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cash
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Posts: 445
Location: west cumbria
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 Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: Norton is back? |
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Have a look at this http://www.motorcyclenews.com/ looks like Norton is back in Britian.
Cash |
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79x100
Joined: 19 May 2006
Posts: 704
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh dear, it looks as if all the enthusiastic sellers of things with the Norton name on can start expecting solicitor's letters. |
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Hortons Norton
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 161
Location: Long Beach, California
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Bout Time!!!!! Great news!!! |
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MichaelB
Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 446
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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Having lived through so many of these rebirths, Indian, Excelsior, Norton...
I have a tendancy to look at these through jaded eyes.
Maybe this one is for real. I'm pulling for him.
Here is the US link. http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/company/news_detail.asp?newsID=20
Maybe Kenny's work will pay off after all.  |
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mikegray660
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Posts: 115
Location: Long Island NY (ughhhh)
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| MichaelB wrote: |
Maybe Kenny's work will pay off after all. |
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BillT
Joined: 27 Jan 2008
Posts: 118
Location: Broward County, Florida
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe it will work.
I would recommend that the new owners negotiate with Mr. Bloor, and arrange sales through the Triumph network, perhaps on an order basis. |
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JimC
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 202
Location: Port St. John, FL
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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Probably the only way it will work is for it to be marketed is as a boutique bike. Priced considerably north of thirty grand, U.S. The resources needed to establish it as a consumer production bike are astronomical. Manufacturing is probably the easiest part. Getting it sold and having dealer support is, in all likely hood, much more difficult. I do hope they succeed.
I see the Moto Guzzi Norge as a good example of what I speak. Arguably the best looking, with torque of a tractor, sport touring bike made today. Unfortunately, the dealer support is next to non-existent. Many owners of the Norge are trading them in on BMWs. I've ridden my buddy's Norge and it is flat great, but I wouldn't buy one. Strictly because of poor dealer support. |
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BillT
Joined: 27 Jan 2008
Posts: 118
Location: Broward County, Florida
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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| JimC wrote: | Probably the only way it will work is for it to be marketed is as a boutique bike. Priced considerably north of thirty grand, U.S. The resources needed to establish it as a consumer production bike are astronomical. Manufacturing is probably the easiest part. Getting it sold and having dealer support is, in all likely hood, much more difficult. I do hope they succeed.
I see the Moto Guzzi Norge as a good example of what I speak. Arguably the best looking, with torque of a tractor, sport touring bike made today. Unfortunately, the dealer support is next to non-existent. Many owners of the Norge are trading them in on BMWs. I've ridden my buddy's Norge and it is flat great, but I wouldn't buy one. Strictly because of poor dealer support. |
I see what you mean about the Norge. A local dealer just opened a new shop in Broward County, expanding from their North Miami location. They have about six Guzzis on the floor in Pembroke Pines, including a black Norge, but only sell about one Aprilia or Guzzi a month. Over 90% of their sales are Kawasaki, and I get the impression they don't get much help from Moto Guzzi. The next closest dealer is about 100 miles away, and I know of a Guzzi owner who takes his bike to Jacksonville for major repairs, claiming that is the closest competent dealer.
The main reason I bought a Triumph is because there are two dealers within 30 miles of me (Ft. Lauderdale and Boynton Beach), and both have decent mechanics who know what they're doing. |
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Cookie
Joined: 05 Oct 2008
Posts: 156
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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At least he mentioned the Norton girls. Actually the girls that wanted to ride on my Norton were never the ones I was serious about.
For Nortons it was the looks and performance for me, it was hard to beat either in the seventies.
As far as I am concerned the rotary is best left with the turbine as another dead end. |
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Reggie
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Yorkshire England
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:21 am Post subject: |
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From Motor Cycle News (UK) apparently;
Whoops......I was going to print off the piece that cash has put a link to. 
