Latest email from Factory !!!!

I’d say Cliffa! Let’s get the main man doing a parade lap on this beauty, albeit his re-engineers bike!! Lots of positive talk about Norton already but that would be priceless PR. Reason to be optimistic — I think so!

View attachment 95890
But look at it…

If TVS ever decide to pull their bloody finger out, there’ll be a low mileage MV for sale in a heartbeat !!
 
I’m not entirely sure of the rules here, but I believe this class is intended for modified production bikes. So I think Hicky and Co were a tad naive in expecting to enter a bike that is and never was actually produced !
I think I'm right in saying its a rule change that killed it off. As you say, it wasnt a production bike....but three raced in 2019. Hickey took a liking to the bike, and SG welcomed the thought of Hickey and his team taking it on there after with their own race programme.
Hickey was that keen to run the bike, he apparently proposed a 30 bike production run off his own back.
 
Maybe so, but when the fastest rider round the island wanted to enter a 650 twin with Norton on the tank it says so much. So, if Dr Bob is reading this take note, the 650 twin and 961 are where the Solihull effort should be directed, not some characterless and expensive V4 that only those around 5'2'' could ride, and those taller will look like a circus act on it.
 
Call me greedy, but I want them all! The V4 looks like an awesome machine, although my crotch rocket days are over. Expensive exotica yes, but characterless? Not in my opinion and that of many others methinks; no doubt it will sell. They have to make a success of the V4 if they are to progress to a more extensive lineup you would think.

I look forward to the announcement they talk about on their FB site in conversation with attendees at the Bike Shed. I for one think that lineup may well include the 961 and yes, I have got my fingers crossed as I type this!:oops:

Latest email from Factory !!!!
 
I agree, the V4 has to be a success in order to get Norton back on the map.
They're not characterless, they simply embody qualities/features/styling that younger riders demand.
Not classic styling cues which most of us mature rides prefer.
I also hope Norton decide to build the new twins, and some version of a 961/modern classic Commando twin.
But I believe the V4 will either bring success to Norton, or drive the final nail in its coffin.
 
Call me greedy, but I want them all! The V4 looks like an awesome machine, although my crotch rocket days are over. Expensive exotica yes, but characterless? Not in my opinion and that of many others methinks; no doubt it will sell. They have to make a success of the V4 if they are to progress to a more extensive lineup you would think.

I look forward to the announcement they talk about on their FB site in conversation with attendees at the Bike Shed. I for one think that lineup may well include the 961 and yes, I have got my fingers crossed as I type this!:oops:

View attachment 95924
NO !

Thats the point we’ve debated before.

That’s the same meaningless line they’ve been peddling for two years or more now!

Those ‘bikes’ at the Bike shed are the same ‘not for sale, pre production bikes’ they wheeled out at the NEC seven months ago.

They simply cannot keep peddling the same headline and call it news !!
 
Maybe so, but when the fastest rider round the island wanted to enter a 650 twin with Norton on the tank it says so much. So, if Dr Bob is reading this take note, the 650 twin and 961 are where the Solihull effort should be directed, not some characterless and expensive V4 that only those around 5'2'' could ride, and those taller will look like a circus act on it.
I'm 6'2"....it fitted me well on the road
 
The Superlight can be as small is it likes for me… track sessions are too short and the brain too busy for comfort to be that much of an issue !
 
NO !

Thats the point we’ve debated before.

That’s the same meaningless line they’ve been peddling for two years or more now!

Those ‘bikes’ at the Bike shed are the same ‘not for sale, pre production bikes’ they wheeled out at the NEC seven months ago.

They simply cannot keep peddling the same headline and call it news !!
Yes FE, we have debated it before. You are certainly entitled to your opinion (on how long the Norton relaunch should take) and to be frustrated - we all wish things were moving faster however you and I do not set the agenda. Nor, again, do we have sufficient information - the legal impediment to trading before Jul for example (spurious - who knows?).

Banging your head against the wall will just give you a headache mate;)!
 
I agree, the V4 has to be a success in order to get Norton back on the map.
They're not characterless, they simply embody qualities/features/styling that younger riders demand.
Not classic styling cues which most of us mature rides prefer.
I also hope Norton decide to build the new twins, and some version of a 961/modern classic Commando twin.
But I believe the V4 will either bring success to Norton, or drive the final nail in its coffin.
Even if the V4 fails, too few made and expensive it will not matter. Also there is no final nail for the coffin - that could not and would not ever happen. Having seen the V4 a few times now around the stands and at Solihull, it is still a small bike. From the facebook post above it finally looks like the factory is listening, or is being directed by the masters in India to make some money, even the masters know that the V4 will actually cost more than it will make for them.
 
Is this a small step towards being less vague about timelines? Not a massive leap granted, but ‘a few weeks’ is a (none definitive) timeline of sorts! July is ’a few weeks’ away - maybe that legal impediment until Jul wasn’t so spurious after all?

0E777982-C2A7-426E-8B66-A86C90FD6EE9.jpeg


B3A497D7-79C3-4303-8EA7-BE1A9B0C0E9B.jpeg

091E133E-EBC9-43AE-A445-B48B7B1F21F1.jpeg
DCC01E9B-91C3-4A17-A0B3-A63F583BF091.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Maybe they have been waiting for SG, now discharged from Bankruptcy. Might have been some legal holdback with the deal from BDO.
 
Hello,



Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your enquiry; as you know we have been working through the issues left by the previous Norton company, NMUL Realisations Ltd., and although we (The Norton Motorcycle Co. Ltd.) bought some of the assets of NMUL we did not take on any liability or responsibility for any parts or products made and sold by that company.



We have now almost completed this work and unfortunately we have found that the parts we inherited came from a variety of sources, with very little documentation to show providence, quality standards, or important information regarding compatibility with different models. All this means that we cannot be certain that the parts would be of the necessary quality and standard to ensure rider safety. Therefore, we have taken the difficult decision that we cannot sell any parts we haven’t sourced, or tested; nor can we service, maintain or repair any bikes that we have not built. Unfortunately, this includes your motorcycle.



This isn’t a decision we have taken lightly; we have spent a significant amount of time checking the stock of parts in the hope of finding a way to support you, but it would be irresponsible of us to sell parts or service motorcycles without being confident we could guarantee your safety

.

All motorcycles built and sold by us will, of course, be fully supported through Norton Birmingham, and in time a global network of Norton Customer Centres. Our Parts Department will shortly open, and when this happens, we will sell parts that are fitted to our own Norton Commando Classic 961 only. For the reasons set out above we will not be able to guarantee that they will fit your bike, nor that they are suitable or fit for purpose on your motorcycle.



Once again, please accept my apologies for the length of time it has taken us to get to this point, we had hoped to find a better solution for you but that has not been possible due to the issues we have inherited.



Kind regards,



Scott Gibson

Aftersales Administrator

Latest email from Factory !!!!




The Norton Motorcycle Co. Ltd
So I thought the new Norton company was going to race? Watching IOMtt...
 
Can someone actually ascertain that that is true?

Was it really a rule change or was it merely an enforcement of existing rules?

The class was always intended as a production bike based class. Last time, perhaps Norton blagged it with number of orders placed or some such BS? Whereas this time, frankly, Hicky was intending to enter an absolute unique one off bike from a factory race shop.

Easy to see why competing production bike based teams might take the hump with that !
 
to produce bikes in their assembly plant, they need reliable stocks of EVERY component on site, and nearly all are bought in, so I can imagine that might just involve unexpected delays from the master plan. Anybody recall how long Triumph took from acquiring name to actual bikes out the door??
 
Back
Top