The unapproachable, the roadholder, no matter what you call them, Nortons have long been a part of Ton Up NC, in fact you might say that 10 years ago it was a 1974 Norton Commando that started the club. Case in point, in 2003 club co-founder, Patman, heard familiar sound of a Norton roar by the local Pizza shop in Raleigh and had to know who was riding it. He chased down what turned out to be Marcus on his 1974 Commando and the two immediately bonded over their affinity for British motorcycles and made a pact to form a local chapter of the International Ton Up Club. And so it was done. Since that meeting, other Nortons have joined the Ton Up NC family, here's a list:
Another year, another January, another Freeze Your Balls Off (FYBO) rally goes by... The good peoples at the Incriminators Scooter Club have been putting this thing on for, can you believe it, 14 years now! The FYBO rally blueprint of long weekend, beer, bikes, bands, has been followed by (ahem...) many other clubs and always proves to be a winning combo no matter the weather. Ton Up N*C has traditionally been involved via the creating the Best Motorcycle trophy, organizing/leading the FYBO Country ride and the provision of drunken fools. Heres a TUN*C photo retrospective of the event (some photos were borrowed from Scoot.net)...
Straight 8's circa 2005 @ FYBO w/ Patman on upright bass.
Casa Beeza had it all, split level storage, two-story ceilings, skylights, parts department, several workstations, tools out the wazoo and an ample stock of BSAs. But as has been said, all good things must come to an end and so it did. Casa Beeza owner and TUN*C core member, Alex, fell victim to the allure of the left coast, packed his shit up and took off this past year for greener pastures. It goes without saying that Alex is deeply missed and so is his shop. Here are some pictures of the glory days...
Good night Casa Beeza.
Ton Up NC = Riding, Restoration and Racing of Vintage Motorcycles
Vintage Cross Country (VXC) is a staple in the Ton Up N*C racing program and the annual White Lightening VXC race in South Carolina is one of the first scheduled events of the year on the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association's (AHRMA) calendar. The race has taken place for that past couple of years on Marvin Grant's old farm in Chester, SC.
Cross Country Riding is how motorcycling began, because roads were very few and far between when motorcycles were born. As the motorcycles and roads improved, the riders still challenged themselves with off road competitions on acient Roman roads in Europe and "cow and wagon" trails in the USA. Eventually, the competitions organized into ISDT type reliability runs in Europe and Enduros and "Hare and Hounds" in the USA. Further organization and land closure issues brought the closed course Hare scrambles to prominence (AHRMA).
Beno Rodi's collection of XC bikes. Beno participates in excess of 100 races a year.
The Ton Up Fla. transport van and machines: Triumph TR5T and the AJS Model 20
Chad and I headed five or so hours south for the two day event early on the morning of Saturday, March 19, 2011. I was along in the role of "Pit Monkey," while Chad was intent on racing his two BSA 441's in the Classic 500 division. The weather was warm and clear when we arrived at the farm.
The 441's. Chad had recently overhauled the square barrel he is seated on.
Chad at the starting line.
Here's Chad's race report on Day 1 of the 2 day event:
It took me a few kicks this time to start the bike which was rare since I installed the PVL (German-built electronic ignition system). After firing it up I headed out on the very challenging and long (5.5miles) course. After 2 laps I noticed Scott (Ton Up Fla.) off to the side after start/finish and decided to join him and to inspect my bike which started pinging again and losing power. According to the pre-registration list I thought I was all alone in my class so it made sense at the time to save the bike and save myself for day 2. Then I noticed a TR5T ride past me. It was another rider in my class and he was already a lap ahead with only 15 minutes remaining.
I completely screwed myself in race 1 and learned a valuable lesson in racing. Whether you're racing against another rider or yourself, race hard and never give up.
Scott rounds the corner on his AJS.
Post-race pow-wow day 1: Beno, Scott and Chad.
Here's Chad's race report on Day 1 of the 2 day event:
After my boondoggle the day before I prepped the dry framed round barrel for racing on day 2 and despite not seeing the TR5T on the line I decided to race like he was there anyway. I knocked out 4 hard laps with good and consistent times which improved with each lap. The bike ran solid the entire race and I crossed the finish in 1st.
I realized after the second race how much I really like the round barrel. The engine feels de-tuned and very forgiving. My only complaint is the shortness of the swing-arm and the terrible front Triumph suspension.
Max (Ton Up Fla.) buzzes the check point/finish tent on his Triumph...
Chad takes the checkered flag.
Don't call it a comeback, Chad took 1st place on Day 2.
Ton Up NC = Riding, Restoration and Racing of Vintage Motorcycles
Sadly, we at Ton Up N*C have had to say farewell to several members as they have relocated to other parts of this fine country. Not only do we miss the people, we also miss their shops. Former NC resident and NC Ton Up member, Zed had a badass shop in Saxapahaw, NC right next to the river of the same name. Zed had ample bike storage, several lifts/workspaces for his various projects, a functioning paint shop and a proper lounge equipped with PBR. What more could you ask for? Here are some photo's. Be warned, you may want to grab something to catch the drool...
Zed and Chad
Alex mounts the Atlas
Chad's Trident.
Atlas envy.
Brian finds a place called happiness on Zed's Square Four
Trumpet and Vespa.
Ariel Sq. 4
Toro hits the lounge.
Ton Up NC = Riding, Restoration and Racing of Vintage Motorcycles
