When I was in Germany, '69-70, the Norton bikes where top dog, not just because of their performance, but also because of their revolutionary anti-vibration engine mounts. Quite a few other young officers had Nortons, and the prior Atlas bikes, and then the Commando's. I road one once, just before I was posted from Germany to Vietnam, and told my self "when I get back in a year, I am going to get one of these." But in the intervening year, my life goals changed, and I firmed up other professional plans, and never did get a Norton nor any other bike. When I occasionally see one now, I just marvel at how small they really are. Back in '65, when I was new to the University of Nebraska, I was going to buy a Honda 305 Scrambler, the really hot looking bike, and when I told my dad, He said he would pay half the cost of a car it I did not buy a bike. He hated them. So I used my saved up lawnmowing money and with his additional $750, bought my first car, a '63 TR4, which started me on a life-long path of sports cars, thru the other British sports cars, eventually, to a 427 Cobra, several Porsches, and up to a year ago, a Porsche GT3. But sold that, and now working on getting my M37 on the road. Off to see the machine shop in a few minutes.
all the best....