Would a Chinese Norton be that bad ?

Come on guys, can't we all just get along? As my Polish neighbor says "bike is bike".

Yup, we go from Chinese Nortons to bashing HD.
Would a Chinese Norton be that bad ?
 
Back to Chinese bikes then...... I crossed the road to look at a Chinese AJS the other day
as it was rather interesting. Not a Norton, but AJS were part of NVT.
Does that get us back on track?
 
Well, I think HD is trying very hard to catch-up with the rest of the m/c industry.
It involves them realizing that they need competitive modern designs to be relevant in the future market.
The new line of DOHC V-twins is evidence of this.
HD also spent a great deal of cash on their e-Bike to try and beat the rest of the brands to the market place.
I think the fear of God has landed in the HD board room, and the company is now desperate to revamp their product line and image.
Stay tune.
They’re failing miserably
 
Hey Guys , I thought I told you that HD XR1200 is a great handling motorcycle ? It can really be hustled through the twisties ! Good looking too !

Would a Chinese Norton be that bad ?
As long as you’re happy with your purchase that is all that matters Tony.

But myself, I would never step foot into a HD. At least not unless they start offering something more appealing to “me”.
 
Had a few H-D's over the years, enjoyed each one for it's own merits. Looking back the prime reason for sale came down to the physical weight. Not all of them got sold, kept this one, but even for a sportie it is no lightweight...

Would a Chinese Norton be that bad ?
 
I have never had interest in owning/riding a HD. I pretty much just ride with other Italian sport bike owners, so I'm not into the whole HD culture. If I were interested in a cruiser style bike, I would get a Moto Guzzi Eldorado. If I were interested in a power cruiser, I would look at a Ducati Diavel or Moto Guzzi Audace. If forced to ride an American made bike, I guess it would be an Indian FTR 1200S.

And I can't see myself ever really buying a bike assembled in Asia - China, Japan, Thailand, etc. Maybe they'll all eventually be assembled there, who knows. But for now, I like knowing my bikes were assembled in Italy and England
 
I also disagree with corporations that send business to China. Sorry but that’s how I feel. I’m happy to pay more for something just because it says made in xxxxxx and not China.
It’s not all about animal welfare though guys is it ?

I think we’re missing what’s most obvious in this discussion. I can’t speak for everyone of course, but I doubt I’m speaking only for myself as well...

Surely a huge part of the reason for buying bikes like the Norton, and many other similar types, is as some kind of kick back against the corporate, homogenised, mass consumer driven dull conformist society that we’ve become?

Surely, even as a bunch of sad old men, there’s something in us that bikes like the Norton trigger?

It’s different, it’s raw, it’s an exciting visceral, mechanical, experience that pokes one in the eye of modern dullness.

It’s like comparing cooking on a campfire in the mountains, to popping some homogenised, tasteless, plastic packet food into the microwave !

So, frankly, how good a Chinese Norton may or may not be is entirely missing the f***ing point!

It would just be another mass produced homogenised microwave motorcycle !

So, to answer the original question: yes, a Chinese Norton would be absolutely bloody awful.

And for that reason, I’m fucking out !


I agree in the sense that I think most people bought 961's because they're British, exclusive and although certain niggles are to be expected with a hand built bike, that's generally accepted as part of the character. What is also to be expected though is a level of quality and attention to detail higher than any mass produced machine, something that's never going to happen with incomplete development and the use of fake components - courtesy of SG I believe.

Where I do disagree is that a mass produced bike can't be exciting to own and to ride - wasn't the original Commando a mass produced machine? - and a very successful one at that.
Having said all this, if the Chinese, by some stroke of magic, made an exciting visceral bike that "pokes one in the eye of modern dullness" - then, for reasons previously posted, I still wouldn't buy it!!
 
I pretty much agree with all you say, I certainly don't mind paying more for decent quality instead of the shite we have to put up with here. I also try to hunt out specifically not Chinese stuff. It was okay when they were just making junks instead of just junk.

Totally agree, but it's getting really difficult. As my trusty old cordless drill give up the ghost recently I thought I'd treat myself to a good old U.S. of A. Milwaukee, but - made in China. So too with Makita and DeWalt. Eventually I did manage to find a DeWalt which wasn't made in China by paying more for a higher specced metal chuck version, - made in Czech Republic.
Even a simple household appliance like an electric kettle isn't straightforward. After my British made Philips kettle gave up after a mere 20 years, I replaced it with a heap of junk by the name of Breville which lasted less than 2 years.
So I went to Curry's electrical superstore where they had an enormous range of kettles from Morphy Richards at £30 to DeLonghi at £75 to Smeg at £120 - every single one made in China!
Some research led me to an Italian brand Ottoni Fabbrica which must be the only brand left not made in China and available on Amazon. At £76 not cheap, but cheaper than a Smeg! - and absolutely gorgeous, no plastic in contact with hot water, even the filter is metal.
 
Totally agree, but it's getting really difficult. As my trusty old cordless drill give up the ghost recently I thought I'd treat myself to a good old U.S. of A. Milwaukee, but - made in China. So too with Makita and DeWalt. Eventually I did manage to find a DeWalt which wasn't made in China by paying more for a higher specced metal chuck version, - made in Czech Republic.
Even a simple household appliance like an electric kettle isn't straightforward. After my British made Philips kettle gave up after a mere 20 years, I replaced it with a heap of junk by the name of Breville which lasted less than 2 years.
So I went to Curry's electrical superstore where they had an enormous range of kettles from Morphy Richards at £30 to DeLonghi at £75 to Smeg at £120 - every single one made in China!
Some research led me to an Italian brand Ottoni Fabbrica which must be the only brand left not made in China and available on Amazon. At £76 not cheap, but cheaper than a Smeg! - and absolutely gorgeous, no plastic in contact with hot water, even the filter is metal.
Electric kettle as in crock pot?
I have one of these. 100% made in USA cookers. All stainless steel. https://www.360cookware.com/collections/slow-cooker

For toast I use this.
https://www.dualit.com/
 
Where I do disagree is that a mass produced bike can't be exciting to own and to ride - wasn't the original Commando a mass produced machine? - and a very successful one at that.

Well yes, but that was then. Even the most up to date ‘modern’ version of the original Commando is now 45 years old... and even when it was new it was a bored out, evolved, 25 year old design!

I’m the first to admit that what I call ‘character’ is in fact ‘engineering deficiencies’ !

Any company today putting out a mass produced product to the market ain’t gonna allow such ‘engineering deficiencies’. Hence, character as we know it is hard to find and is only gonna get harder.
 
Had a few H-D's over the years, enjoyed each one for it's own merits. Looking back the prime reason for sale came down to the physical weight. Not all of them got sold, kept this one, but even for a sportie it is no lightweight...

Would a Chinese Norton be that bad ?

You should never sell this bike ! This is good looking machine , a real classic.
 
Well yes, but that was then. Even the most up to date ‘modern’ version of the original Commando is now 45 years old... and even when it was new it was a bored out, evolved, 25 year old design!

I’m the first to admit that what I call ‘character’ is in fact ‘engineering deficiencies’ !

Any company today putting out a mass produced product to the market ain’t gonna allow such ‘engineering deficiencies’. Hence, character as we know it is hard to find and is only gonna get harder.

You've reminded me of something I recently read-

From an Ozzy race tuner who modified Ian Boyd's Vincent A Twin for Classic racing
" When it first arrived it had a lot of character.
We've removed most of that and now it goes very well"

Glen
 
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