Hello from Norton UK

sce308 said:

Hi Simon, fantastic but I send 10 Days ago an email to Norton Factory to have a quote for différent parts…no answer! I understand that customer and owner service was a priority… not really. I always wait. Regards

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This thread is 8yrs old, and Simon is no longer with Norton

Should be locked, thread sticks out like a sore thumb.

Starts so positive, dude is gone & last seen here 2017, with zero followup.

74ok said:

Should be locked, thread sticks out like a sore thumb.

Starts so positive, dude is gone & last seen here 2017, with zero followup.

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You might think some other clever, motivated employee would pick up and keep the customers engaged.

concours said:

You might think some other clever, motivated employee would pick up and keep the customers engaged.

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My guess is management is not allowing that.

The forum members are no worthy enough for invites or good enough to visit the Triffid Farm they have appointed as a dealer so why would they bother posting to the forum.

Not sure if its the 'rabbits caught in headlights' or 'ostrich head in sand' strategy they are following, whatever it is its really odd and not working.

Be sure that this forum is read by TVS Norton people but they are not going to risk getting into trouble with TVS for posting opinions/information are they? I think us 'Donnie' 961 should quit griping about it and just accept that New New Norton don't want anything to do with us. The ironic thing is that despite the 'improvements' there is a lot on the bike which is unchanged so this forum is a great source of information on component reliability. Parts supply is an issue but that's the same for New New Norton owners too. Personally I have got on very well with many TVS Norton people and completely understand their company position - I just wish they could have come to an amicable working arrangement with companies like Stu at Motorvated; gets any enquiries from the unwashed Donington hordes off their back. As I keep repeating - If someone sees my bike broken down by the side of the road they just see it as a 'new' Norton broken down. Conversely when out and about being universally admired it is also an advertisement for 'new' Nortons.

Clive said:

Be sure that this forum is read by TVS Norton people but they are not going to risk getting into trouble with TVS for posting opinions/information are they? I think us 'Donnie' 961 should quit griping about it and just accept that New New Norton don't want anything to do with us. The ironic thing is that despite the 'improvements' there is a lot on the bike which is unchanged so this forum is a great source of information on component reliability. Parts supply is an issue but that's the same for New New Norton owners too. Personally I have got on very well with many TVS Norton people and completely understand their company position - I just wish they could have come to an amicable working arrangement with companies like Stu at Motorvated; gets any enquiries from the unwashed Donington hordes off their back. As I keep repeating - If someone sees my bike broken down by the side of the road they just see it as a 'new' Norton broken down. Conversely when out and about being universally admired it is also an advertisement for 'new' Nortons.

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My feelings towards TVS Norton echos Clives. At the recent MCN London show I spoke with a lady on the Norton stand (wish I'd got her name!!) who was responsible for their events. She hadn't engaged with Access Norton or the 961 facebook group but was working with the Norton Owners Club which was encouraging.
She gave me some hope that the rift between owners of Donnie bikes and TVS my recede in time. We shall see!!
As per Clives last sentence in his post I expressed my thoughts that engaging with Donnie bike owners would be a win/win as we are owners supporting the brand by being seen out on our bikes regardless of where they have been built. I think if we are positive towards them we may see a slow step change, we can but try!!

Dutchy961 said:

My feelings towards TVS Norton echos Clives. At the recent MCN London show I spoke with a lady on the Norton stand (wish I'd got her name!!) who was responsible for their events. She hadn't engaged with Access Norton or the 961 facebook group but was working with the Norton Owners Club which was encouraging.
She gave me some hope that the rift between owners of Donnie bikes and TVS my recede in time. We shall see!!
As per Clives last sentence in his post I expressed my thoughts that engaging with Donnie bike owners would be a win/win as we are owners supporting the brand by being seen out on our bikes regardless of where they have been built. I think if we are positive towards them we may see a slow step change, we can but try!!

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Let's hope so !

Norton/TVS is just moving through the various stages on their way (hopefully) to a true manufacturing entity.
It's a bit like a new born baby:
- Shitting - sitting up - shitting - crawling - shitting - standing - shitting - walking - shitting - running, etc.
Right now, Norton are mostly shitting.
We'll have to wait until they're running.

Dutchy961 said:

My feelings towards TVS Norton echos Clives. At the recent MCN London show I spoke with a lady on the Norton stand (wish I'd got her name!!) who was responsible for their events. She hadn't engaged with Access Norton or the 961 facebook group but was working with the Norton Owners Club which was encouraging.
She gave me some hope that the rift between owners of Donnie bikes and TVS my recede in time. We shall see!!
As per Clives last sentence in his post I expressed my thoughts that engaging with Donnie bike owners would be a win/win as we are owners supporting the brand by being seen out on our bikes regardless of where they have been built. I think if we are positive towards them we may see a slow step change, we can but try!!

