Let's not say SG Nortons

BikerBore

BikerBore

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I see many references to 'Garner/SG Nortons' and I feel it reflects negatively on what is for many an excellent bike! I'd like to propose that they are known as 'Donington Nortons' going forward? I feel if owners start referring to their bikes as such, with time it will be what they're known as.

Thoughts?
 
Stu Bodycote said:
Yeah I'm guilty of saying this....but I never saw it as a negative, as I loved my job tbh.
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I agree SG is a crook, but there was a time that he probably had good intentions.
He did after all bring the Norton brand we now have back to reality.

I hate to say it, but he does deserve some credit for that. Without his work and love for Norton we wouldn’t be here today.

Stu, you knew him. On a personal level, SG was probably a nice guy but was doing wrong trying to keep his dream alive.


You can not give credit for that to TVS.
Without SG Donington or which ever you prefer to call it, we have had bikes being made and a line up of new models that were in the works.
 
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Oh Dear! I reckon whoever has dealt with the man either laughs or sheds tears at the statement: "On a personal level, SG was probably a nice guy but was doing wrong trying to keep his dream alive."

He kept his ego alive, had no qualms to steal from pensioners, and was an extremely unpleasant and dishonest person to deal with. Ask his suppliers, or any other person who had business dealings with him.
 
Voodooo said:
I agree SG is a crook, but there was a time that he probably had good intentions.
He did after all bring the Norton brand we now have back to reality.

I hate to say it, but he does deserve some credit for that. Without his work and love for Norton we wouldn’t be here today.

Stu, you knew him. On a personal level, SG was probably a nice guy but was doing wrong trying to keep his dream alive.


You can not give credit for that to TVS.
Without SG Donington or which ever you prefer to call it, we have had bikes being made and a line up of new models that were in the works.
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I've thought Stuart Garners actions are similar to John DeLorean. Both on the wrong side of the law in a desperate attempt to keep their company afloat. More than a company to them, a dream/passion.
 
BikerBore said:
I've thought Stuart Garners actions are similar to John DeLorean. Both on the wrong side of the law in a desperate attempt to keep their company afloat. More than a company to them, a dream/passion.
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Do you honestly believe SG went into the motorcycle business just to scam people?
I don’t believe that

I do believe he wanted to build Norton, And he was. In the end, he went about it the wrong way.

I’m not going to change the facts and history of SG Norton. I don’t see everyone who owns a SG era Norton selling them just because of what he did.

TVS didn’t buy Norton from Dreer, SG did.
You must give SG credit for the 961 and V4.

If I were to designed a motorcycle now, I would expect another motorcycle designer to make changes as well. Good or bad.
That happens with every product. More so when more money is invested.
 
kommando said:
Delorean started off on the level, Garner was fraudulent even before he bought Norton.

https://www.superbike.co.uk/article/norton-was-it-a-fraud-from-the-start

His dream/passion was purely to get his hands on the loot, he had no cares for Norton at all.
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That’s wrong on both sides.
Delorean was in trouble within his days at Pontiac.

I’m still not buying the fact that sg only went into a motorcycle business to screw people over. If it was all about money, he could have stuck with fireworks or sold drugs.

I’ll never know the truth because I wasn’t there and didn’t know him.

But ask yourself this.
Why did you buy a 961 and support his scam?
 
Voodooo said:
Do you honestly believe SG went into the motorcycle business just to scam people?
I don’t believe that
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Neither do I!

I think SG wanted to make Norton great again.

By all accounts he's an unpleasant person, there is no denying that! Using people's pensions to keep the company afloat was terrible idea. I sure he thought he'd be able to put it back before anyone noticed, but in reality that was never going to happen.

And yes we do need to give him credit for the bikes he produced and TVS need to be thankful as well!

But the Garner name is tainted and my thinking was to separate the person from the bikes, hence Donington Nortons.
 
And how many Aston Martins and Range Rovers did he buy for himself (with stolen funds) while busy keeping this Norton dream alive?

Glen
 
BikerBore said:
Neither do I!

I think SG wanted to make Norton great again.

By all accounts he's an unpleasant person, there is no denying that! Using people's pensions to keep the company afloat was terrible idea. I sure he thought he'd be able to put it back before anyone noticed, but in reality that was never going to happen.

And yes we do need to give him credit for the bikes he produced and TVS need to be thankful as well!

But the Garner name is tainted and my thinking was to separate the person from the bikes, hence Donington Nortons.
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I agree with you 100%
 
kommando said:
Never bought a 961, just did not like the guy from early on especially when the stories about screwing the suppliers and not paying them came out.
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It’s safe to say, we’ve all bought something from a con man. One way or another.
 
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