So, no pics yet but this is the story of Tiffer's Norton...
Tiff (First name Christopher) I've known since school. I'm one of three people who still call him by his old nickname but he still answers to it.
Anyhow, when we were in our early 20s Tiff bought a mongrel Dommie. 50's wideline frame, sixties 600 lump. Was just 'his bike' as we used to own things back then. Kept on to it through marriage and kids, some years not ridden ("How's the bike mate""Last time I used it was as a fucking sawhorse") but about the time ten years ago when I was working with him he had it in regular commission. Got a call from him maybe five or six years ago with the confession....
"I've sold the Dommie"
I got it, his day job is in construction and then has a sideline of renting out Tipis, hand (machine, by pearl, the singer) sewn canvas, 21 ft poles hand planed from trees. (some poor bastard working for him). Basically time poor and 50% of the time he wanted a blast the old girl would have a cough and not oblige.
When he advertised it a brill thing happened. A guy who had owned the Dommie before Tiff wanted to buy it. Had pics of it as was when he bought it in the 70s as a crashed IoM race bike. Obv no matter who offered what for it that guy got the sale.
Tiff has just bought it back off the same bloke, only it's been beautifully restored. Not overly though, it doesn't look 'showroom'.
I've only seen Tiff's pics so far and obv not mine to share. When I see the bike (hopefully later this week) I'll take my own and ask permission for sharing.
Tiff bought it back in the sound knowledge that all the reasons he sold it are still in the bike, despite the resto. But he's in a place where he can afford another bike alongside now so the issue has different weight.
I'm chuffed for my mate.