Edward Turner was no engineer, he was an egotistical, tyrannical, salesman who had a messiah complex. So said someone who worked under the same roof as him for several years.
The British motor cycle industries problems were manifold, milking off the fat in the golden years (Lady Dockers gold plated Daimler), failing to re-equip in the late 50s, stupid complacent management (e.g. Donald Heather) and so on.
Despite motorcycle design and manufacture being essentially "Engineering", sadly the engineers were generally not close enough to the seats of power to make a difference or to apply enough pressure, to the accountants and businessmen who pulled the strings. There are no end of prototypes that were worthy of development (BSA 250 racer (MC1??), 350 Bandit/Fury, the Domiracer concept, the lightweight Nortons Jubilee, Navigator, Electra, original Trident, F type Norton, 800ccAMC twin although this may be a bit marginal, Bert Hopwoods "modular" designs), which were stifled because of the lack of interest/money from the higher management. Yet the same management poured money and resources into things like the 50 and 75cc mopeds, the three wheeled Ariel, the OIF BSA/Triumphs of the early 70's, you know the ones that required a step ladder to get on, all of which were doomed to failure.
Its a hobby horse of mine, so maybe a bit biased!
cheers
wakeup
The British motor cycle industries problems were manifold, milking off the fat in the golden years (Lady Dockers gold plated Daimler), failing to re-equip in the late 50s, stupid complacent management (e.g. Donald Heather) and so on.
Despite motorcycle design and manufacture being essentially "Engineering", sadly the engineers were generally not close enough to the seats of power to make a difference or to apply enough pressure, to the accountants and businessmen who pulled the strings. There are no end of prototypes that were worthy of development (BSA 250 racer (MC1??), 350 Bandit/Fury, the Domiracer concept, the lightweight Nortons Jubilee, Navigator, Electra, original Trident, F type Norton, 800ccAMC twin although this may be a bit marginal, Bert Hopwoods "modular" designs), which were stifled because of the lack of interest/money from the higher management. Yet the same management poured money and resources into things like the 50 and 75cc mopeds, the three wheeled Ariel, the OIF BSA/Triumphs of the early 70's, you know the ones that required a step ladder to get on, all of which were doomed to failure.
Its a hobby horse of mine, so maybe a bit biased!
cheers
wakeup
