New Norton Factory

[Potter]

It looks like the Indian owners are quietly making some progress.

https://www.business-standard.com/artic ... 501_1.html

I still think they'll find it hard to crack the high end market (especially in terms of trust and confidence) in the wake of the mess that SG presided over, but fingers crossed. Maybe high end is not their aim, perhaps they're aiming at the middle of the road budget market - which would be a massive shame but probably a far more reliable business model.

[Potter]

Btw...I thought this was a classic Freudian slip...

"Norton will resume production of the Commando Classic model at the Solihull site, building a limited quality to honour customers that had ordered and paid for a deposit on these bikes."

[JackyJoll]

building a limited quality

Well, I heard they made a profit in the early 1970s, doing that.

[Skub]

The Norton was a very pretty bike,it's a shame it all fell on it's arse.

[weeksy]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/nor ... es-return/

Norton build momentum: 110 workers employed as Solihull factory begins Commando production

Norton’s new Midlands factory is taking shape with bikes being built and a grand opening planned for the near future.

Despite Covid restrictions affecting development of the new factory in Solihull, the company – bought by TVS for £16 million a year ago – are gaining momentum with 110 workers now on board.

Norton are currently building the last Commando run and interim CEO John Russell says that trial builds have started on the V4s.

There are about 70 previous orders to fulfil of the top-of-the-range V4 and then a further 80 will be built to bring the total number of V4s to 200, which was the old firm’s plan. These will be homologated via Single Vehicle Approval. Norton say any future V4s will then go through the full homologation (Euro5) process.

The company are also still developing the Atlas 650 models and see them as a key target

The management team at Norton are still considering race plans. Although they have made no secret of their desire to compete in road races such as the TT and they are working out whether to progress the supercharged 650cc engine concept announced by the old Donington-based company.

Russell said: "Plans are proceeding at a pace and we have made remarkable progress on factory construction in light of the restrictions that we have complied with to make sure everyone is kept safe during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

"Construction of bikes at our new facility began earlier this year to honour the pre-existing orders for customers who placed deposits on bikes with old Norton but never received them. We see fulfilling those orders as one of the first key steps in our journey to rebuild customer trust.

"Then the plan is to officially open the facility in the coming months, and we are on a very positive trajectory to continue building bikes at the most advanced manufacturing facility that Norton has ever had."

[The Spin Doctor]

It's actually really good to see them dealing with the orders placed under the Stuart Garner regime. A lot of businesses would have bought the shell and shed the liabilities.

[Skub]

It's actually really good to see them dealing with the orders placed under the Stuart Garner regime. A lot of businesses would have bought the shell and shed the liabilities.

If they genuinely want to rebuild trust,then that's certainly a decent move. As you say a lot of companies would view it as someone else's problem. It bodes well for their future.

[KungFooBob]

I spotted a low miles Commando on t'bay the otherday for £9k.

Now £9k sounds like a lot of money, but when you look at what else you can buy for that cash, something like a shiny new Z900, the Commando looks like a bargain... especially if TVS are going to provide some backup/spares for the existing model... which I'm sure they will do if they're building the outstanding orders.

If I had a spare £9k.

[ogri]

Would be ineteresting to hear from some 'new norton' owners, as the opinions i gathered were that people who bought them ended up putting modern triumph engines in to make the more reliable/usable?

[ZRX61]

So this would have been the 8th or 9th time they went tits up?

[mangocrazy]

So this would have been the 8th or 9th time they went tits up?

I've literally lost count. It's seemed that for most of my motorcycling life that ownership of the Norton name has had a magnetic attraction for spivs, chancers, rogues, ne'er do wells and downright crooks (in the shape of Stuart Garner), and that they've stumbled from one disaster to another.

I really hope that the Norton name is now owned by someone with honourable intentions. But I'm not about to hold my breath...

[Potter]

If they genuinely want to rebuild trust,then that's certainly a decent move.

It is.
If they honour the current orders and people that are owed a bike then it will definitely give them some integrity.
It's a smart move and if it all goes ahead it will put some of the good feeling back into the Norton brand.

