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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