It’s official: no Super Light

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

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I received communication from Norton today informing me that they have now decided not to proceed with the Super Light.

They did kindly offer to honour my deposit against a new V4 if I so wished… but I do not!

Sad, the SL cudda been a great bike. But to be brutally honest, I suspect they’ve surveyed the current competition in that particular niche category and decided they can’t really compete.
 
Fast Eddie said:
I received communication from Norton today informing me that they have now decided not to proceed with the Super Light.

They did kindly offer to honour my deposit against a new V4 if I so wished… but I do not!

Sad, the SL cudda been a great bike. But to be brutally honest, I suspect they’ve surveyed the current competition in that particular niche category and decided they can’t really compete.
Click to expand...
What is in that catagory a Aprilia 660 and some Ducatis? Do you want to count the Yam R7 and Ninja 650 ? They claim RS 660 makes 90 HP . How about the KTM vertical twins ? How about the triumph Thruxton is that in this group ?
 
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I’d say the Aprilia is the main one that kills the SL. Although there are plenty others in the same niche. It’s so close to the SL ‘claimed’ spec and is half what Garner was going to sell the SL for.

What we’ve learnt from the V4 is that Garner exaggerated the specs, and TVS are therefore unable to match them honestly. They are also unable to match Garners pricing. So, all things considered, the SL would look silly pitched against the Aprilia when spec and price were weighed up.
 
MMmm... could it be more the fact that Norton are having trouble with the 650 engine in general...? STILL no sign of the Atlas appearing....
 
Well this stinks.

Dear Abby,
My question is, what is TVS even doing? Do they even care to compete with any other brand of bike?
Do they have the desire to even try to be a high performance machine and stick to the rooted history of the true Norton brand?
Or just a weak modern wannabe or classic show pony and boutique brand where power and performance are not even considered?

Asking for a friend.
 
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Ele
Voodooo said:
Well this stinks.

Dead Abby,
My question is, what is TVS even doing? Do they even care to compete with any other brand of bike?
Do they have the desire to even try to be a high performance machine and stick to the rooted history of the true Norton brand?
Or just a weak modern wannabe or classic show pony and boutique brand where power and performance are not even considered?

Asking for a friend.
Click to expand...
Keep your shirt on!! The electric Tuk Tuk is coming soon!!

What really still surprises me that with all the people who work there where is the inside info? Nothing. Now that's just weird.
 
Well there’s the next 961 meet at “ Hogarth “ hotel Solihull next weekend , could be more nortons there than round the corner at the factory ?
 
Voodooo said:
Well this stinks.

Dear Abby,
My question is, what is TVS even doing? Do they even care to compete with any other brand of bike?
Do they have the desire to even try to be a high performance machine and stick to the rooted history of the true Norton brand?
Or just a weak modern wannabe or classic show pony and boutique brand where power and performance are not even considered?

Asking for a friend.
Click to expand...
Dear Asking for a friend,

The inability, or unwillingness for TVS/Norton to commit to a product that would have to compete with existing mainstream manufacturer's products, may stem from a feeling of engineering inadequacy, fear of public failure, and the such. A corporate inferiority complex can lead to a company that produces products that are hollow, uninspired show ponies as you mention, that are safe, easy and cheap to manufacture, but are a pale image of the former company's wares. Be kind to the officers of such companies because they are in a difficult place physiologically speaking, trying to find their way, and may lack the tools, and physical attachments to make the difficult, decisive decisions needed to lead a once great company forward into a new great future.

Abby
 
BritTwit said:
Dear Asking for a friend,

The inability, or unwillingness for TVS/Norton to commit to a product that would have to compete with existing mainstream manufacturer's products, may stem from a feeling of engineering inadequacy, fear of public failure, and the such. A corporate inferiority complex can lead to a company that produces products that are hollow, uninspired show ponies as you mention, that are safe, easy and cheap to manufacture, but are a pale image of the former company's wares. Be kind to the officers of such companies because they are in a difficult place physiologically speaking, trying to find their way, and may lack the tools, and physical attachments to make the difficult, decisive decisions needed to lead a once great company forward into a new great future.

Abby
Click to expand...
Look what you could have won!!
It’s official: no Super Light
 
Someone please help me understand this.

