Nortons

[Potter]

It seems they are properly back but I’m not seeing a huge amount of PR other than some bike shops doing collection photos when people collect their new bikes.

This seems like an honest review and not the standard gushing praise that most reviews seem to be these days.

[KungFooBob]

The council model is £17k.

A Trumpet 1200 Thruxton is £15k.

If I had that kind of cash to throw at a motorcycle I think I'd go for the Norton. It's somehow just that little bit more special in my eyes.

I wouldn't have any concerns over backup/warranty, etc.. TVS are a massive company. They turned over $4b last year.

[weeksy]

I'd buy the R9T or the new 1200R9T thing all day over either of them. Although i'd probably buy a Speed Twin and save a massive chunk of cash anyway as it's a lot lot prettier. I'm all for spunking a load of cash on things, but it's got to have value and for me, the Norton ain't it.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If you want one buy one, they're definitely not to my taste, I can't think of any reason why I'd buy one over another make of motorcycle.

[Rockburner]

I've not ridden one, but every time I see one I can't help but compare it (looks-wise) to the original, and the original is so much cleaner. All the curves aren't doing the modern version any favours, they just make it look bloated. I also don't like the Ohlins gold forks, but then I've always felt that that colour looks crap on any bike that doesn't have the same colour somewhere else: against any other colours is just screams "chav bling". (It's less of an issue on fully faired bikes because it's mostly hidden).


Edit:

For reference: this is my Dad's 1968 "Fastback" 750 Commando.

[Supermofo]

Gotta say I don't get modern Nortons at all.

The 2024 Commando is essentially the 2009 Commando just hopefully actually bolted together properly. You also have a chance to actually buy a bike as opposed to give your money to a chancer who may run off with it or rob bits off the bike when in for servicing. The 2009 bike was also developed off the back of the US design which I think dates back to the late 90s/early 2000's? So essentially you're buying a premium bike which is based on a 24 year old design or at best 15 years old. It's also not great looking and doesn't do anything special except have Norton on the tank. IMO it's playing the same game as the standard Bonnie/Speed twin 900 or Guzzi V7 all of which are much much cheaper. I wouldn't even consider a Norton if I fancied say a 1200 Speed Twin, the Triumph is objectively better in every way. Same with the R9T.

Then there are the superbikes. My brothers mates boss had one. Apart from being very shiny it had a huge dash of home made special about it. Special not in a good way either. His was then stripped of about 60% of it's parts when he got it serviced and he spent ages trying to get something back. He's been given a new TVS version and....it's still all very home brew. Any of the current crop of sports bikes are better and that's the council spec versions. Throw a special edition Ducati, BM M version etc at it and it's not even in the same ball park. Sure it's got Norton on the tank but what does that mean really?

So yeah. Not a fan.

[mangocrazy]

This ^^^

The styling's all to cock and it harks back to old bikes I had no interest in at the time. You're buying overpriced 20-odd year old tech in a posh (but old) frock. I'm probably their target market in terms of demographic but it does absolutely zero for me.

[Bigjawa]

44 grand? Seriously?

I'd rather spend 30k on the best M1000 and revel in the fact that it's lest likely to go bang.....

[Ian]

I'm curious who the market is? You'd have to be 70 for a commando to have been your dream bike in your youth. I'm 61 and it harks back to an era before my time and 70s is hardly a golden era for British bikes. I know retro is cool but Norton prices, reputation and the fact it doesn't convince as a retro would make a Triumph more appealing to younger riders.

[Mr. Dazzle]

That's what I was thinking.

If you give a shit about owning a Norton you is well old now and probably not in the market for a 20k retro. The kind of people with loads of cash to throw at retro bikes want something that reminds them of the 80s now.

As I said in another thread, things like the R Nine T appeal to me a lot more in this vague space. Or even an Indian.

[Mr Moofo]

I cannot see who is going to buy a Norton other than some misty eyed old ex pat fart in Dubai

[Bigyin]

Bladerideressex I think was his VD name had one of the shit gone bust version Norton Superbikes. Saw recently on FB he now has one of the new TVS ones which he seems really pleased with. Yes it’s very shiny but incredibly expensive for what it is in comparison to other bikes on the market

[Taipan]

I realised years ago the best way to make money out of wealthy people, is make something fairly basic, exclusive. Restaurants are a prime example of it. So people will always pay more to drive/ride an exclusive marque and you can see what cards Norton are playing. Lets face it if you pull up at a biker cafe on a ADV or sports bike you're just wallpaper. Pull up on a Norton and you'll get attention.

[Potter]

Pull up on a Norton and you'll get attention.

I think that's all it's about really, the product isn't actually very good, so it's an exercise in personal marketing.

[KungFooBob]

I like them, I also like the CCM Spitfire so maybe I'm not normal.

A Spitfire filtered past me on my commute one day this week, so they sold at least one.

[Potter]

In the May edition of Bike, there is an interview with Michael Dunlop and a very brief mention of him riding the Norton at the 2009 TT and not getting paid, with the suggestion that Dunlop got his money in the end via old school methods. Sounds like Garner took on the wrong Irishman to try and rip off

[Skub]

Visually I like the bike,to my eyes it's a sweet thing to just sit and look at.

The name Norton,or any British marque has no nostalgic connection for me,since I've never owned or ridden any. I started riding in 1972 and it was all Jap bikes among our lot by then.

I'd probably pay that money or more for a classic bike,but oddly enough not a new one. The twin sound reminds me of a Superdream with clapped out exhausts.

It's an odd mismatch of parts,Ohlins forks and a crappy looking budget box section swinging arm,maybe they struggled to keep things in budget. Cheap indicators and headlamp shouldn't be on a 'boutique bike. Finish was a bit suspect here and there too,for a new bike. It'll need careful looking after.
I was also amazed at the weight. 230kgs dry? that's well out of order for a twin. What'll that make it,close to 250kgs fully fuelled? Fuck that one right there.

[Bigjawa]

The name Norton,or any British marque has no nostalgic connection for me,since I've never owned or ridden any. I started riding in 1972 and it was all Jap bikes among our lot by then.

I was born in 75 so to me the name Norton brings back memories of bellowing JPS rotaries spitting flames out of Micron exhausts with Robert Dunlop hanging on for grim death.

I'd love an F1 with the restrictions taken out.

In the May edition of Bike, there is an interview with Michael Dunlop and a very brief mention of him riding the Norton at the 2009 TT and not getting paid, with the suggestion that Dunlop got his money in the end via old school methods. Sounds like Garner took on the wrong Irishman to try and rip off

Micky D is not a soft touch by any means, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he shook Garner warmly by the throat.

[asmethurst99]

I like them, I also like the CCM Spitfire so maybe I'm not normal.

A Spitfire filtered past me on my commute one day this week, so they sold at least one.

A friend has one I don’t think he’s ever ridden it.

[Druid]

I like them, I also like the CCM Spitfire so maybe I'm not normal.

A Spitfire filtered past me on my commute one day this week, so they sold at least one.

A friend has one I don’t think he’s ever ridden it.

There's an engineering company near where I used to work, the owner has a CCM Spitfire on his fleet of motorcycles. So that's 3 that have been sold