Here we go.!!

peebee

peebee

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Well the cats out of the bag now, what do you make of the new Nortons on display .? Personally I think they have made a style jump ahead of the current machines instead of just copying the usual trend, they have nice clean simple lines with a slight futuristic look about them and the new logo goes along with that. Whatever people may think, and I'm sure there will be plenty for and against them Norton have taken a bold move for the future and I wish them well.
 
From what little I’ve seen it appears they have abandoned all of their past iconography and identity. Holding onto the Norton name seems kinda pointless- the new machines may be superb and ground breaking but calling them “Nortons” isn’t adding any value or desire.

I wish them the best of luck and look forward to learning more about the product line.
 
Seems a shame to split threads Peebee - we already have this discussion well underway in a 3 year old thread (What’s happening at Norton…….new bikes).

Makes sense to add this content - your call.
 
Yes the V4 lines are clean and sharp. However, I wonder if it's a good idea to have the fairing sides abut the lower gas tank region. If you drop the bike the fairing will push/impact directly into the gas tank. Dunno about that. Extensive damage possible.

As I said before, don't like the teeny tiny seat. Should be longer with a nice contoured shape and a plate holder. Get rid of the plate holder arm on the rear end. All the sportbikes have this. Isn't Norton supposed to be different, special. Stop following all the others.....

Don't like the new Norton logo. I guess kids will feel differently because its angular and "edgy". Looks deformed and cheap to me.

The adventure bikes are not my thing, so I will defer comments to others.

Depending on the pricing, I think overall, it's a good start for Solihull.

Oh yeah, where are all of the scantily clad young ladies. Damn, how could Norton forget them:(
 
Middle of the road, nothing too exciting, nothing too terrible.
They remind me of stainless steel kitchen appliances. Or office furniture. New logo is a perfect fit.

Is it "less is more" or "we don't have anything else" ?

Should have stuck the 961 engine in a stripped down, low tech, bare bones road bike/ scrambler thing.

Hope they can develop something more exciting. Good luck TVS.
 
All that money invested into Norton and all the years of secrets, and all the negative comments.
Some of you are never happy. Be careful what you wish for.

To me, the v4 bikes look like much of everything else out there today. The Donington bikes looked better and the new atlas is dare I say, fucking ugly. Again, they had a beautiful atlas with Donington.
 
In my eyes it’s a marketing question- my concern is that Norton has made the choice to go in a completely new direction without any attempt to hold on to its story and identity.

This puts them in the same position as an entirely new company, and to get folks interested in their offerings those will have to be very good indeed.

We all frequent this site because we have a connection to Norton on a historic and emotional level- it’s the story and path of the mark that has given it meaning to us. The only connection these new machines now have to that past is that their name is spelled the same. Even the iconic logo has been abandoned.

None of this has ANYTHING to do with weather the bikes are any good or not- but it means the brand has to build itself back from zero.
 
Yes that’s so…. But retro isn’t entirely necessary to maintain an identity.

Many auto brands maintain enough design language to be recognizable over many iterations and model changes. A new Mustang still looks…. Mustangy. Well, not so much the new EV, but I hope you see my point.

I can see how Norton might not want to be bound by any design ties to the past or the possible constraints that might present. A clean sheet design can be a wonderful thing.

I don’t mean to knock these new bikes- I hope they turn out to be absolutely amazing and wonderful. I just want to know what now makes a Norton a Norton.
 
I just don't see who will be buying these, unless they are priced way under the competition..you have better versions of these types of bikes with other brands. Nothing special here. Disappointing. I really liked the designs of the V4CR and V4 these all look like electric lawnmowers.
 
Yes, the new V4 isn't too different from all the other superbikes.. but then they all follow the same look. If Norton built something radical.. the press and the internet would go nuts for it.. but no one would buy it. Like Triumph before them, they have to be conservative to ensure their bikes sell. The smaller ADV bikes aren't for me, but a scrambler or a naked bike might be of interest.

Norton have been 'radical' in that the V4s are designed for road use, not as track day bikes. So they have no silly aero wings, power made lower down the rev range, and styling that is at least distinctive, without being too radical. I'd buy the Manx over a Ducati V4 Pani.

The new logo is fine, the old one would look odd on a modern superbike. I'm sure the old logo will make an appearance on any future retro bikes. Again, just like Triumph.

The third and yet unseen 'platform' IMO is going to be a new range of Commandos... water cooled, 6 speed box, 100 plus HP.. a better Bonny... history repeating itself...
 
They changed it too much. Now it’s too much like the abrasives company.
Here we go.!!
 
Elfix said:
In my eyes it’s a marketing question- my concern is that Norton has made the choice to go in a completely new direction without any attempt to hold on to its story and identity.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be so quick to make that assumption.

Yes, these new models are a statement about their modern design philosophy, but their past design and engineering heads clearly said that the "commando" would reappear in the future.

We've just seen 4 new "modern" models, and soon 2 others will appear.
None are Commands, clearly.
I take that to mean the Commando will be positioned differently, not associated directly as a "modern" design, but as a retro, or modern classic.
TVS currently has no 750, 900 or 1000cc engines, and I think if they introduce a new Commando, it will be a big bore model.
Designing a new large bore engine will take time and money. It's obviously worth it though. Triumph sell a lot of 900 and 1200cc modern classic vertical twins. BMW sell Nine Ts. Royal Enfield does pretty good too. I'm sure this segment of motorcycles will be attractive to TVS too.

I want to see a new Commando too, but it may take years to appear if at all.
First TVS/Norton have to find some reasonable success with their first new offerings.
 

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