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Prototypes
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According to the linked thread, Norton 76 was a factory effort undertaken by redundant workers in Q4/1975 and Q1/1976 during the sit-in. Unfortunately the CBG article is unreadable. Maybe someone can re-post the images? Production of the 500 Wulf seems to have been the primary objective of the action commitee.
http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Engineering/Villiers/Villiers5.htm
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-bernard-hooper-1233656.html
-Knut
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Where is the CBG article?
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There was a feature on the Norton '76 in CBG Issue 102 (Oct 1999) Plenty of pretty photos and background info, but.... One of those frustrating scenarios where the bike wasn't really fit to be ridden (no road tax or mot meant: 'off road' only), and nowhere to ride it either, so just a few knee jerk opinions from puttering around an industrial estate.
The original 'Bike' article was very complimentary, though...
The original 'Bike' article was very complimentary, though...
Fast Eddie
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What do we know about the Norton ‘76 ?
From the pictures I’ve seen I can see it had Brembo brakes with twin discs on the front, Italian forks (unsure if Paioli or Marzocchi) which would have improved braking significantly. It had alloy wheels, but I don’t know what type or whether or not they were much lighter than the stock spoked items.
Other than that it just looks like a late Commando with a make over rather than a significant ‘prototype’.
Am I missing some details / aspects?
From the pictures I’ve seen I can see it had Brembo brakes with twin discs on the front, Italian forks (unsure if Paioli or Marzocchi) which would have improved braking significantly. It had alloy wheels, but I don’t know what type or whether or not they were much lighter than the stock spoked items.
Other than that it just looks like a late Commando with a make over rather than a significant ‘prototype’.
Am I missing some details / aspects?
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Going only from what's in print, yes, it is a 'late Commando with a make over.' But it's appearance needs to be put in context..
Money was being pumped into Meriden Triumph to keep the Bonneville alive, yet Wolverhampton was being carved up and Norton motorcycles were being left to wither on the vine. So some of those with oil under their fingernails came up with the '76, which satisfied all export requirements but also had to be built within what they could legally use (some Wolverhampton tooling was 'off limits' I believe)
But without management support it was always going to be a dead duck...
Final word from the 'bike' road test:
'But far more important.. is the way in which the Commando motor churns out useable, gut wrenching torque. From the moment you drop the clutch it's there and never seems to stop flowing, coming on really strong with an almost imperceptible surge as you near 5,000 rpm. There are none of the Amal Concentrics' occasional flat spots in mid-range with the single SU, which, once the engine is warm, delivers perfectly clean throttle response throughout the rev range..
Fast Eddie
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I didn’t realise it had an SU carb, that’s interesting.
Yes, the fact that Meriden, with it’s one model, received all the government cash, whilst NVT were left to die has always bemused me.
I’ve always been under the impression that dividing NVT up to create the co-op was wrong. All economies of scale, opportunities to share R&D, develop sensible marketing strategies (rather than compete against each other) and opportunities for component standardisation, were all instantly lost. As was the chance to sell the Meriden site and invest the cash in the business.
But, I’m sure there are other ways of looking at this.
Yes, the fact that Meriden, with it’s one model, received all the government cash, whilst NVT were left to die has always bemused me.
I’ve always been under the impression that dividing NVT up to create the co-op was wrong. All economies of scale, opportunities to share R&D, develop sensible marketing strategies (rather than compete against each other) and opportunities for component standardisation, were all instantly lost. As was the chance to sell the Meriden site and invest the cash in the business.
But, I’m sure there are other ways of looking at this.
N0rt0nelectr@
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What ever happened to the Norton Wulf?
I remember an artical on the 8 valve heads for Norton Commando's in Classic Bike. Think I read that stuff was sold to a guy in Australia?
John in Texas
I remember an artical on the 8 valve heads for Norton Commando's in Classic Bike. Think I read that stuff was sold to a guy in Australia?
John in Texas
Meriden had two models from 1974 on, the TR7 Tiger and the T140 Bonneville. OK - so they are basically the same bike.
