In 1948 the compact, light, parallel OHV Norton twin, of pre-unit construction, was comparable to the earlier Triumph design. Fast forward to 1969 though and it was not comparable to motors from the Japanese, which didnt vibrate, leak oil, or fall apart when ridden hard. This massive technology gap effectively spelt the end of the British motorcycle industry, as buyers simply seemed to prefer Japanese machines!
Facts are sometimes pretty hard for people to grasp, and like it or not pitting a bike fitted with a 1948 designed motor, and a hastily thought up anti vibration frame, against the new Japanese superbikes, was never going to work commercially.
Had the British motorcycle industry not been compromised by greed and mismanagement for decades though, the story may well have been quite different, and there could well have still been a strong motorcycle industry in the UK, rather than an assembly plant putting together parts from Thailand, and a crook ripping off customers money!
