What's happening at Norton? Sale to TVS, massive investment, new bikes...

Another email, another obscure arty-farty ad. This time apparently trying to interlace Norton's racing history with whatever it it they're doing now.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
TVS bought Norton for its brand name, including its history, to sell into western markets. No surprise they are now using that history in their marketing, just as every company does, if they have any history that is..
 
Unfortunately, long on history/heritage, but devoid of any real relevance today.
Do young riders care about this stuff? I doubt it.
What folks care about are real products.
Norton should reveal their planned new models, NOW!
They don't have to provide an extensive review of the models, that can be done at the official intro in November.
If these new models are not dynamite, Norton risk becoming a laughing stock.
Come on Norton, start leaking real info on the upcoming models.
 
Or we could just accept that they’ve chosen not to disclose until EICMA - pulling the sheet off on model release day is not that uncommon - and judge them on the quality of the bikes they actually produce.
 
Who cares? They can only be bought in the UK.
The ship has sailed and nobody’s interested in waiting, it’s been way too long.
Life’s to short and times not worth waiting around for the unknown.
 
The main issue I foresee is a crowded market, too many other UK associated brands are already selling both large and small capacity bikes. Is there room for another one, how much better will the TVS bikes need to be to get the required sales.
 
Bevelheadmhr said:
No, the new models will be sold globally, yes even into the US.
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That's the official factory line anyway.
For all we know, Norton may be seeking dealers out in the US as we speak.
I think the tough part will be getting certification for all 50 states in the US, cause it takes time.
Several states piggyback on the California CARB standard, but there are other states that have different emissions standards.
Norton will need USDOT certification just to import the bikes into the US.
Then various state certifications to be required to register them for the road in those states.
Norton may just build all their bikes to meet the California CARB standard, it's the strictest, and will satisfy all states.
That way all of their models will be suffocated with insane emissions requirements.:p
 
kommando said:
The main issue I foresee is a crowded market, too many other UK associated brands are already selling both large and small capacity bikes. Is there room for another one, how much better will the TVS bikes need to be to get the required sales.
Click to expand...
I said this pages ago. Plus, all the other brands like CFMOTO and the like are getting into the small CC space. Plus, motorcycling in the USA is dying, fewer riders, fewer real dealerships, more mega stores with staff that don't know product and service departments that are understaffed because no one wants to actually work on bikes. As a lifelong rider and business owner, it's sad to see, but we have (especially in California) made motorcycling no fun. In California, you can't even change your exhaust unless it has a certified noise plate on it, or you get a state referral. Harley dealers are voiding warranties because an owner has self-installed parts, and the list goes on and on.
 
BritTwit said:
That's the official factory line anyway.
For all we know, Norton may be seeking dealers out in the US as we speak.
I think the tough part will be getting certification for all 50 states in the US, cause it takes time.
Several states piggyback on the California CARB standard, but there are other states that have different emissions standards.
Norton will need USDOT certification just to import the bikes into the US.
Then various state certifications to be required to register them for the road in those states.
Norton may just build all their bikes to meet the California CARB standard, it's the strictest, and will satisfy all states.
That way all of their models will be suffocated with insane emissions requirements.:p
Click to expand...
I haven’t heard anything from people who are genuinely in the loop. Sure, there are dealer groups that would happily add another brand to their multi-line(mega) showrooms, plus they cut sweetheart deals that protect their margins because the new OEMs are desperate for U.S. exposure. Some smaller brands are hustling just to keep the lights on, but nothing credible has surfaced regarding TVS. And keep this in mind: the U.S. doesn’t even have a dedicated OEM motorcycle show anymore. Attendance and interest dropped off so sharply that the industry pulled the plug. So even if TVS wanted to test the waters, there’s no real platform left here for them to showcase bikes to the market.
 
City Garage said:
I haven’t heard anything from people who are genuinely in the loop. Sure, there are dealer groups that would happily add another brand to their multi-line(mega) showrooms, plus they cut sweetheart deals that protect their margins because the new OEMs are desperate for U.S. exposure. Some smaller brands are hustling just to keep the lights on, but nothing credible has surfaced regarding TVS. And keep this in mind: the U.S. doesn’t even have a dedicated OEM motorcycle show anymore. Attendance and interest dropped off so sharply that the industry pulled the plug. So even if TVS wanted to test the waters, there’s no real platform left here for them to showcase bikes to the market.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the IMS motorcycle shows sponsored my Progressive insurance are no more. There are smaller city/regional events around the country though. It will cost Norton a pile of cash to get their machines certified in the US, so not sure the potential sales will justify the cost.
With Boomers aging out, and Zoomers not that much into owning a car or a bike, it's gonna be tough for the motorcycle market here on out.
 
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