SG had no where near the money TVS has.
SG brought the commando 961 to market.
SG made the 961 available world wide.
And SG also was designing new bikes (Atlas, Superlite and V4) while offering the 961 Commando and Dominator.

Sure, they had some flaws and issues, but who’s to say TVS Is any better? It’s been 2 years and no proof of their bikes being any better.

My question is, with that £100 mill state of the art building.
Deeper bank account.
No new bikes.
“Re-engineered” v4 and supposedly 961, both bikes they inherited with making only minor changes, what the hell is the hold up?
And are they capable of even making their own bike from a new design?

They post comments about the great history of Norton and talk about being made in the UK and of the highest quality…..well where is it and when?

It’s been nearly 3 years, and still nothing.
Here in the USA and other countries outside of England, we don’t have the chance to buy a new Norton, even if it was available to purchase.

How long do you Brits hold out before buying some other brand, if you’re in the market to buy now?
Would you wait for a TVS Norton that’s not available yet and keep waiting or would you jump to another brand that’s available now ?

It just seems to me that the new Norton is becoming something of lost interest and boring. Old news. No hope.
 
Voodooo said:
Someone please help me understand this.

SG had no where near the money TVS has.
SG brought the commando 961 to market.
SG made the 961 available world wide.
And SG also was designing new bikes (Atlas, Superlite and V4) while offering the 961 Commando and Dominator.

Sure, they had some flaws and issues, but who’s to say TVS Is any better? It’s been 2 years and no proof of their bikes being any better.

My question is, with that £100 mill state of the art building.
Deeper bank account.
No new bikes.
“Re-engineered” v4 and supposedly 961, both bikes they inherited with making only minor changes, what the hell is the hold up?
And are they capable of even making their own bike from a new design?

They post comments about the great history of Norton and talk about being made in the UK and of the highest quality…..well where is it and when?

It’s been nearly 3 years, and still nothing.
Here in the USA and other countries outside of England, we don’t have the chance to buy a new Norton, even if it was available to purchase.

How long do you Brits hold out before buying some other brand, if you’re in the market to buy now?
Would you wait for a TVS Norton that’s not available yet and keep waiting or would you jump to another brand that’s available now ?

It just seems to me that the new Norton is becoming something of lost interest and boring. Old news. No hope.
Click to expand...
I'm sure many folks are disappointed at the super slow progress of TVS/Norton.
And I don't want to beat a dead horse, but there are still supply chain issues, certainly.
But the slow pace is no reason not to buy that other brand/model that you are looking at.
Go ahead, when Norton finally start producing machines, if their stuff is up to snuff, just sell the bike you bought and buy the Norton.
If the NEW Norton turns out to be crap, well then, you already have a better bike, all's well.
 
Voodooo said:
Someone please help me understand this.

SG had no where near the money TVS has.
SG brought the commando 961 to market.
SG made the 961 available world wide.
And SG also was designing new bikes (Atlas, Superlite and V4) while offering the 961 Commando and Dominator.

Sure, they had some flaws and issues, but who’s to say TVS Is any better? It’s been 2 years and no proof of their bikes being any better.

My question is, with that £100 mill state of the art building.
Deeper bank account.
No new bikes.
“Re-engineered” v4 and supposedly 961, both bikes they inherited with making only minor changes, what the hell is the hold up?
And are they capable of even making their own bike from a new design?

They post comments about the great history of Norton and talk about being made in the UK and of the highest quality…..well where is it and when?

It’s been nearly 3 years, and still nothing.
Here in the USA and other countries outside of England, we don’t have the chance to buy a new Norton, even if it was available to purchase.

How long do you Brits hold out before buying some other brand, if you’re in the market to buy now?
Would you wait for a TVS Norton that’s not available yet and keep waiting or would you jump to another brand that’s available now ?

It just seems to me that the new Norton is becoming something of lost interest and boring. Old news. No hope.
Click to expand...
That’s just so negative…
And it’s EXACTLY how I feel !
As I posted before, I’m done with the soap opera now.
I’m still gonna have 3 Nortons in the shed, just nothing from TVS.
I wish them well, but can’t see them having any of my money now.
Fed up of waiting and being treated like a mushroom.
(kept in the dark and fed shit)
 
I've only seen the nice blue one?
Any pics of the other two?

Glen
 
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