Norton Motorcycles have gone into administration owing the taxman some 300k. Unlike the reborn Triumph marque which succeeded in rising from the ashes by offering bikes that competed with the Japanese on price and performance Norton went for the niche retro market trying to sell revamped sixties machines at prices from fifteen to twenty eight grand. It always seemed a lousy idea to me with little or no appeal to anyone but well off aging rockers and I'm not surprised it's gone tits up.
They'd have been better off doing what Royal Enfield have done and started off with budget brands which they've now developed into some very competitive bikes like the fairly recent 650 which is attracting very favourable reviews.
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Wasn't it only about 10 years ago they were given a loan guaranteed by the Government for about £5m?
For many years Nortons were my preferred bike, I had a couple of Dominators which I loved and I loved the US Commando; but the company has been a basket case lurching from crisis to crisis for pretty much all of it's 100 years, I think.
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They brought out a non luxury bike a few years ago - the 650cc range. They were realistically priced to compete with Japanese or European premium bikes. I looked at one and sort of half considered one. I was put off by a friend who owned a Commando from new - it had to be collected and taken to the factory for the service and was away for 6 weeks...! They were beautiful bikes and had the 650cc range taken off in the USA and they got the back up right they would have been an attractive buy - people want something a little special and if you can get that special at the right price they are very attractive.
The Guzzi was left field enough for me.
Last edited by: R.P. on Wed 29 Jan 20 at 22:33
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Wasn't their predecessor Norton Villiers Triumph a very early workers co-operative?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 30 Jan 20 at 18:11
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Many, many years ago. Nothing other than a name connects Norton or Triumph to that beknighted and doomed enterprise
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>> Many, many years ago. Nothing other than a name connects Norton or Triumph to that
>> beknighted and doomed enterprise
I remember it as a regular news theme in mid seventies with Tony Benn (whom the press still insisted on calling Anthony Wedgwood Benn) as advocate of co-ops.
IIRC it just beat our local whole food co-op 'Daily Bread' as first registered workers Co-Operative.
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>> with Tony Benn (whom the press still insisted on calling Anthony Wedgwood Benn)
What, or indeed which, was his name? His vanity to one side, that is.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 30 Jan 20 at 18:45
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Is your name that which you wish to be called or that appearing on your birth certificate? I would suggest the former.
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I don;t know. But I assume that Bromp was trying to point towards some outrage by the press given his suggestive use of "insist".
And I wasn't clear exactly what the injustice was.
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>> I don;t know. But I assume that Bromp was trying to point towards some outrage
>> by the press given his suggestive use of "insist".
GGN has nailed it.
Benn was pretty clear, probably from time he renounced his peerage if not before, that he preferred to be known as Tony Benn. The press, and possibly BBC too, continued to refer to him as Mr (Anthony) Wedgwood-Benn.
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>>Benn was pretty clear, probably from time he renounced his peerage if not before, that he preferred to be known as Tony Benn. The press, and possibly BBC too, continued to refer to him as Mr (Anthony) Wedgwood-Benn.
And you remain bitter because of what you see as a conspiracy against a Labour politician?
Time to let it go, perhaps?
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>> And you remain bitter because of what you see as a conspiracy against a Labour
>> politician?
Not bitter at all.
Just a take on how things were.
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You need to let the bitterness go.
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>> You need to let the bitterness go.
I'm not bitter. It's just commentary on how things were.
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The re-launched Norton should have done what first the Japanese and now the Chinese are doing - start with cheap, small capacity machines with commuter and learner appeal. You are then capturing a new generation of rider for the future when you start making bigger and more powerful machines.
Trying to trade on past glories by revamping old bikes none of the present generation have even heard of is not the greatest of business ideas, particularly when prices and learner restrictions put them out of the reach of new motorcyclists anyway.
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Oh dear indeed.
Strong words, so they must be pretty sure of themselves.
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>>Trying to trade on past glories by revamping old bikes
I guess it must have been around 1974/5; the Kawasaki Z1 had been replaced by the more civilised Z900, The Laverda Jota was still the fastest thing around and the Suzuki GT750 was a ridiculous two-stroke. All light, bright, fast and reliable. And clean.
In amongst all that Norton finally gave in and put an electric start on the lumbering old brute the Commando 850.
And then wondered why they couldn't compete. I remember then, when I was just beginning to take interest in such things, the company coming out with statements about how their customers wouldn't want the Japanese stuff and would prefer the tradition of Norton classic motorcycles.
All the mentality shown so often by the automotive/motorcycle industry in the UK at that time.
I think they've lost the plot and/or been rescued 5 times over the years. Loved the Dominator 88SS, the featherbed frame was a marvel in it's day, the Norton logo is cool and I used to love the image.
But really, time to lie down and die I think. If the name is sold, let it at least be to the Chinese who will put it to good use, as they have the MG name, and will at least prevent the failure of yet another no hope venture by some dodgy British businessman appearing in the news 10 years from now.
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>>
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>> In amongst all that Norton finally gave in and put an electric start on the
>> lumbering old brute the Commando 850.
>>
>>
I remember reading road tests at the time which said the electric start was so weedy it would only work when the engine was hot, you still had to kick it over from cold.
It was a pity, because it was a great looking bike with an awesome exhaust note. Typical of British motor manufacture of the era though, design something desirable and then screw it up with poor engineering.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Thu 30 Jan 20 at 21:26
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I thought the newest reincarnation of the Norton name was a bespoke company operating out of a big country house making one off bikes to costumers requests and had diverted away from the mass market, bit like the Pangani of motorbikes?
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Triumph appear to have got the point and are launching a 200cc plus range.
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So I can re-live my early teens offroad (*cough*) riding a Tiger Cub trials.
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Norton in Administration - No FM2R
