I read elsewhere that customers bikes that had been in for work had been stripped and parts used to complete bikes to be sold near the end I presume the new owners have sorted this prior to relaunching
If Norton had “righted those wrongs” you’d think they’d be shouting it from the rooftops, so I’m not sure they have. But I’m happy to be corrected
The more bizarre issue is the former Norton employee who was less than honest being gainfully employed by the new Norton company.
Standard bankruptcy regulations arent they? A penny for my creditors, 99p for me, and repeat. (Or something like that)
TVS bought the company but not the baggage, that's the short story. I think that existing owners have been contacted and there's a suggestion that "old" bikes can be traded for "new" bikes on very favourable terms indeed. This is not an obligation for the new company under new owners, this is an issue that belongs to the company handling the insolvency and all creditors. Anything that the new Norton company does is PR and goodwill toward customers of the former company, not their responsibility. Irrespective of the percieved rights or wrongs, it's a business and the new company bought the brand and certain assets and while it is in their interest to restore trust in the brand, the actual number of Norton bikes built / sold during Garner's era (less than 5000 bikes?) means that it is a manageably small issue. Brand perception is easily fixed, and Norton has enough heritage and pedigree as a brand that the wails can be drowned out with tales of TT glory and the Ton Up Boys. In the context of the 4m motorcycles a year that TVS turns out (including the smaller capacity BMWs) this matter will soon enough be forgotten once Norton-branded bikes are shipping and being sold around the world in large numbers. If I was one of the affected I'd be very sore indeed, and feel very violated... so I understand the sentiment. Business is ruthless though, and just doesn't care.
The reputational damage is done, with all of the previous issues I don't see how new owners will ever have a good product to remove the black mark from their copy book, unless they have access to millions and decent manufacturing equipment. I compare it to MG, years ago they had a decent brand the cars weren't anything amazing but you associated the brand with sportiness etc, they long died a death but re-emerged but haven't ever returned to their former glory days, probably sell less cars now than they ever did and has Chinese backing now so why aren't they a success?
On the part of Garner maybe that's true, but TVS bought assets and a brand. Not their problem. Blunt but also correct unless they contractually inherited any liability from the former company.
the MG thing depends where you live. Where I live there’s a big MG dealer and they are absolutely everywhere… I’d say they comfortable outnumber Hyundai and Citroen, not quite Kia etc
That's exactly what they have, access to millions ($3bn revenue in 2020) and decent manufacturing equipment... plus the experience of building 4m motorcycles a year. https://www.tvsmotor.com/ They build the G310R and G310GS for BMW, which is a good little bike that is quite premium and very reliable.
yeah complicated shit this designing... engine from an Aprillia, frame from a triumph, swing arm from a ducati, standard ohlins, brembo, BKS, throw it in the mixer and voila.....
the TT bike had an aprilia engine, this one was Norton's own, and a step too far, the Frame is nothing like a Triumph, it's a spondon type derivative as Gardner bought them, and in terms of 'standard components' they all need testing for interoperability, road homologation (which they didn't) and clearances and settings. I agree, they SHOULD have white labelled some stuff, like an RSV4 engine and electronics in their own frame and bodywork, it MIGHT have just been a viable project then as all the emissions homologation would have been done, so it really would have been more like the low volume Bimota ethos.
You would have to be stupid, blind, ridiculously rich or more likely got stuffed by the first incarnation to even consider one, and even then they want ten more grand from you! Bend over please sir.........
Well clearly Andy you have an anti-Norton agenda and that’s entirely understandable given the way they behaved over the last few years but wherever those parts did or didn’t come from that’s an amazing looking machine and asked for who would buy it there’s enough people that want the exclusivity I would if I had that sort of money freely available