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First I've heard of them working with the Norton Owners Club....certainly made zero contact with me

BritTwit said:

Norton/TVS is just moving through the various stages on their way (hopefully) to a true manufacturing entity.
It's a bit like a new born baby:
- Shitting - sitting up - shitting - crawling - shitting - standing - shitting - walking - shitting - running, etc.
Right now, Norton are mostly shitting.
We'll have to wait until they're running.

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Well they certainly have lots of shiny new toys in their playpen.....

I think Clive’s point above is telling. TVS likely holds ultimate sway over how Norton reacts to any problem. As a grouping, we’re a problem to them for reasons discussed. Not hard to see any TVS direction to limit contact.

If we were a homogeneous group with like views, with whom contact was easy, the situation might be different. But we’re difficult to deal with - spread all over the world, owning differently specked machines and more significantly, holding vastly differing expectations.

From the more pragmatic members, who might recognise that the ‘bean counters’ at TVS might view us as a cost or debt that the company doesn't ‘legally own’ - to those more belligerent, who believe that full support should be provided regardless of that fact (often the most vocal in their criticisms).

I was suprised to find this thread started by Donington Norton (2015) when I joined the forum. I don’t know of another motorcycle manufacturer who provides direct access like that? Same when Brummie Norton engaged on the forum discussing spares etc. My guess is TVS shut ongoing contact down pretty quickly, viewing that the productive outcomes might be outweighed by the not so.

I don’t believe any part of the organisation is sitting up nights looking at ways to screw us over. Efforts to continue to supply spares and other activity has shown that. But Brummie Norton’s hands are likely being tied and maybe that sees them caught in the middle? As a group with disparate views, spread across multiple social media forums, we may be partly responsible for the situation. Personally I think things will normalise over time. My take only.

BritTwit said:

Norton/TVS is just moving through the various stages on their way (hopefully) to a true manufacturing entity.
It's a bit like a new born baby:
- Shitting - sitting up - shitting - crawling - shitting - standing - shitting - walking - shitting - running, etc.
Right now, Norton are mostly shitting.
We'll have to wait until they're running.

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Liking the analogy BT - I think they are probably at the crawling stage, and most definitely experiencing growing pains! A few years away from standing on their own two feet, that’s for sure.

Let’s hope they get the opportunity to enter the race.

Stephen_Spencer said:

Liking the analogy BT - I think they are probably at the crawling stage, and most definitely experiencing growing pains! A few years away from standing on their own two feet, that’s for sure.

Let’s hope they get the opportunity to enter the race.

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To carry on the analogy I think they are bouncing away quite happily supported in their TVS baby bouncer, being admired by their parents with no real need to support themselves...

Just thinking that we're all too anxious to see the fruits of their labor, can they ever live up to our expectations?
Hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Clive said:

To carry on the analogy I think they are bouncing away quite happily supported in their TVS baby bouncer, being admired by their parents with no real need to support themselves...

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I suspect the absolute opposite to be the case Clive. I think the Norton leadership team will be acutely aware of the scope of funding they have received, timelines evident and outcomes expected (by TVS).

Pressure from above, pressure from the media and from the market - not to mention ‘we the impossible to please party’! Not sure the ‘happily bouncing up and down without a care in the world’ part of the analogy works!

Stu Bodycote said:

First I've heard of them working with the Norton Owners Club....certainly made zero contact with me

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Hi Stu, She did tell me a name but I can't remember it. Reckon I'll write to Norton and see if I can put some flesh on the bones. The lady I spoke to was quite open and engaging about being involved with owners and working with the NOC, I wonder if that will be repeated via email? we shall see!!!

Dutchy961 said:

Hi Stu, She did tell me a name but I can't remember it. Reckon I'll write to Norton and see if I can put some flesh on the bones. The lady I spoke to was quite open and engaging about being involved with owners and working with the NOC, I wonder if that will be repeated via email? we shall see!!!

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I'm the NOC 961 tech advisor....but Norton won't want to talk to me directly, mainly because of just a couple of people that have carried over from Donington. It's a shame really, as I'm clearly a big fan of the brand (as an example, Ive just paid out over £800 for a professional family set of photographs....in them I'm wearing a Norton sweater, as I see Norton as being a huge part of my families life now)...and would have gladly sat down and gone through all the issues that I've come up against with the 961's during my time working for Norton and also working for myself. The doors still open if they can brush that chip off their shoulder....but I won't leave it open forever, as its cold out