The only curiosity I have is why they left it until it went right off a cliff.
They must have been looking at it for some time and I think there are potentially two reasons. One, being businessmen they knew they could let it crash, then pick it up for a lot less. Two, they wanted it to crash spectacularly so that people saw without doubt that it was now new management and essentially a new business.

I wonder what's happened to Garner, the vultures have backed off their scandal stories, plus I read that his right-hand minion is still there and the grapevine doesn't say good things about him.

[The Spin Doctor]

It is.
If they honour the current orders and people that are owed a bike then it will definitely give them some integrity.
It's a smart move and if it all goes ahead it will put some of the good feeling back into the Norton brand.

The only curiosity I have is why they left it until it went right off a cliff.
They must have been looking at it for some time and I think there are potentially two reasons. One, being businessmen they knew they could let it crash, then pick it up for a lot less. Two, they wanted it to crash spectacularly so that people saw without doubt that it was now new management and essentially a new business.

I wonder what's happened to Garner, the vultures have backed off their scandal stories, plus I read that his right-hand minion is still there and the grapevine doesn't say good things about him.

Having followed the story, I think that whilst TVS Motor had already identified Norton as a potential purchase, it was less a case of waiting for the crash and more a case of Garner refusing to admit that the company was a goner. TVS Motor had to wait until the receiver was called in, and put the company up for sale. It's worth noting they paid a price that covered the company's debts.

I'm not sure who you are talking about as a 'minion' but AFAIK, TVS have put new staff in. Just a couple of days ago Norton announced a new CEO Dr Robert Hentschel with Vittorio Urciuoli joining as Chief Technical Officer.

As far as Garner himself is concerned, last thing I heard was back in Feb when he was appealing against a £14m judgement. I'm sure that case has been heard but I'm not sure what happened. He was expected to lose as the appeal was on a technicality.

[Yorick]

It is.
If they honour the current orders and people that are owed a bike then it will definitely give them some integrity.
It's a smart move and if it all goes ahead it will put some of the good feeling back into the Norton brand.

The only curiosity I have is why they left it until it went right off a cliff.
They must have been looking at it for some time and I think there are potentially two reasons. One, being businessmen they knew they could let it crash, then pick it up for a lot less. Two, they wanted it to crash spectacularly so that people saw without doubt that it was now new management and essentially a new business.

I wonder what's happened to Garner, the vultures have backed off their scandal stories, plus I read that his right-hand minion is still there and the grapevine doesn't say good things about him.

Having followed the story, I think that whilst TVS Motor had already identified Norton as a potential purchase, it was less a case of waiting for the crash and more a case of Garner refusing to admit that the company was a goner. TVS Motor had to wait until the receiver was called in, and put the company up for sale. It's worth noting they paid a price that covered the company's debts.

I'm not sure who you are talking about as a 'minion' but AFAIK, TVS have put new staff in. Just a couple of days ago Norton announced a new CEO Dr Robert Hentschel with Vittorio Urciuoli joining as Chief Technical Officer.

As far as Garner himself is concerned, last thing I heard was back in Feb when he was appealing against a £14m judgement. I'm sure that case has been heard but I'm not sure what happened. He was expected to lose as the appeal was on a technicality.

What was the 4 mill judgement?

[The Spin Doctor]

What was the 4 mill judgement?

One of his schemes was a pension investment scheme, which - not surprisingly - attracted lots of Norton fans. When cash ran short, he dipped into this pension pot.

https://www.pensionsage.com/pa/Ex-Norto ... ayment.php

[Yorick]

What was the 4 mill judgement?

One of his schemes was a pension investment scheme, which - not surprisingly - attracted lots of Norton fans. When cash ran short, he dipped into this pension pot.

https://www.pensionsage.com/pa/Ex-Norto ... ayment.php

That's good. But not good if he's bankrupt. Unless they find where he's hidden his millions

[ZRX61]

Saw this one yesterday...