For the first time ever, two of the original John Player Norton team members and a John Player Norton visited New Zealand in February 2006. What started as an idea and an email from David Bernard to Norman White led to David, Bob Nesbitt (of Classic Cycles Upper Hutt) and Donn Tomlinson (the then NZ Norton Owners club President) inviting Peter Williams and Norman White to the NZ Norton Owners club Rally and to the Pukekohe International Classic Race meeting the following week.

Norman brought his 1972 JPN F750 Norton to display at the rally and to race at Pukekohe. The trip was funded by dozens of supporters – with assistance from an Internet auction of several laps riding on Normans JPN in the demonstration event.

Normans bike arrived in Wellington on 30th January and was unpacked after work one afternoon. It was the closest thing to a spiritual moment for Bob and me. Unpacking a John Player Norton !!

Nes, myself, Lynda and Hamish Blair and Gerard Dobson met them at the airport, and whisked them in to town. The boys stayed in the Wellington Museum Hotel thanks to ex Dunstall owner and huge biker enthusiast Chris Parkin. We showed them the Britten and the “Fastest Indian” film bike over at Te Papa. Hasn’t technology come a long way !

Gerard, David, Peter, Peter, Lynda and Norman. There followed a “Supporters rally” on Thursday 2nd February . The purpose of this meeting was to get all the Wellington supporters together who had contributed towards the airfares, and for them to meet Norman, Peter and Peter – and vica versa.

This came went off well, with the guys already showing a graciousness and willingness to talk with enthusiasts and supports of their experiences. For most of us this was a once in a lifetime experience to talk to some of our 70s heros! A team effort late in the evening helped get the bike down the back stairs afterwards, (we must have woken half the hotel) where it stayed the night right next to Chris s’ limited edition Ducati.

Lynda spent the next day showing them around Wellington and environs, then it was Friday and time to head off to the NOC rally for the weekend.

A record 91 Nortons made the NOC rally which took place near the shores of the breathtaking Lake Rotoiti in the South Island. Truly stunning scenery, lots of Norton talk and a talk from both Norman and Peter where you could have heard a pin drop was the order of the day. In the evening there was always a group or two near the JPN on display fulfilling what was almost a need to be near a sacred item. This is one beautiful bike. It’s a real work of art.

After the event Norton owners went their separate ways, leaving Norman, Peter and Peter to spend a few days around the south island – thanks to Jim ??? who lent them a vehicle.

Then up to Pukekohe the following week. The meeting on Thursday 9th in Auckland was similar to the Wellington one. A time for supporters to meet Peter, Peter and Norman. Not often you have an ex world champion (Hugh Anderson) and more than one IOM winners in the same room. Graeme Crosby was there as a supporter. Also present was top tuners Peter Lodge and Les DeLacey, and Peters mechanic in the late sixties before Norman – kiwi Dacre Swallow.

At Pukekohe over 400 bikes raced over the two day race meeting. What started as a small event in 1980 is now acknowledged as being the biggest and friendliest Classic Racing event in the Southern hemisphere. Many UK entrants combined the racing with a trip around stunning New Zealand. This years event dripped with good will and true classic spirit of commadarie.

Numerous sidecars came from Australia and the UK including John Renick with his Konig outfit. The balance of the fourty three strong sidecar field ran Norton and Vincent motors with a sprinkling of Truimph and BSA motors. The racing coincided with the national BSA rally with several hundred BSAs turning up.

Norton Manxes produced locally by Ken Mackintosh ensured strong fields of Manxes in the 500 fields, whilst Team Classic Cycles from Wellington produced seven Norvil Production racers and two Rob North framed Commandos. A following of no less than nine supertuned Truimph 3TAs added to the 350 class. Unlike the UK where Seeley frames are prevalent, most racing solos seem to use Featherbed frames or Manx lowboys produced in NZ by Ray Brenigan – with the occasional Metisse frame. The fastest Clubmans 500 are a supertuned Velocette owned and tuned by Nick Thompson and an indecently quick ES2 owned by Peter Lodge and raced by top NZ rider Sam Smith.

Unfortunately Normans JPN blew a head gasket in the first race and the correct replacement could not be located. What followed was a vigil through to 4.00 am to complete a top end teardown. The congregation of racers that stayed had the near spiritual experience of watching an ex works Norton and Honda UK chief mechanic fettling spanners. Bob Nesbitt and Brett Rollett assisted Norman working on the bike whilst a congregation of racers who stayed witnessed the hand filling of a piston squish area, and provided support far into the night and willed the bike to run next day.

The JPN fired up on Sunday to spontaneous cheering from pits and the grandstand. Unfortutately the wrong gasket meant oil seeped profusely from the head and the JPN was down on power on raceway but Norman did have one race on Sunday and Doug Fairbrother got to get his “Trademe” kiwi auction site won laps.

Doug has raced for years, and gave the Norton a lot of stick. NZCMRR kindly allowed Doug to have three laps on the bike, together with a brace of Norton Commandos. Unfortunately Donn Tomlinson (fellow organiser) didn’t hear the calls for the demo ride and missed the ride on his FIM proddie racer. However Pukekohe racers and spectators did get the (rare) opportunity to see his proddie racer and his lower mileage JPS Norton. Two low mileage virginal conditional machines.

What wasn’t known at the time was that Dougs four “Greytown racing” teamates had collectively chipped in to bid for Doug to win the ride – or that the “Greytown Racing team” bus transporter had suffered broken fuel pump, alternator and water pump on route to the event. They only just made it though. In the event veteran racer Doug had the ride of his life, and could not wipe the smile off his face on his return. Dougs winning ride was accompanied by Bob Nesbitt of Classic Cycles, and no less that seven Commando powered Proddy and Rob North framed racers.

Norman and Peter were guest speakers for the weekend. They got to catch up with Kiwi legend racers Hugh Anderson and Ginger Molloy and Graeme Crosby whom they had raced with in the 70s. Peter was astounded bump into kiwi Dacre Swallow who had been his mechanic in the late 60s.

After Pukekohe we all went back to Wellington. Peter, Norman and Peter then spent a further three days with Donn and Bruce Tomlinson at their family holiday place in Russell before hopping on the plane and heading back home to the middle of an English winter. I reckon we could see them again.

All who came in contact with Norman White and Peter Williams were impressed by their humility and their willingness to spend time talking with riders, remembering famous races, giving advise and generally making themselves available to the public. They will be remembered in the hearts and minds of hundreds of NZ motorcycling enthusiasts.

Big thanks to all supporters and key sponsors, without whom this wouldn’t have happened. Special thanks to Lynda Blair who was of tremendous assistance right when we needed it.

Special thanks to the Key Supporters: Norton Owners Club, Les DeLacey, NZCMRR Bruce Vernon of tt.industries, Chris Parkin of Museum Hotel, and Glenn of BRM magazine. Also the numerous individuals named elsewhere on this site whose contributions ensured the trip became reality. Peter, Norman and Peter, we loved having you - you will be remembered.

Norton Racing:
David Bernard, Bob Nesbitt, Donn Tomlinson