A few years ago I mentioned to my wife I’d quite like to restore an old motorcycle. My ownership history is mainly Japanese machines. But she suggested I look for a Norton 500T, as this was the bike her father owned when he was courting her mother.
After a few months of searching, one appeared on the Bonhams 2010 Stafford show auction. We bought it over the phone.
When we went to collect it, one of the Norton owner guys approached me and asked if I “knew what I had there”. I just answered a 500T. He then explained that the rolling chassis is believed to have been used by Geoff Duke.
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The bike hadn’t run for some time when we bought it so we had Mike Pemberton rebuild the engine and gearbox. I reassembled the bike and although it was rideable, there was no joy to be had in doing so!
I then read the article you did on the BSA (March 2016) that Rob Jones (0161 7480865 or www.rajonesclassicmotorcycles.co.uk) had restored. It looked fantastic and as Rob was only a few miles away I contacted him to see if he could sort the bike out. The job he’s done is superb and the bike is totally transformed.
Rob’s obviously doing this for a living and I wondered if it was permissible for me to submit this letter to your magazine extolling the very high standard of work that Rob offers.
Paul McCarty, via email.
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