About time some might say but signs are the Norton is on the pace, possible 130mph lap at current progress,speedtrap times right up there, in fact Cam is looking like being in the embarrassing situation of trailing the bike he considered too uncompetitive to race.

Good to see Davo coming to grips with the beast, he proved last year with 131.5 lap that he's got the pace.
Might be they had a bit of a breakthrough and sometimes riders just gel with a bike....
Either way GO DAVO!!!

As per a similar thread - everyone seems to want to line up an give the Norton boys a kicking.  After last time I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd decided to can it - but they're back and its more than just respectable.  Hats off to their Corinthian spirit (Go Davo!)

Sam

I've spent recent years cringing at the unfulfilled promises by Norton's boss, but last night did this old heart good. Couldn't believe the times David Johnson was posting. I take it back, I take it back ! Well, some of it anyway, mustn't get too carried away, 6 laps is a long way on a short ( compared to the giants of bike making) budget.

Yes I too am glad to see the Norton performing so well being a child of the 50s, after all Norton have such a great racing pedigree .
Stuart as invested a lot of money into this project so he richly deserves to have a bit of success. Don't suppose it will be a podium place for him this year but it might not be too long before it happens.

You guys keep saying Norton but I think you mean Aprilia.

(03-06-2016, 02:55 PM)KypDurron Wrote: You guys keep saying Norton but I think you mean Aprilia.

No.

(03-06-2016, 02:55 PM)KypDurron Wrote: You guys keep saying Norton but I think you mean Aprilia.

Ah, this old chestnut -   I refer you to -1907- Norton twin cylinder - Harold Rembrandt Fowler, 1st twin cylinder class,Peugeot engine, several early TTs won by machines using JAP engines , 250 lightweights won by  variously named machines fitted with Rotax engines, in fact what is known as the proprietary engine was the mainstay of racing, before factories began to make their own .  

i am of the opinion that Nortons ceased to be Nortons once the Bracebridge Street factory closed, but the name lives on.
Speaking personally, I have often wished that someone like John Bloor  would buy the name, and either make a success of producing motorcycles with that name, or simply retire it, thus stopping the continued prostitutiion of a famous name, (with a little alleged fraud on the way ). 
 Matchless is  now   a clothing brand, and the AJS name is a sticker on some Chinese built Easy Rider lookalike with silly little engines.

So on that logic, i drive a flash BMW not a little Mini ?

Certainly it's a a BMW , who don't hide the fact that they view it as a BMW first and a Mini second, "Flash" is your word, not mine. Anyway, BMW have managed not to make the Mini brand a laughing stock.

Incidentally, I only caught David Johnson as far as Glen Helen on his 2nd lap of Friday practice, anyone know what happened?

Jolly 7, Forgive me, that was a typically humourless post, sorry

Dave

Running 8th ................. fantastic showing.

Hope they can keep er lit.

Just a nats off 131mph.

Much respect to those lads and to Davo for sure.

Malcolm

Great Ride by David, and a fine placing, all those years of struggle now paying off.

Jolly 7, Forgive me, that was a typically humourless post, sorry

Dave




ugh ? it was my obviously pathetic attempt at an analogy not humour, the humour is calling a 17.17 bike a laughing stock

Either take heed of Malcolm's warning please, or we will pull this thread.

Congratulations to daveo Johnson and all at Norton. 131 lap and 7th place finish.
And if all this was a simple as putting an Aprilia motor in a trick frame the stocker and super bike class would be full of Aprilia rsv..a quick look at the program show non. Norton team put a lot of hard work in.Us brits love to knock any one or anything that not a winner out the box. I'm made up for the team. And everyone involved

(04-06-2016, 03:45 PM)Chrisp955 Wrote: Congratulations to daveo Johnson and all at Norton. 131 lap and 7th place finish.
And if all this was a simple as putting an Aprilia motor in a trick frame the stocker and super bike class would be full of Aprilia rsv..a quick look at the program show non. Norton team put a lot of hard work in.Us brits love to knock any one or anything that not a winner out the box. I'm made up for the team. And everyone involved

Hear, Hear. This achievement seems to be (woefully) underestimated by some, and surely the very essence of this kind of racing is these individual, independent teams making the grid a far more interesting place

Absolutely brilliant to hear the Norton on full chat for the first time, my God can she sing.