VANCOUVER — Age is, the saying goes, just a number, and for octogenarian Gil Yarrow, the only numbers he really concerns himself with are the ones in front of cc’s (as in cubic centimetres).
Digits likes 850, 900 and 1,100 are what keep the 83-year-old Port Coquitlam man young at heart.
Standing in his three-car garage earlier this week, the retired joiner proudly showed off his current collection of motorcycles, a half-dozen machines that any two-wheeled gearhead would covet: there’s a superbike in the form of a 1998 Ducati Supersport 900; an off-roader in the Kawasaki KLR; a road warrior Yamaha FJ1100; and like the owner himself, the classics: a 1960 BSA Super Rocket, a 1968 Triumph T120 Bonneville and a 1971 Norton Commander 750.
The gauges of the classic Norton.
Ric Ernst, Driving
Each has a special place in the English native’s heart, but the BSA is his favourite and the Norton his most-trusted steed, particularly when it comes to road trips. Gil and the Norton have been on quite a few of those since he bought and totally restored the bike a little more than a decade-and-a-half ago.
And we’re not talking about out to Harrison Hot Springs and back for lunch on a sunny Sunday; we’re talking cross-continent adventures that are a challenge for bikes half the age of the Norton, and for bikers half the age of Gil.
The pair has travelled to eight International Norton Owners Association rallies, taking them to and from New York, Oregon, Utah and Colorado.
In 2005, Gil did the legendary Ironbutt, deemed “world’s toughest motorcycle rally,” and covering 11,000 miles in just 11 days. But he didn’t take the Norton.
“I took the FJ1100 because it has the biggest gas tank of my bikes,” he explained, his Middlesex accent still strong despite living in Vancouver for a half-century.
Gil Yarrow poses with his restored 1971 Norton Commander 750 near his Port Coquitlam home last Monday.
Ric Ernst, Driving
He will be kick-starting the Norton on July 6 for another big road trip, however, this one the 2015 INOA rally in North Carolina.
The plan was to have three local riders join him for what he expects to be a 10,000-kilometre round trip, but they bailed on him.
“Too far,” Gil said was their reason.
Instead, he’ll be joined on the road by his buddy Rick, who is trailering down his Norton Combat in his camper truck. They’re figuring on eight days down, five days at the rally, then eight days home.
Getting back to that kick-starting thing; anyone who has attempted to do just that to a Norton 750 knows it is no small feat.
And for a 5’4” 83-year old?
“It’s a little harder to kick over now,” Gil admitted with a chuckle. “You know I’m not getting any younger.”
But if he primes it properly, and gets the piston right at the top, usually it starts on the first kick.
“If I miss that, though…,” he said, his voice trailing off and a wink.
He has a lifetime of experience kick-starting motorcycles to draw from, considering he bought his first — a 1948 BSA 250 — at age 19. “I kept that one for about a year-and-a-half and then I bought a Matchless G9 and I used that one for the longest time,” he said.
Then came a 1948 Norton ES2.
“That one was my first restoration, and my wife sat on the back of that one up until her eighth month of pregnancy.”
Since it had a rigid rear wheel, he noted, “I had to be careful what with all the cobblestones and manhole covers.”
The bike was completely restored — and upgraded — by its proud owner in 2000.
Ric Ernst, Driving
As much as he loves to ride them, he really enjoys working on them too.
He bought the Commander in 1999, and the following year took it all apart, including the engine and transmission, replacing any worn parts and upgrading some components. His handiwork has not gone unnoticed. The bike has placed first and second on a number of occasions at INOA rallies.
More importantly and in terms of safety, he noted, that intimate knowledge of all the working parts on the motorcycle gives him great confidence to set out on the big road trips he enjoys so much.
“I don’t hesitate for one second riding it to North Carolina because it’s never let me down before.”
That’s not to say he hasn’t had a problem here and there. During last year’s return trip from the INOA in Oregon, the Commander started revving high.
“I did manage to get it down to around 1,500 rpm and made it home,” Gil explained.
When he opened up the engine he discovered a slide had experience metal fatigue, and upon doing some research, discovered this was a documented flaw in the part.
The bike has won a number of top awards at the annual INOA rallies.
Ric Ernst, Driving
He also credits his decades of safe riding to habits instilled in him long ago.
“I scan the road ahead of me, and always have an eye on my mirrors,” he said. “If the road looks safe to me, I’ll increase the speed a little.
“I’m always thinking what am I going to do if someone comes out in front of me. And that’s paid off many, many times I can tell you that.”
What about his secret to living so well at the age many men wouldn’t even consider sitting on a motorcycle, let alone riding for days on end?
“I look after myself. I don’t put any junk in my body. Of course, the odd time on the road, you take what you can.”
He’s taken vitamins every morning since the age of 55. Fifteen or so years ago he was concerned about forgetting people’s phone numbers, and a friend suggested he try the supplement Ginkgo biloba.
“After I started using it, I could remember phone numbers that I hadn’t used in months. I just think about it, and ‘bingo,’ it’s there.”
But remembering names, he admitted, is still a “bugger.” Once you meet the remarkable Gil Yarrow, you won’t forget his anytime soon.
To meet the man and his Norton machine, take in the May 16 All-British Field Meet at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.
