Pierre Terblanche to head design team at Norton

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rightshiftrick said:
The 999 and 749 series machines are the superbike I would own (749 being the preferred model). I didn't care for the design at first, but it really grew on me. I worked for a Ducati shop for a few years (not as a tech), and the design and tech were light years ahead of the older bikes. Still, I had a blast on my old white framed SS. It was one of the few bikes that reminded me of my Commando, just with a little more power and better brakes.

Will be interested to see what develops with Norton
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I also own a 999. In my limited opinion it is one of the best designed bikes (except for the front styling treatment) that I've ever owned. The older Ducatis are much more difficult to work on; the newer ones are more cheaply made. Some aspects of the bike are absolute masterpieces, such as the headlight and electronics housing. The ergonomics are the best of any Ducati that I've had the honor to sit on. As far as I can tell the only thing that tuned folks off were the stacked round headlights and fairing nose. Other than that, the bike is a mechanical wonder. Like all Ducati's, the sound it makes on full throttle is sublime.

I think Mr. Terblanche did a great job on the Paul Smart Special Sprort Classic. It will indeed be very interesting to see what he does for Norton.
 
Hmmm third post on a Norton site and I'm talking Ducatis..... :roll:

I have a 900ssie and I like the styling, I didn't at the time it came out....but the Japanese have caught up...... whilst looking thru old bike mags looking for Norton info I found that the then new 900ssie was described as " the result of a fire at a plastics factory"
I commute on it, tour on it, go for a windy road thrash on it.....love the sound.
Tank implosion is something to watch on these.....those injection pumps can really suck.
Dealer brought loads of used ones into NZ from Japan, mine was 8 years old with 15000 kms on the clock...looked like new, and lots of carbon fibre... nearest I will get to a new bike.
Ducatis are pretty common here now.....there are over 200 for sale on our Ebay equivalent.
 
Provided for those who aren't familiar with Mr. T's design. Personally, I like the big round tach much better than the new 'instruments.':
Pierre Terblanche to head design team at Norton


Pierre Terblanche to head design team at Norton
 
Personally I don't like the styling but hey what do I know, I still think the Commando in almost all of its guises is one of the most handsome (can I say that about a bike?) bikes ever.
The Ducati in the pic looks a bit pregnant to me?
Good luck to the guys at Norton, whatever scam's going on, it'll capture the publics imagination I'm sure 8)
 
according to Hell for Leather heres What’s Pierre have to say for himself?

We emailed the always verbose designer to get the facts behind this. Here’s his complete response:

“Full time job… No more Piaggio….

Time to move on……..

Bye bye Pasta…..hello Cottage Pie.!

Cheers.

Pierre.”
 
I would have thought a "BRITISH" looking bike was the template? I have seen a Commando engine in a Ducati rolling chassis.......what was the point?
At least the Bloor Bonnie looks Modern British, Simple and right money,,,thats why he sells them in numbers. Its getting to the point where anyone can import Ducati's and stick a norton badge on the tank! If you want a Commando...then get a Original,stick a few sensible goodies on and enjoy it .
prmurat said:
Gosh...the guy who replaced the 916 by the ugly 999...even Ducati went back to the previous design in the 1198! Poor Norton!
Philippe
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Norton are going to keep their 'classic range' and he has been brought in to develop new models. Full marks to Norton for looking further than same old, same old designs. It's the way to stay afloat and progress, like it or not :wink:
It is a big step, but Hinkley did it so why can't Norton?
Funny that the resurection of Triumph went the other way, as in they produced fully modern bikes competing head on with Japan right from the start then put out their 'classic range'.
What I wonder with the new company is, will this water down the values of the existing 'real' Nortons because the Triumph classic range has steered a lot of born again bikers into buying a new Bonnie rather than a Merriden one. And the new Bonnies are everywhere, I have even seen them sneaking into classic bike runs much to my distaste :roll:

And just to freak you lot out further, here is what Pierre did with his time at another of my favorite marques- Moto Guzzi
I put a picture with a nice lady in it to soften the blow 8)

Pierre Terblanche to head design team at Norton
 
Dodgy said:
Funny that the resurection of Triumph went the other way, as in they produced fully modern bikes competing head on with Japan right from the start then put out their 'classic range'.
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Was Triumph really that successful until they did bring in the retro bikes?
 
swooshdave said:
Was Triumph really that successful until they did bring in the retro bikes?
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I think so- the 'modern bikes' got the company off the ground and expanding, currently one of their biggest sellers is the Street Triple
 
Dodgy said:
swooshdave said:
Was Triumph really that successful until they did bring in the retro bikes?
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I think so- the 'modern bikes' got the company off the ground and expanding, currently one of their biggest sellers is the Street Triple
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Yeah, but.

