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Correct!
No brand will ever be what it once was. Times change, companies change hands, etc....
Since Norton is now a company in the middle of a major transition, I think it wise to wait and see what it eventually produces.
The 961 and the V4 were never intended to be more than place holder offerings by TVS, to wave the Norton flag and let folks know that the company is alive. This seems unfortunate now with the recalls for a problem that was supposed to have been fixed with the "re-engineering" for the 961.
The "New" 961 perhaps is better that its predecessor, but it seems not by much. To fix the many issues of the 961 would require an essential re-design of many engine components, which TVS was not willing to do. Nothing can be done about this now, things will continue to happen until the new models appear, and the 961 is sunset.
This is reality, we have to live with it, complaining about it serves no purpose.

As far as racing is concerned, it should be the absolute last priority for Norton. Job one is to get the company on a stable financial footing, and black ink before ever considering racing.
I agree with your comment 100%. I also feel they’re losing interest. JMO
 
Norton will never be what it once was.

Modern Norton has no racing program, poor sales, poor management, extremely weak sales, and the assembly quality isn’t anything to brag about over the last ownership with Garner.

How are you going to react when they don’t have anything desirable to offer in the coming months?
Many people keep saying new models are to come. Nobody wants to pay a premium for a 450cc bike that’s shared with other TVS / BMW models.

Would you buy a brand new Norton model if one were available to you?
They can’t even get a model (961) right and it’s been available for over 10 years. I’m not just talking about the current recall.

As one said on the Facebook thread. To own a Norton, you need at least one other bike to enjoy.
What good is having a new bike if all you can do is look at it?
Was gonna respond to this (deeply pessimistic post) until I read it again…..”How are you going to react when they don’t have anything desirable to offer……..”! 🤣

‘Lighten up’ NDT, exporting other people’s angst may come with a tarif = if your lens has a purely negative bias you really are’nt seeing the whole picture.👍
 
Correct!
No brand will ever be what it once was. Times change, companies change hands, etc....
Since Norton is now a company in the middle of a major transition, I think it wise to wait and see what it eventually produces.
The 961 and the V4 were never intended to be more than place holder offerings by TVS, to wave the Norton flag and let folks know that the company is alive. This seems unfortunate now with the recalls for a problem that was supposed to have been fixed with the "re-engineering" for the 961.
The "New" 961 perhaps is better that its predecessor, but it seems not by much. To fix the many issues of the 961 would require an essential re-design of many engine components, which TVS was not willing to do. Nothing can be done about this now, things will continue to happen until the new models appear, and the 961 is sunset.
This is reality, we have to live with it, complaining about it serves no purpose.

As far as racing is concerned, it should be the absolute last priority for Norton. Job one is to get the company on a stable financial footing, and black ink before ever considering racing.
Agreed BT, although I think too much has probably been made of persistant niggles - further exhacerbated by the recall (and reaction to it).

The remaining unfortunates at the end of the recall line were always gonna be the loudest, and have coalesced on FB - there is’nt a similar thread for those happy with the response and back to riding.

It was always gonna be a difficult recall, especially when under the pump. They should’ve done better though? Yep - communication remains their achilles heel!

Stu’s outlined many improvements that SP owners will never be aware of - they won’t notice when their battery tray doesn’t fail for example.

As you say though, they stopped short of a deeper redesign (although internal components have been changed) - the result of a cost benefit analysis no doubt.

That said, I reckon when these SP niggles are sorted (likely within the warranty period) these owners are much more likely to have a (relatively) trouble free future than we Donny owners have had to deal with.
 
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Was gonna respond to this (deeply pessimistic post) until I read it again…..”How are you going to react when they don’t have anything desirable to offer……..”! 🤣

‘Lighten up’ NDT, exporting other people’s angst may come with a tarif = if your lens has a purely negative bias you really are’nt seeing the whole picture.👍
Oh I thought this was a FB fodder thread. Shall we not share the experiences with all past and current owners? Or just the cherry sweet ones? Asking for a friend.
 
Oh I thought this was a FB fodder thread. Shall we not share the experiences with all past and current owners? Or just the cherry sweet ones? Asking for a friend.
Mar 25 sees you a bit late to the discussion NTD, but that’s ok - we’ve had it from every angle over a considerable period of time and rightly so.

It’s reached a place where there’s a bit of balance I think. Certainly recognition that there’s plenty of room for plenty of improvement at Norton Birmingham! But also a hope (dare I say expectation) from most that they are shortly to release some bangin’ new bikes🤞- out of Norton heartland - in the UK.

Free to post what ya like mate, and you can decide if (commentary like) “Nothing coming out of TVS Norton is going to be desirable” is balanced or adds any value. All good👍,
 
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Suprised to see this. Being put down to “a decline in sales exhaserbated by cost of living crisis and shifting consumer spending habits”.

Thought we had a slightly more isolated market ‘down under’. Not the case obviously. Difficult game wherever you are it seems!

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Latest Motobob vid states that the new TVS built 450 Norton will probably be called Electra.. they've recently trade marked the name in India...
At a recent Morgan club meet got talking to someone who runs a consultancy/ development company for EVs and had been working with Norton....... Obviously no details but I would have thought that name would have been more suited to an Electrickery powered bike...... 🤔
 
Very few bikers want an EV bike, those manufacturers who have tried have lost millions.
They have a long way to go.

They are way too expensive and the range is way too little.

And if we’re talking value for money, then what about the broader level value proposition ??

Carbon dioxide makes up 0.04% of the atmosphere.

It is claimed that only 11% of that is due to human emissions.

I can’t imagine what tiny 0.00X%… of that 11%…of that 0.04%… is due to motorcycles !

Anyone who feels environmentally guilty about enjoying their ICE motorcycle needs to study more mathematics…
 
They have a long way to go.

They are way too expensive and the range is way too little.

And if we’re talking value for money, then what about the broader level value proposition ??

Carbon dioxide makes up 0.04% of the atmosphere.

It is claimed that only 11% of that is due to human emissions.

I can’t imagine what tiny 0.00X%… of that 11%…of that 0.04%… is due to motorcycles !

Anyone who feels environmentally guilty about enjoying their ICE motorcycle needs to study more mathematics…
Not to mention the contribution from Elon's exploding rockets.... There was a radio program a little while age talking about how much domestic &commercial refrigerant is being vented into the atmosphere in poor countries such as South America. It costs thousands to extract and contain it so who is going to pay that when a 'fridge is repaired/scrapped?
 
So, the new Hedon Norton helmets are launched.

Form and orderly queue, only the most serious poseurs need apply though.

Starting at £849… FFS.

I’d be too embarrassed to wear one…

 
So, the new Hedon Norton helmets are launched.

Form and orderly queue, only the most serious poseurs need apply though.

Starting at £849… FFS.

I’d be too embarrassed to wear one…

"Sorry, there are no products here."
Are they sold out ?
 
I think they pre-empted that sentiment with the teeny-weeny Norton logo, Nigel. If I paid that for a Norton helmet I'd want something like the Batman sign projecting the Norton logo up onto the clouds above me.
 
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