What's happening at Norton? Sale to TVS, massive investment, new bikes...

Is the factory doing any real world product testing? At the January visit, I was told they assess this via computer models. How is that going…..?
 
Quality control of individual parts is one thing, quality of overall design is another, take the V4 for instance. It has a design flaw for a bike to be used on the road. The rear hugger and chainguard will not prevent grit and / or small stones dropping into the chain and then being moved over the gearbox sprocket - suggest they remedy that. Yes, track and moto x OK to compromise and not use chainguards, but on the dirty roads it needs protecting.
 
City Garage said:
Well if it was a stock graph it would be a winner!
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Y’all need to ensure you’re reading the right graphs for the info desired.

The ‘Tax/SORN’ graph should reflect the CUMULATIVE total of any correctly described vehicle that has ever been registered by the DVLA and still exists. Basically, any vehicle that exists in the U.K. must be either taxed (road tax) or SORN (statutory off road notification) at any given time, the exception to this is vehicles that have been off the road for a long time (ie long enough to be pre computer era).

So to answer an earlier question, all demo bikes will be included in this total, and going by the number of dealers in the U.K. I’d estimate this to be 8-10 units.

The ‘new registrations’ graph is the number of said vehicles being registered as new for the first time in any given period, so it is not cumulative.

Hence Blighty has used the tax/SORN graphs as this shows the cumulative number.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Y’all need to ensure you’re reading the right graphs for the info desired.

The ‘Tax/SORN’ graph should reflect the CUMULATIVE total of any correctly described vehicle that has ever been registered by the DVLA and still exists. Basically, any vehicle that exists in the U.K. must be either taxed (road tax) or SORN (statutory off road notification) at any given time, the exception to this is vehicles that have been off the road for a long time (ie long enough to be pre computer era).

So to answer an earlier question, all demo bikes will be included in this total, and going by the number of dealers in the U.K. I’d estimate this to be 8-10 units.

The ‘new registrations’ graph is the number of said vehicles being registered as new for the first time in any given period, so it is not cumulative.

Hence Blighty has used the tax/SORN graphs as this shows the cumulative number.
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UGH!
 
Fast Eddie said:
Y’all need to ensure you’re reading the right graphs for the info desired.

The ‘Tax/SORN’ graph should reflect the CUMULATIVE total of any correctly described vehicle that has ever been registered by the DVLA and still exists. Basically, any vehicle that exists in the U.K. must be either taxed (road tax) or SORN (statutory off road notification) at any given time, the exception to this is vehicles that have been off the road for a long time (ie long enough to be pre computer era).

So to answer an earlier question, all demo bikes will be included in this total, and going by the number of dealers in the U.K. I’d estimate this to be 8-10 units.

The ‘new registrations’ graph is the number of said vehicles being registered as new for the first time in any given period, so it is not cumulative.

Hence Blighty has used the tax/SORN graphs as this shows the cumulative number.
Click to expand...
I'd say more than 8-10, as you've got dealers selling off pre registered demos cheap, and one demo per dealer suggests no one can road test a cafe ie just one Commando per dealer. You'll also have a fair few press bikes...road show stuff
 
jan nelder said:
jan nelder said:
Is the factory doing any real world product testing? At the January visit, I was told they assess this via computer models. How is that going…..?
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the finished bike.
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We crash test dummies have been Beta testing the 961 for over ten years Jan😆! Who knows whether further testing was carried out post re-engineering, or even required, beyond whatever testing/bedding in was done for each individual change.

The few reports of 961 faults are disappointing, with such an emphasis on quality. It’s easy to say inexcusable, even with the hand built nature of the bike but - man meets complex machine, can faults ever be totally eradicated?

Who knows. Partly what the warranty period is for of course. Let’s wait for longer term testing. My guess with the amount of vibration through the machine the owners will still need to keep a close eye on things.

From memory there was much more extensive testing done on the V4, with its more significant faults. At one stage I remember reading of five (I think) V4’s doing endurance type lapping of a race track. Wouldn’t mind doing a few laps on that beauty myself.
 
And yet another bike built by TVS, the Aprilia RS457, and with TVS Motor appointing a EU importer to import their own TVS brand bikes into Europe in 2024 it makes you wonder why the wheels at Solihull are rolling backwards.
 
Hadn’t realised that Norton had brought out a series of helmets earlier in the year. Not sure what inspired the block section graphic around the visor area. Unsure about that - I’d need to see it in the flesh. Likin the open face. Where‘s the JPS version though?

