The collapse of Norton Motorcycles

I liked Cathcart's suggestion that perhaps Kawasaki would view Norton as something to add to it's collection, after buying Bimota.
Not exactly a European buyer, but one with tremendous resources that can be leveraged to raise Norton from the ashes.

The problem with any purchase and resurrection of Norton, apart from TM issues, is that the new owner would need to completely redesign the engine in order to comply with current and future emissions regulations so any new model would best be served by their own in-house development (if a current MC manufacturer).
The air cooled engines really struggle to meet emissions targets with the 961 requiring removal of cat, Lamda sensors etc to make it work correctly x as has been said, it needs to be illegal to work correctly and no large manufacturer is going to chance their reputation on such a model

BritTwit said:

Or MacNorton

They could merge the MacDonald and Norton branding:

If you show up at the drive up window riding a Norton, you get a free happy meal.

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Black with Golden Arches on the tank.

I think we are pissing up a rope with all these hypotheticals.
Maybe though, since Norton has gone international, we got a taste of these wonderful retrobeasts and can make enough noise for the manufacturers to hear and listen.
I believe there is a market for a good Norton as there is the Triumph. Same aesthetic design, only machined to actually be a reliable bike. Even the old roadster since standard bikes are back in fashion. Kaw, Duc, Triumph etc. Gonna have to put an ugly water cooler on it, but we can get used to that.

Eljahara said:

The problem with any purchase and resurrection of Norton, apart from TM issues, is that the new owner would need to completely redesign the engine in order to comply with current and future emissions regulations so any new model would best be served by their own in-house development (if a current MC manufacturer).
The air cooled engines really struggle to meet emissions targets with the 961 requiring removal of cat, Lamda sensors etc to make it work correctly x as has been said, it needs to be illegal to work correctly and no large manufacturer is going to chance their reputation on such a model

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Well, I was thinking that the 961 would be a casualty of the Norton rebirth.
The article kind of indicates that the V4 and 650 are ready for emissions regs, and the designs would need little to push to real production.
I doubt that a buyer will want to wrestle with the cost of a 961 redesign, and then find a piddling small market.
If it's easier to just do the V4 and 650's, then that should be the focus.
It would be at least a new start with modern machines that have a chance in the meatiest part of the m/c market.

Also, the wonderful thing about having Kawasaki buy and run the company...
Five minutes after the deal is signed, a memorandum goes out from Kawasaki headquarters to all their dealers to let them know - now they are also Norton dealers.
Instantly, Norton inherits hundreds of dealers worldwide.
End of dealer issues.

BritTwit said:

Also, the wonderful thing about having Kawasaki buy and run the company...
Five minutes after the deal is signed, a memorandum goes out from Kawasaki headquarters to all their dealers to let them know - now they are also Norton dealers.
Instantly, Norton inherits hundreds of dealers worldwide.
End of dealer issues.

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But not the unobtainable spares issue. . . . . .
This could run and run. . . .

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=stuart+garner

https://www.superbike.co.uk/article/norton-was-it-a-fraud-from-the-start

" JH: I’ve interviewed loads of associated parties, one of which is a Norton dealer in another country, he said he’s invested half a million dollars into getting stock on the shelves, has delivered around 40 bikes so far but has taken deposits for another thirty, how does that make you feel? "

somebody might have some spares, somewhere, anyway. Perhaps .

Maybe Bill Gates'll lend a hand .

In 15 years or less the market for fossil fuel private vehicle engines hits the buffers in Europe with other undecided major developed economies like USA and Australia likely to follow suit. The incentive for somebody to reboot Norton must be questionable unless perhaps it is to have a prestige brand for development of an electric motorcycle.

James Fanning said:

In 15 years or less the market for fossil fuel private vehicle engines hits the buffers in Europe with other undecided major developed economies like USA and Australia likely to follow suit. The incentive for somebody to reboot Norton must be questionable unless perhaps it is to have a prestige brand for development of an electric motorcycle.

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Rather no Norton at all than an electric Norton.

Voodooo said:

https://www.superbike.co.uk/article/norton-was-it-a-fraud-from-the-start-part-two

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Wow. And I thought part one was bad. Well, part two is worse...

An out of control ego maniac who thinks he’s above every one, and everything, and is therefore never wrong, and is untouchable. That’s my summary of SG from this article.

It resonates with me because I was taken in by such a person once, it was over an 8 year period, I didn’t lose as much as a Steve, primarily cos I don’t, and didn’t, have that kind of money to lose! But the parallels are so strong. And my lessons from my experience is that people like that do not, and can not, change...

This article was enough to persuade me to sign the petition.

4 more parts to go, he will be saving the best for last.

