Nearly 7,000 miles since purchase last July and I'm really starting to feel at home in the saddle.
Loaded for a 1200-mile trip down the East Coast in December
On The Dragon's Tail last fall
* Last updated by: Danno on 5/5/2019 @ 6:14 AM *
Created on: 05/05/19 06:12 AM
Replies: 8
Danno
Location:
Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 2142
KTM Super Duke GT
05/05/19 6:12 AM
Nearly 7,000 miles since purchase last July and I'm really starting to feel at home in the saddle.
Loaded for a 1200-mile trip down the East Coast in December
On The Dragon's Tail last fall
* Last updated by: Danno on 5/5/2019 @ 6:14 AM *
Danno
Location:
Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 2142
RE: KTM Super Duke GT
05/05/19 6:21 AM
Also have 2 850 Nortons
My '71 SS lots of non-stock and home-made parts.
My stock '73 Roadster which I rescued from a flooded barn.
Not bad, considering this is what it looked like when I got it
2fast4me
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Joined: 07/08/19
Posts: 57
RE: KTM Super Duke GT
07/09/19 9:17 PM
Speaking of Nortons, I bought this 750 Commando new in 1973. Photo is from 2015 when I got ready to sell it, very reluctantly after having it 42 years. Only non-original parts are the exhaust and the mirrors. Paint is original fireflake blue. Sidecover decals were getting a little ratty but I had a set of NOS for the next owner. Am staying in touch with the new owner and it just turned over 50K.
[img][/img]
Rook
Joined: 03/28/09
Posts: 20797
Danno
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Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 2142
RE: KTM Super Duke GT
11/12/19 4:36 AM
The paint on the Titanic (appropro for a bike that was completely under water at one time) is my attempt at matching the original Fireflake Blue. It's a little light in shade due to having to wet sand the flake in between coats. Bike is 90% stock original with the only aftermarket components being a Boyer EI, Burlen Stay-up floats in the carbs and the Campbell's peashooters.
Starts first kick, even after sitting a while, runs great and sounds wonderful.
The side stand and centerstand hardware is new stainless, but all other fasteners are original Norton. Of course, all gaskets, seals, tires. chain and replaceables are new. Fortunately, I kept all the old hardware from the gold bike, which has been replaced with stainless stuff. The Lucas headlight bucket was completely blackened inside, but I had a perfect original replacement in the pile. The exhaust was completely rotted, so I obtained a set of used crossover headers (as original) and some used aftermarket peashooters.
She was stripped to nuts and bolts and everything painted was re-painted-tank, sidecovers, frame and much more. Everything but cylinder boring, front brake rotor resurfacing, cylinder head vapor blasting the the hand-painted pinstripes was done by me in my garage.
* Last updated by: Danno on 11/12/2019 @ 4:42 AM *
Danno
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Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 2142
RE: KTM Super Duke GT
11/12/19 4:46 AM
And back on-topic (for this thread) the SDGT now has 13,XXX miles and is on it's 3rd rear tire. I still can't get used to the looks, but I have plenty of eye candy in the garage and nothing holds a candle to what this beast can do.
2fast4me
Location:
Joined: 07/08/19
Posts: 57
RE: KTM Super Duke GT
11/12/19 11:15 AM
Beautiful job on restoring the Titanic! It's looking proud again. I guess I am stuck in the past but there is nothing made today which looks as good as these Nortons. As far as the blue color you attained, I took this (rather poor) photo of an early 70's brochure I still have. The blue in the photo is actually darker than seeing it first hand. I do remember seeing a fair number of Nortons with a blue noticeably lighter than my fireflake blue bike. In fact, during all the 40+ years I had mine I remember only seeing one other with the same shade of blue. Most were lighter blue, something like yours.
Glad you like the SDGT. I sat on one in the showroom and it seemed fairly comfortable. The price of entry was a bit much for my finances so I ended up with the used ZX14.
mokaw
Location: Bismarck, ND
Joined: 02/15/09
Posts: 211
bbird1400
Joined: 05/16/12
Posts: 76
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