If you read my articles over the weekend, you know that I’m interested in both the new breed of rider-oriented, sporty customs, and in classic machines updated with modern performance. Luckily for me, a few helpful MD readers wrote in to point me in the right direction.
First of all, several readers wrote in to inform me of the unfortunate demise of Kenny Dreer’s Norton West project, which I mentioned in my article Classic Style With Modern Performance. Apparently, the company went under last month, and is in the process of returning deposits to Norton enthusiasts who placed pre-order’s for the firm’s still-born Commando 961 SS.
Fortunately for readers interested in the style of a classic Norton with updated performance and reliability, another reader directed us to Colorado Norton Works. Their #038 Cafe is a perfect example of the kind of updated classic I was talking about – a reinforced frame, upgraded suspension, a rebuilt powerplant with much-enhanced performance, and modern wiring bring classic British cafe racer style into the 21st century.
Yet another reader pointed us to John Mossey Restorations in Hertfordshire, England, which sells mildly updated versions of the Egli-Vincent and the famed Norvin (a Norton/Vincent hybrid).
Although neither of these machines offer quite the level of modern performance I was referring to in my article, they certainly appear to be built to modern standards of quality, and provide classic-bike enthusiasts an appealing alternative to attempting to restore an old Brit-bike on their own.
On to customs, then. In my article Less Bling Factor, More Grin Factor: Rideable Customs Are the New Trend, I talked about custom machines with full custom chassis and suspension, powered by modern Japanese sportbike engines. A perfect (and beautiful) example was recently built by Northern-California based fabricator/designer Gregg DesJardins of GC Customs (www.gc-cycles.com). Gregg’s GC1000 features a hand-fabricated 4130 chromoly frame and single-sided swingarm and is powered by a Honda RC51 liquid-cooled V-Twin. Keep your eyes on Motorcycle Daily for a full feature on Gregg and his latest creations.
