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

NorTriDuc said:
Who’s actually going to buy a Norton when they don’t have the dealer or after sales parts distribution?

Would is be a good conversation piece at the local hang out? Sure, but we already have the 961 for that and have been proven by TVs that they don’t really support the out going 961s.

Not to mention, nearly all of these would be journalists riders are just social media people who are no better than you or I, they’re just lucky enough to get the opportunity to ride something new.
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All the Utoob Influencers very rarely say anything bad about the bikes - after all they are flown out to a race track - wined and dined .... nice life. Even the ones that i like only ride a brand new bike for a day or two - not reall the same as buying it - owning it and using for a year or two - having to maintain it! The BIG test will be reliabilty - support and long term ownership !
 
Beetleything said:
All the Utoob Influencers very rarely say anything bad about the bikes - after all they are flown out to a race track - wined and dined .... nice life. Even the ones that i like only ride a brand new bike for a day or two - not reall the same as buying it - owning it and using for a year or two - having to maintain it! The BIG test will be reliabilty - support and long term ownership !
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Exactly my point.

The only opinions that count are those who take the gamble and make the purchase with their own money.
Buying something and letting it sit as a show piece and only riding it a few miles a year doesn’t qualify it as a sound purchase.
That doesn’t prove it to be quality or reliable.

Like us 961 owners. We all know how that went.
 
MCN is no newbie to testing bikes so I paid most attention to their take. More or less they're saying Norton jumped in to the sportbike market at the deep end and have a bike that can compete against the likes of Ducati and BMW that are on their 4th or 5th model generation. If it falls between the GSXR's and the Panigale's performance wise and pricewise on its first shot thats not a bad achievement from day one. MCN used always have a long termer on test and this would be the ideal candidate for them keep on their books.
 
speirmoor said:
MCN is no newbie to testing bikes so I paid most attention to their take. More or less they're saying Norton jumped in to the sportbike market at the deep end and have a bike that can compete against the likes of Ducati and BMW that are on their 4th or 5th model generation. If it falls between the GSXR's and the Panigale's performance wise and pricewise on its first shot thats not a bad achievement from day one. MCN used always have a long termer on test and this would be the ideal candidate for them keep on their books.
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Performance and price doesn’t mean it’s quality or dependable. But as you said, I take the review from a reputable magazine publisher over a YouTuber or social wannabe
 
speirmoor said:
MCN is no newbie to testing bikes so I paid most attention to their take. More or less they're saying Norton jumped in to the sportbike market at the deep end and have a bike that can compete against the likes of Ducati and BMW that are on their 4th or 5th model generation. If it falls between the GSXR's and the Panigale's performance wise and pricewise on its first shot thats not a bad achievement from day one. MCN used always have a long termer on test and this would be the ideal candidate for them keep on their books.
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Absolutely, the long term test is what provides the best indication of what an owner is likely to experience.
It separates the chaff from the wheat.
 
There have been some difficulties with support for the 961 - I follow the FB site too. My guess is the majority is generated at dealership level. Several have been removed (or left) from the network over the last period.

Of course those cases are reported loudly - understandable. For every report though, I suspect many SP owners are happily racking up the miles and receiving appropriate support from the likes of Krazy Horse and Judd. Happy to be called out on this by any of the new owners? The dealer network has to be a key focus for Norton you’d think.

Seems what difficulties there are though, relate to the 961 (a design that’s always had difficulties as we know). Other models are low volume, but I haven’t heard any comment about support to the V4SV/CR?

For me, the bottom line is this: if Norton fails to properly support these first Norton/TVS-era bikes, they’ll be in serious trouble, and I suspect they know that. They’re already carrying some baggage from Donington, along with ongoing perceptions around the 961. That will only increase scrutiny of after-sales support.

They need to get this right, that’s for sure!!!
 
Stephen_Spencer said:
There have been some difficulties with support for the 961 - I follow the FB site too. My guess is the majority is generated at dealership level. Several have been removed (or left) from the network over the last period.

Of course those cases are reported loudly - understandable. For every report though, I suspect many SP owners are happily racking up the miles and receiving appropriate support from the likes of Krazy Horse and Judd. Happy to be called out on this by any of the new owners? The dealer network has to be a key focus for Norton you’d think.

Seems what difficulties there are though, relate to the 961 (a design that’s always had difficulties as we know). Other models are low volume, but I haven’t heard any comment about support to the V4SV/CR?

For me, the bottom line is this: if Norton fails to properly support these first Norton/TVS-era bikes, they’ll be in serious trouble, and I suspect they know that. They’re already carrying some baggage from Donington, along with ongoing perceptions around the 961. That will only increase scrutiny of after-sales support.

They need to get this right, that’s for sure!!!
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Truth be told, they didn’t leave a sweet taste in one’s mouth. Using the 961 as an excuse is lame to be honest.

Even though they adopted the 961 and its issues from the past, they also made some of their own issues. Some were handled well, others not so.

They can’t use the Garner era as an excuse since they took over the brand. They had more than enough time to iron out the issues.

Who will they blame if the new models have issues and poor after sales support? Skinner?
 
NorTriDuc said:
Truth be told, they didn’t leave a sweet taste in one’s mouth. Using the 961 as an excuse is lame to be honest.

Even though they adopted the 961 and its issues from the past, they also made some of their own issues. Some were handled well, others not so.

They can’t use the Garner era as an excuse since they took over the brand. They had more than enough time to iron out the issues.

Who will they blame if the new models have issues and poor after sales support? Skinner?
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Nobody is suggesting that Norton is trying to shift blame or make excuses.

The point is that future after-sales support will inevitably face greater scrutiny. That stems partly from the shadow of past events and partly from lingering doubts surrounding the 961 — a situation Norton has contributed to itself. Reputation is cumulative; it’s not neatly divided into separate, attributable parts.

For me, getting this right becomes critical as Norton begins pushing new models in greater volumes and expands its dealer network internationally. It may well represent their ‘last best chance’ to establish long-term success.
 
Stephen_Spencer said:
Nobody is suggesting that Norton is trying to shift blame or make excuses.

The point is that future after-sales support will inevitably face greater scrutiny. That stems partly from the shadow of past events and partly from lingering doubts surrounding the 961 — a situation Norton has contributed to itself. Reputation is cumulative; it’s not neatly divided into separate, attributable parts.

For me, getting this right becomes critical as Norton begins pushing new models in greater volumes and expands its dealer network internationally. It may well represent their ‘last best chance’ to establish long-term success.
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Suggesting?
Have you already forgotten the last 6 years?
 
Stephen_Spencer said:
There have been some difficulties with support for the 961 - I follow the FB site too. My guess is the majority is generated at dealership level. Several have been removed (or left) from the network over the last period.
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i hardly paid attention & don even know the details but new folks are gonna find out quick parts was a sh.t show & no stoppin those folks
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