Don’t seem to figure on the Norton website though for some reason.

IMG_9346.jpegIMG_9345.jpegIMG_9344.jpegIMG_9343.jpegIMG_9347.jpeg

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What's happening at Norton? Sale to TVS, massive investment, new bikes...
 
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Some dubious background info about Norton in this article however, worth a read. Appears that TVS is doing pretty well with its expansion - that can only be a good thing. Did’nt realise that they also had a long standing relationship with Suzuki.

www.motorcyclesdata.com

TVS Motor- Global Facts & Data 2025 | MotorCyclesData

TVS Motor Global Sales is fast growing. In 2024 global registrations were 3.77 million, up 13.3% (the best increase for any of Top 10 OEMS) hitting the all-time record, gaining the 5th place in the World Ranking, overtaking Bajaj.
www.motorcyclesdata.com www.motorcyclesdata.com

Indian motorcycles (the marque) seem to be heading in the opposite direction at a similar rate. Not comparing apples with apples of course, but it shows just how competitive (and maybe fickle) the market is across the board, and the globe.

www.motorcyclesdata.com

Indian Motorcycles - Data & Facts 2024 | MotorCyclesData

Indian Motorcycles sales are declining in double digit in 2024. After the first 8 months, global sales were 24.805 (-12.4%) reporting lost in all the main countries.
www.motorcyclesdata.com www.motorcyclesdata.com
 
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Ever been (almost) excited by the promise of a YouTube video? No, me neither, but at least the title of this one looked bloody interesting all things considered:oops:! You know when a film is so very (very) bad it almost becomes good? This is nothing like that!

Don’t watch it! If you do, don’t blame me cos I warned ya. It is possibly the worst YouTube video in the history of YouTube videos. At best, deluded drivel to the AI monologue of a misinformed moron!

Yer still gonna watch it aren’t ya🤣!?

 
Stephen_Spencer said:
Ever been (almost) excited by the promise of a YouTube video? No, me neither, but at least the title of this one looked bloody interesting all things considered:oops:! You know when a film is so very (very) bad it almost becomes good? This is nothing like that!

Don’t watch it! If you do, don’t blame me cos I warned ya. It is possibly the worst YouTube video in the history of YouTube videos. At best, deluded drivel to the AI monologue of a misinformed moron!

Yer still gonna watch it aren’t ya🤣!?

Click to expand...

Only in America , no punctuation in that film . 😒
 
Stephen_Spencer said:
Ever been (almost) excited by the promise of a YouTube video? No, me neither, but at least the title of this one looked bloody interesting all things considered:oops:! You know when a film is so very (very) bad it almost becomes good? This is nothing like that!

Don’t watch it! If you do, don’t blame me cos I warned ya. It is possibly the worst YouTube video in the history of YouTube videos. At best, deluded drivel to the AI monologue of a misinformed moron!

Yer still gonna watch it aren’t ya🤣!?

Click to expand...

You owe me 9min of my life, especially with your reverse psychology hard sell tactics.
 
Double side stands on that green bike??

How come TVS Motor, BSA, Jawa, have all introduced and / or announced new models to be sold in the UK and Europe and and I suspect soon you can add Vincent to the list who are now also owned by a large Indian company, it's strange why Norton have announced diddly squat, another 12 months and they will be further behind and will have lost the biking public interest.
 
Madnorton said:
Double side stands on that green bike??

How come TVS Motor, BSA, Jawa, have all introduced and / or announced new models to be sold in the UK and Europe and and I suspect soon you can add Vincent to the list who are now also owned by a large Indian company, it's strange why Norton have announced diddly squat, another 12 months and they will be further behind and will have lost the biking public interest.
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the lost public interest happened awhile (yrs) ago & didn't change much
 
Are we judging ‘lost public interest’ through the eyes of we curmudgeonly old wa#ke$z??!🤣

This is interesting though - how the market judges TVS’s risk profile. Financial reporting on the rise and rise of TVS, but with clear reference to the financial ‘drag’ (read risk) of loss making subsidiaries - including Norton of course. I know sh$t about the markets and who knows where Norton sits within TVS’s risk profile. Only time will tell.

But risk in motor manufacturing there most certainly is. Not sure of the validity of comparing established motorcycle marques with Norton in this phase of its development though. But, fair’n’uff!

 
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