Do you think they would have been more successful if they had started with the new Bonnie? I don't recall the early triples selling that well.

But it's all conjecture.
 
Norton are going to keep their 'classic range' and he has been brought in to develop new models.
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'll ride my Commando to Mars before that happens I think :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Gino, you should be more positive!

As for Triumph, after a pretty pathetic start with non-exciting Kawasaki lookalikes in the early 1990s and correspondingly pathetic sales they found their niche with the Tripple engines in the ally frames and became successful. ONLY THEN did they start with their "retro" range which, due to the low prices (they are produced in Thailand) took off- and, all of a sudden, harped on their "tradition", after scorning that tradition for years.
In that "retro bike" success they are practically alone in the market- Ducati failed with their "retro" bikes and dumped them, Kawasaki failed with their "Indian replicas" and dumped them, and I suspect the only reason why Kawasaki now get their W650 out of the grave as the W800 is BECAUSE they see the Bonneville selling well, they have written off the tooling for the W650 already, the W800 costs them next to nothing in development and tooling, and they don't really have the money any more to develop radically new bikes.
 
Joe,

Until your post, I wasn't aware that Kawasaki had re-introduced the W series. I remember when the W650 came out and remember the press indicating that it was a better Triumph Bonneville than the new Triumph Bonneville. I don't think that I could buy a Japanese replica Brit bike, but have to admit that I think that they got it right. At least it looks like a real motorcycle!

No Norton content, but here's a nice video with the W800 details:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM49-q5kSZ4
 
Dodgy said:
And just to freak you lot out further, here is what Pierre did with his time at another of my favorite marques- Moto Guzzi
I put a picture with a nice lady in it to soften the blow 8)
Click to expand...

I thought this prototype Guzzi looked awesome.

I also think the modern Triumph did the right thing. People who are into the classic bikes - why would you buy a new classic when you've got the old one? You've got to make something to bring in the biggest crowd, and it's got to be something different than what the Asian manufacturers can produce (for less). They looked at the history, saw that triples were something the Japanese didn't mass produce and went that route.

The company needs to focus on the bottom line, and making upgraded reproductions aint gonna do it. It's good to get the name out and also to please the "fanboy" crowd, but success lies in going after what the biggest amrket wants. Unless Norton produces modern bikes they will remain a niche player in a rapidly shrinking market.

When was the last time you thought "Hey, I wonder what new and exciting thing Harley has come up with?" Oh right, they killed Buell...
 
Don't get me started on how they treated Erik. A guy that still can think outside the box, And a really nice guy too.
Pierre Terblanche to head design team at Norton

Sorry guys it's just............ Never mind this always go's nowhere. :roll:
 
Ugghh, don't get me started on the demise of Buell. My wife works for The Motor company, and I qualify for a 20% discount on new bikes. The wife agreed after the kids are in school and I've been back to work for a year I could purchase my first brand new bike. I had the short list down to a 1125CR, XR1200 or a Vrod night rod special. in order of want. Then the motor company cans Buell, and my small list just got smaller. Those are the only bikes that have any appeal to me. I don't like leather, and hate chrome. And who likes fringe and tassles????? Give me mind numbing power and sound, throw on a good suspention and brakes and some out of the stone age technology.
 
Ducati stopped making retro bikes because they got the design wrong. And because people wouldn't buy them,if they were closer to the originals, people would have bought them the same as the modern Bonny.

Don't get me wrong, they are very good bikes, and the DS 1000 engine is excellent.

They just didn't get it, and sort of half made a retro bike. Yellow paint, for example, doesn't make a 750 Sport.

Shame,,,,, they would have sold heaps. (then there's the Super Mono that didn't happen ?????)

graeme
 
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