Cathcart's piece should never have been written nor published- nothing but a rose-tinted fairy tale. No great surprise it was cited on the NOC website, given the NOC committee were jubilant Garner fans whilst the pipedream lasted and actively suppressed critical comments on the NOC forum. They'd rather not link up the nasty truths in "Superbike".

I doubt there are many suitors for the Norton brand, given that in the UK the name was burnt again and again since 1993 with shady investment dealings, unrealistic projects (remember the Norton "Dementis" V8?) or now even outright criminal acts.

As for the international reputation our Brits tend to forget the glorious Norton rotary era was a completely UK based affair with very few bikes exported, Most likely less than 100 worldwide. And that the Garner era with the 961 "Dreer" went virtually unnoticed in all the so-called "export markets" Garner, out of the estimated total of 800 "Dreers" produced, sold "thousands of bikes" into.

For all outside the UK Norton production, and the Norton name, ended with the Commando 850Mk3 in 1977, now over 4 decades ago. Most young motorcyclists today don't even know the name or think of the antivirus software.

kommando said:

4 more parts to go, he will be saving the best for last.

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I reckon

Part 3 - the game reserve
Part 4 - the exports
Part 5 - the US property
Part 6 - the grand court case - Proven innocent and the resurrection.

Apart from part 6, yet to be written, you can find more detail on the other parts online. Just need to dig a little deeper and the not the obvious places.

Part 2 google gets you to

https://entrepreneursforum.net/speakers/speaker/511

Stuart Garner

He has set up a 3,500-acre game reserve in South Africa near the Botswana border to breed rare Sable Antelope for safari parks.

Event Type:
After Dinner Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Education
Areas of Expertise:
Entrepreneurship
Motivation & Inspiration
Leadership, Performance & People
Innovation & Technology
Sales, Marketing & Media
Business Strategy & Management
Fees:
£1,000 - £2,500 + VAT

Badly in need of an edit !!!!!

Fast Eddie said:

Wow. And I thought part one was bad. Well, part two is worse...

An out of control ego maniac who thinks he’s above every one, and everything, and is therefore never wrong, and is untouchable. That’s my summary of SG from this article.

It resonates with me because I was taken in by such a person once, it was over an 8 year period, I didn’t lose as much as a Steve, primarily cos I don’t, and didn’t, have that kind of money to lose! But the parallels are so strong. And my lessons from my experience is that people like that do not, and can not, change...

This article was enough to persuade me to sign the petition.

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Reminds me of my ex wife. money hungry, narcissistic, controlling, blood sucker. Not only did I sign the petition, I also filed and signed for a divorce lol.

Perhaps our bikes should be renamed to....
SG Norton Con-man-do
And SG Norton Do-no-rong-tor.

Fast Eddie said:

Wow. And I thought part one was bad. Well, part two is worse...

An out of control ego maniac who thinks he’s above every one, and everything, and is therefore never wrong, and is untouchable. That’s my summary of SG from this article .

Click to expand...

An entrepreneur has to possess some of the traits of a dictator to realize his of her vision. However, he or she also need to have social skills and be able to cooperate with staff, society and the funders. He or she also has to manifest his or her thrustworthiness, before and after, which essentially means he or she needs to be guided by personal and professional ethics. It is also true that an entrepreneur type of human is usually unfit to manage a company which is past the construction phase.

-Knut

Three alleged instances of signature forgery so far, no doubt more to come.

1. Spondon assets used to obtain a loan of £1m.

2. Employee signature being used for unknown purposes, outlined in ruling for unfair dismissal.

3. £0.5M portion of a loan from Santander against a loan from Steve Murray.

Entrepreneur is not a label correctly applied to fraudulent scam artists.

Eljahara said:

The problem with any purchase and resurrection of Norton, apart from TM issues, is that the new owner would need to completely redesign the engine in order to comply with current and future emissions regulations so any new model would best be served by their own in-house development (if a current MC manufacturer).
The air cooled engines really struggle to meet emissions targets with the 961 requiring removal of cat, Lamda sensors etc to make it work correctly x as has been said, it needs to be illegal to work correctly and no large manufacturer is going to chance their reputation on such a model

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My engines MKI and MKII worked respectively work very well with cat and Lambda sensors. It’s in my opinion just a question of the correct mapping! If the “good” mapping is meeting MOT-standards is another question. I doubt it otherwise the bikes would not have been delivered by the factory with the “bad” mappings...

Voodooo said:

https://www.superbike.co.uk/article/norton-was-it-a-fraud-from-the-start-part-two

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Article also mentions John Menard, owner of MCT.
I remember after SG bought the rights to Dreer's prototypes, he tasked Menard's company to redesign the engine into an easier to assemble unit, including the conversion to fuel injection from carbs.
I didn't know that the engines were supplied assembled to Norton.
MCT had a two page FAX agreement with SG.
If true, that is Hilarious!
I wonder when Menard actually realized who/what he was dealing with?
Incredible.