it’s this Norton cafe-racer that commands his affections. The bike was put together by Vintage Rebuilds’ Kenny Dreer, an Oregon-based restoration specialist whose work is well-known to our readers (see “England Swings,” CW, March, 1998).

“I enjoy that Norton 10 times more than I did my VFR750,” states Roberts, who sold his 1996 Honda to pay for the “Manxized” Commando. “To me it’s metal sculpture. It’s as much fun to ride as it is to look at.” And what of the ride quality? “It handles really nice and has all the power I need,” he says.

Living out golden-era Isle of Man fantasies is only natural when throttling such a bike. “Of course I think I’m Mike Hailwood when I’m riding

the backroads,” Roberts laughs. “You take that Norton out for a ride, bring it back to the garage, get off and say,‘Now that’s a eal man’s motorsickle!’ ”

But for Roberts, who holds office in the Oregon Vintage Motorcyclist Club, the human factor is as important as the hardware. “When I take the Norton to shows, people always ask questions about it. We get a dialogue going,” he says.

“I’ve met more interesting people in the past year than I have in the previous 10 years of my life. All because of vintage motorcycles.”

With its highly polished alloy bits, blacked-out fenders and hand-striped custom paint-a color builder Dreer calls “a ’69 Ford Thunderbird green with a touch of blue”-this Norton certainly proves that a conversation piece can have wheels. For Roberts, it’s been a Roadster leading to new friends. -Don Canet >