I believe the reason Meriden received government backing was the vote of confidence and loyalty expressed by Triumph's american dealers. The co-op also got some vital key figures on board who kept strict cost control, managed the buying and exports, and last not least monitored quality. The co-op also struck a strong tie with Bernard Hooper Engineering, ensuring product development took place. They had one big advantage too - all fabrication and assembly took place at the very same site.
It's easy to spot the difference to Norton in particular. The Villiers factory was a dungeon, many components were bought in (frames, ....), and splitting assembly between Andover and Wolverhamptoon was never to be cost-effective. What they should have done was to centralise manufacture and assembly with BSA. However, the work force at the 3 sites objected to rationalization, and the entire combine was doomed.
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Not quite correct. Commando production went back to Wolverhampton around the time they introduced the 850s. I have recently tried to find an exact date but those who were there are all of different opinions, and I have not found (actually not looked for) NVT documents referring to the move.
The "3 factories" referred to Wolverhampton (Norton), Birmingham (BSA) and Meriden (Triumph).
The "3 factories" referred to Wolverhampton (Norton), Birmingham (BSA) and Meriden (Triumph).
cliffa
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Hi John,
There are two examples of the WULF at the NMM Birmingham. Bernard Hooper's son Peter now runs his engineering business and apparently the concept still lives, although this website hasn't been updated for years..
http://www.bernardhooperengineering.co.uk/speng.htm
Peter also owns the Norton 76 ( which I actually loved when I first saw it, and still like it today). This is also residing at the NMM. there was at least one replica made of it by an employee of Bernard back in the day.
Cheers,
cliffa.
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Re-reading the CBG article by Jim Reynolds, a man of whom I am not a fan, I did have to raise a wry smile at the following sentence, from over 20 years ago:
'The Norton name excites more emotion than any other British maker, yet it has too often been the subject of cynical manipulation and downright dishonesty.....'
As Tom Keifer once sang: 'The more things change.. The more they stay the same..'
'The Norton name excites more emotion than any other British maker, yet it has too often been the subject of cynical manipulation and downright dishonesty.....'
As Tom Keifer once sang: 'The more things change.. The more they stay the same..'
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They were tested by NVT, made by Piper, didn't give any power improvement but were so shoddy the Experimental Dept. had to modify a lot to make them work at all. Or so Norman Hyde, then in the department due to the NVT marriage, told me.
Later a dealer of interesting repute tried his hand- or rather Pete Lovell's hand- on the project. They got the same disappointing results and the CB article, as I remember it, had the usual bull in it about "development has only just started" and "has a lot of potential". Which is the journo formula for "This is crap and unlikely to become any better".
Your guess is as good as mine why that dealer then sold this high-potential project....
Uncle Jim Reynolds is a buddy of that dealer.
The assembly line at Andover was operational until 1978 according to this source, albeit with a much reduced workforce.
https://www.nortonownersclub.org/history/1967-1978
-Knut
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It says the last 30 were "put together" at Andover, the assembly line being long gone by '78 and which Joe has previously said is a myth as they were built at Wolverhampton.
https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/last-norton-made.8337/#post-109430
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The Norton Owners Club have very little knowlege of historical facts and most certainly are not a source. In a recent "historical" article they got their (wrong) facts from Wikipedia(!). Amateurs of the world, unite!
Everybody who was there at the time confirms- and so do serious books on the British motorcycle industry- that production was transferred from Andover to Wolverhampton in 1973/74. No Commandos were assembled in Andover after that date.
The "last 30" myth comes from the fact Andover Norton sold 850Mk3s for a while after production ended, and (wrongly) claimed these were the very last ever built. This then led to the story they built these bikes.
Everybody who was there at the time confirms- and so do serious books on the British motorcycle industry- that production was transferred from Andover to Wolverhampton in 1973/74. No Commandos were assembled in Andover after that date.
The "last 30" myth comes from the fact Andover Norton sold 850Mk3s for a while after production ended, and (wrongly) claimed these were the very last ever built. This then led to the story they built these bikes.
N0rt0nelectr@
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I remember seeing the Wulf at the museum back in 93 when I got a chance to visit the UK.
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