In 1970 Bob Boorman and Joe Delmonte, Americans in their twenties, purchased a pair of Norton Commandos from Gus Kuhn under the Personal Export Scheme. This scheme enabled anyone to come to the UK and buy a vehicle free of tax if they took it abroad. The vehicle was allocated an export registration plate, and could stay in the UK for a limited period. It was a very popular scheme and generated almost half of Gus Kuhn's sales at that time.
Here is Bob's account of part of their trip.
JOE AND I SPENT SIX MONTHS DURING THE SUMER OF 1970 TOURING ALL OF EUROPE . WE HAD SAVED AS MUCH MONEY AS WE COULD THE YEAR BEFORE IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR TRIP. DURING OUR TRIP WE HAD MANY ADVENTURES.
ALSO WE WERE AT THE T-T RACES IN 1970. WE HAD NOT PLANNED TO GO TO THE ISLE OF MAN. THE FOLLOWING IS A SIMPLIFED VERSION HOW FATE TOOK US THERE.
ON THE PLANE RIDE FROM NEW YORK TO BRUSSELS WE STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION WITH A GIRL FROM CALIFORNIA WHO WAS SITTING NEXT TO US. WE MENTIONED OUR PLANS TO PURCHASE MOTORCYCLES IN LONDON AT GUS KUHNS. SHE (SHERRY) SAID SHE WAS HEADED TO ROTTERDAM TO PICK UP A NEW CAR HER FATHER HAD BOUGHT FOR HER. SHE WAS THEN GOING TO LONDON AFTER THAT TO BUY AN ENGLISH SHEEP DOG. SHERRY WAS A DOG BREEDER AND WAS LOOKING TO BUY A CHAMPION FOR BREEDING PURPOSES. SHE SAID IF WE WOULD GO WITH HER TO PICK UP HER CAR IN ROTTERDAM SHE WOULD DRIVE US TO LONDON .
ONE WEEK LATER THE THREE OF US WERE IN LONDON. JOE AND I BOUGHT OUR BIKES AT GUS KUHNS AND WERE PUTTING ON SOME MILES TO CHECK OUR BIKES OUT BEFORE HEADING ACROSS THE CHANNEL AGAIN. DURING THE BREAK IN I NOTICED THE OIL CONSUMPTION WAS RATHER HIGH ON MY BIKE AND RETURNED TO GUS KUHNS TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY WERE VERY COURTIOUS AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR ME TO SEE THE FACTORY MECHANIC AT THE NORTON ASSEMBLY PLANT IN ANDOVER THE VERY NEXT DAY. A NICE OLD GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF JOHN HUDSON (A LONG TIME TEST RIDER FOR NORTON) ATTENDED TO MY PROBLEM. HE CONCLUDED MY BIKE HAD AN OUT OF ROUND CYLINDER BARREL AND A NEW SET OF BARRELS WAS REQUIRED. WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR A NEW SET OF BARRELS TO BE SENT DOWN FROM WOLVERHAMPTON. HE MENTIONED THAT THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS TT WEEK AT THE ISLE OF MAN AND MOST OF THE NORTON PEOPLE WOULD BE TIED UP DURING RACE WEEK. HE SAID WE MIGHT ENJOY GOING TO THE TT RACES WHILE MY BIKE WAS WAITING FOR SERVICE.
SO THE THREE OF US, JOE, SHERRY AND MYSELF PACKED OUR BAGS INTO SHERRY'S NEW PORSCHE AND HEADED OFF TO THE RACES. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. WE CHECKED SHERRY INTO A SMALL BED AND BREAKFAST IN DOUGLAS AND JOE AND I TOOK THE CAR TO A FIELD NEXT TO A TAVERN AT CREG-NY-BAA AND SLEPT ON THE GROUND. WE SURE ATTRACTED A LOT OF ATTENTION. PEOPLE COULD NOT FIGURE WHY TWO GUYS DRIVING A BRAND NEW PORSCHE TARGA WOULD BE SLEEPING ON THE GROUND OVER NIGHT.
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Joe having a kip on his Commando!
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AFTER TT WEEK WAS OVER I RETURNED TO ANDOVER, HAD MY BIKE FIXED AND JOE AND I WERE OFF TO SEE EUROPE. WE SHIPPED OUR BIKES BACK HOME TO BUFFALO N.Y. USA. UNFORTUNATLY I HAD TO SELL MY NORTON A YEAR LATER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS LOST IN A GARAGE FIRE THREE YEARS LATER.
I HAVE ATTACHED A FEW PHOTOS. ONE OF THE PHOTOS IS A THE ONLY NORTON I HAVE LEFT. IT'S A SMALL MODEL OF A NORTON SITTING ON MY ORIGINAL EXPORT PLATE THAT WAS ON THE BIKE WHILE IT WAS REGISTERD IN ENGLAND.
I MET MY WIFE SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING FROM EUROPE. WE MARRIED IN 1973 AND HAVE THREE BOYS AGES 28, 30, 31.
I AM NOW 62 YEARS OLD AND MARY AND I HAVE BEEN HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 35 YEARS.
Love a happy ending!
To see more pictures of their trip - Click here:
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike Directories/Period Pictures/pages/Two-Nortons.htm |
