TVS Motor Company acquires Britain's 'Norton' sporting motorcycle

I wonder if we will soon see Norton scooters, and mopeds?
No engineering required, just re-badge existing TVS units.


TVS Motor Company acquires Britain's 'Norton' sporting motorcycle
 
Who knows. I'm just happy there will be a real dealer network. This BS of having one or two dealers in a country as big as the US with no importer. If you were so unfortunate to buy one here in Texas and then had the dealer quit dealing with Norton over non-payment of warranty claims. You see where I'm going with this?
Any brand needs dealers, parts supply in depth with a local distributor and a national importer.
I'm sure there are more than a few who would like to take SG out behind the woodshed for an attitude adjustment.
 
If this new Norton wants to survive, they need to stop wasting money on the 961 engine. It’s done and over with.
It’s been good while it lasted and they already tested the waters and it’s proven the world market isn’t interested anymore.

It’s time to move on and time to think about tomorrow’s future and to produce bikes that support modern technology.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the 961, but maybe all of this happened for a reason.
 
Return on investment Tony.

There will come a point when the old lump simply requires more spending on it to keep it going than sales will recoup given the market size.

I’m not saying that’s now, but the time will inevitably come.
 
It would be wonderful if TVS decides to continue to produce the 961, but they will have to face reality. The 961’s image is badly depreciated by its publicized issues that most everyone is aware of by now. Still if TVS can spend a little money and time and improve things like EFI and electrical gremlins like crappy instruments, relays, sensors, and spurious low fuel level lights, etc. , and provide required spares, the 961 might continue to find a following.

Meeting future environmental regs is a much bigger issues. The air-cooled motor as currently constituted probably can’t meet regs, but I’m sure good engineers can find a solution. Whether the solution will be acceptable to potential customers, is another matter. For instance, engineers could replace the 10:1 pistons with 8.5:1 slugs. Then advance the timing say 5-8%, and install larger cats or switch to a single large cat chamber like Triumph did. That will certainly reduce emissions. The only question would be, will customers be willing to pay $20-22K for a 60hp Norton 961? Perhaps in the short term, but looking long range the twin cylinder Commando will most likely require a new water-cooled engine.

A liquid cooled motor could take the shape of something similar to the new Harley Davidson motors with liquid cooled heads. Only the cylinder heads would have to be redesigned. This would be expensive but far less costly than a complete engine redesign. Of course you would need a real engineering department to do this. Oh, but wait, TVS has one of those, don’t they?
 
“Still if TVS can spend a little money and time and improve things like EFI and electrical gremlins like crappy instruments, relays, sensors, and spurious low fuel level lights, etc. , and provide required spares, the 961 might continue to find a following” ( from above )

They don’t need to , members of this forum,the paying customers of 961 have already done that .

Well done ACCESS NORTON
 
Water cooled 325 single, 650 twin, 975 triple, 1300 V4. We're half way there are we not??????
 
Meeting future environmental regs is a much bigger issues. The air-cooled motor as currently constituted probably can’t meet regs, but I’m sure good engineers can find a solution. Whether the solution will be acceptable to potential customers, is another matter.

Perhaps because bikes constitute such a small overall percentage of road traffic and air pollution , the industry might combine to get relaxation in its favour... Where the US is concerned , both Harley and I think some of the Japanese factories manufacture in the States. Jobs might have the cachet to get favourable changes.
 
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... they need to stop wasting money on the 961 engine. It’s done and over with...
Price might help. In the 961 price bracket, in NZ at least, they were offering a low tech not overly fast machine at a point which was competing with very fast very high tech bikes. Low tech and slow suits me but even as a Norton enthusiast i could only justify the price on a used machine.
 
It would seem Norvil helped the sale of Norton to TVS acording to the newsflash from Norvil :

"......We all know that the Norton brand has been through a turbulent time over the years, but if you have been keeping
an eye on the motorcycle press you will now know that a new buyer for the Donington based Norton brand has come
forward in the form of TVS. We were pleased to work with them through their purchase process and we all look forward
to a brilliant future........."
 
Return on investment Tony.

There will come a point when the old lump simply requires more spending on it to keep it going than sales will recoup given the market size.

I’m not saying that’s now, but the time will inevitably come.

If the bike got the engineering it needed and issues resolved first , then more bikes would have been sold. If the bike worked , was quieter mechanically and trouble free they could have sold boatloads . Then all the bad press goes away and they end up with a gold mine , not a coal mine.
 
If the bike got the engineering it needed and issues resolved first , then more bikes would have been sold. If the bike worked , was quieter mechanically and trouble free they could have sold boatloads . Then all the bad press goes away and they end up with a gold mine , not a coal mine.
I know it's early days for me but they seem to have got it right as they progressed. My only problem is the euro 4 additions seem a bit too far but saying that mine runs great. Once fully run in I'll start the trimming etc. The fact that it has potential for improvement excites me.
 
If the bike got the engineering it needed and issues resolved first , then more bikes would have been sold. If the bike worked , was quieter mechanically and trouble free they could have sold boatloads . Then all the bad press goes away and they end up with a gold mine , not a coal mine.

Certainly there is a niche market ,but how big and for how long ? Mechanical noise is very offputting . And then there is the issue of emissions and compliance with regulations.
What did TVS get for their money? was it just drawings? and what looks like might be a very big call on managerial time? I suspect TVS have their own agenda and it might prove to be very different from what is hoped for by enthusiasts and well wishers
 
Certainly there is a niche market ,but how big and for how long ? Mechanical noise is very offputting . And then there is the issue of emissions and compliance with regulations.
What did TVS get for their money? was it just drawings? and what looks like might be a very big call on managerial time? I suspect TVS have their own agenda and it might prove to be very different from what is hoped for by enthusiasts and well wishers

HD Sportster keeps selling , the engine is quiet mechanically , meets regulations . Ducati still sells air cooled street bikes and there are others Kawasaki W800 .. Don't kill the Norton 961 before its time , there is a lot of life left in it. The Commando deserves a shot at life. Before it all fell apart , Norton were getting 15 to 20 people visiting the factory per week. Middle aged women saying "my husband will really like one of these" . The worlds most beautiful motorcycle .
 
It would seem Norvil helped the sale of Norton to TVS acording to the newsflash from Norvil :

"......We all know that the Norton brand has been through a turbulent time over the years, but if you have been keeping
an eye on the motorcycle press you will now know that a new buyer for the Donington based Norton brand has come
forward in the form of TVS. We were pleased to work with them through their purchase process and we all look forward
to a brilliant future........."
Amazing, can't take calls from his customers, but can make calls to TVS, utter tosh.
 
Other than some indirect answers to direct questions early on it sounds good.

Do you own the engine rights for the 961 sold to China just before Norton went into Administration.

TVS have bought all the IP required to build the bikes TVS want to going forward.
 
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