Roadholder 364 - April 2018

3 Front Cover: Owned by NOC member Graham Hallam of Ontario, this Norton is a 1974 850 with a Suzuki GSXR front end. Copy Deadline for Rh365 (May 2018) - 10th April 2018 Roadholder 364: April 2018 NOC Membership Annual Subscription is £19.50 Worldwide. Subsequent years £21.00 or £19.50 if paying by direct debit. Joint membership is just £22.50, subsequent years £24.00 or £22.50 if paying by direct debit. Five year individual membership costs £97.50. Five year joint membership: £112.50 International - eMagazine only: £15.00 The Norton Owners Club is affiliated to the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG): www.mag-uk.org and the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC): www.fbhvc.co.uk Editorial Roadholder is printed by The Lavenham Press Ltd. Email bill@lavenhamgroup.co.uk .  01787 247436 The news that Norton have signed Josh Brookes and John McGuinness to ride at the TT this year should mean an exciting couple of weeks in June. Last year, Norton did very well and proved that the bikes were not only quite fast but also had the stamina to last the pace of these very gruelling races. Norton were praised for the reliability of the race bikes. We didn’t hear that said often in the '70s! On the subject of race bikes, I am aware of the depleting numbers of 'race-replicas' or 'pocket-rockets' seen on the road these days. I seem to hear fewer four cylinder 600s et al bouncing off their rev-limiters on Sunday mornings these days. Although I personally found the noise of these bikes somewhat irritating (bring back Yamaha LCs and the like!) it's testimony to the engineering of these modern machines that they can withstand considerable abuse in the hands of somewhat unsympathetic owners who probably don't even know how valve timing and suchlike works. Looking at recent editions of 'Motorcycle News', technical articles provide details on how to adjust chain tension and how to bleed brakes etc. You could argue that this indicates that the modern bikes are so good that no 'higher' skills are needed or that they are too complicated to work on at home (in line with modern cars). In either case I feel it's a shame that modern vehicle owners don't seem to want to know or understand what's going on under the bonnet or petrol tank; however, I think this is true of all modern technology - it's synonymous with modern 'throw-away' living. I do feel that this way of doing things does make it easier for people to be easily ripped-off. It amuses me when I look at the impressive list of items dealt with in a typical car service these days, items include: 'check windscreen wipers, check washer fluid level, check radiator coolant level, check lights, check carpet/mat security, check tyre pressure/treads'. All these things are (or could be) so 'self-checkable' at no cost. Invariably, the only things actually 'done' are to change the engine oil and filter and (possibly) oil the door hinges etc. Things are changing a little nowadays but, until recently, owners had to have their modern vehicles serviced by franchised dealers to retain their warranty - this gave the dealers carte-blanche to charge what they liked. With the slow demise of race-replicas and their ilk, perhaps we'll hear less about riders 'dialling-in' their suspension etc. and we’ll all revert to 'adjusting' instead … .