I'll just quietly disappear.  |
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Hortons Norton
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 161
Location: Long Beach, California
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:18 am Post subject: |
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AS I see it just bring back the Norton girls, As if I were to buy a new Norton I may not need to work on it for some time, And that would mean no grease under the finger nails. My body would go into shock, Just kiddin guys. I can't wait to see one, I hope it looks like the failed attempt. Chuck.  |
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Coco
Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 598
Location: Regina Sask. Canada
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| MichaelB wrote: | Having lived through so many of these rebirths, Indian, Excelsior, Norton...
I have a tendancy to look at these through jaded eyes. |
You also forgot Vincent and Crocker. Ooooh, if we are lucky, maybe someone will bring back Studebaker as well. This sort of thing is happening with motorcycle companies so why not cars?
The Indians used S&S engines (not really an Indian now is it?!) so who knows what will happen.
I say let sleeping dogs lie.
Last edited by Coco on Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:58 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Richard Barks
Joined: 14 Apr 2006
Posts: 8
Location: nottingham england
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:53 am Post subject: Re: Norton is back? |
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they are building under license about 5 miles from me, at first for racing then roadsters using a rotary engine another venture doomed from the start
having had a dreer norton and a cnw norton (cnw 10 times better than dreer) a rotary for a road bike is not the way to go the guy putting up the money prodeces fireworks , so you can make up you own jokes !!!!
Richard Barks |
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Scooter62
Joined: 05 Dec 2003
Posts: 166
Location: South Florida
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Can someone say "bad timing?" The Wall Street Journal had an article the other day about Harley Davidson not being able to move their $30,000 cruisers. I doubt seriously that a revived Norton with a non existent dealer network will have it any better (yes, after the whipping I've taken in collector plates, I've begun reading the WSJ and drinking those trendy coffee drinks).
I really think what Colorado Norton Works and Norvil are doing by essentially building new/old bikes is the best approach and it has the added benefit of creating enough demand for replacement parts to keep the companies that make them in business. Even so these new/old bikes are quite pricey; >$20,000. Also think about why would anyone buy an old Norton or new/old Norton; certainly not because they are trouble free, smooth running, blindingly fast or have the latest technology. You can get all of those things from the newest Japanese bikes. Triumph's new Bonneville is a nice bike but it's a real Bonneville in name only and that makes me sad. Yep it's a slippery slope when companies try to recreate a legend and more often than not they fail. A bad economic climate won't help either.  |
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BrianK
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Posts: 413
Location: Boston, MA USA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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Guys, we ride Nortons and we're worried about spotty Guzzi dealer networks??!  |
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Norton Commando Forum by Corporate Pages Web hosting using phpbb
The Unapproachable Norton Commando
At the end of 1967 the Norton Commando was announced.
The Norton Commando was greeted with a certain amount of scepticism because on first sight the commando appeared to comprise of the old Norton Dominator twin cylinder engine mounted at an inclined angle in a set of new cylinder parts.
It was not realized that the new Norton Commando Isolastic method of engine suspension damped out all engine vibration and produced a machine which had uncanny smoothness for a vertical twin. In due course the critics were silenced and the Norton Commando had the distinction of being regarded as the first of todays so called superbikes. There can be little doubt that the original design concept of the Norton Commando has proved correct, since comparatively few modifications of any real consequence have been made since production commenced during 1968.
Now nearly 40 years later Norton Commando riders like us are a breed of our own, and as far as we are concerned its still more fun to go for a blat on the old Norton Commando, and fast. As a Norton Commando owner and enthusiast, my goal here is to promote and give credit to those who keep the Norton name going.
It is more deserving to give credit to the Commando itself, for after all these years it continues to be respected. The original Commando designers like John Favill are those who deserve the credit for developing this incredible motorcycle.
The Norton Commando Roadster and Interstate of the late seventies, never died. Although the Norton Villiers factory dispersed the tradition lived on. Today Kenny Dreer in the USA is developing the new 952 CC Norton. What a great looking bike this is, and its engineering is still based on the original layout. It will be interesting to see how the new 952CC Norton does in todays tough motorcycle market. One thing is for sure, I would own one if I could afford it.
