BMW F800 Forum banner

Norton bites the dust - again

3K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  BoxerBits 
#1 ·
#4 ·
I bet the Chinese or Indians buy the brand name.
 
#8 ·
The Indians recently purchased the BSA brand and one or two other classic British marques I believe, during the past few years. And then there is Royal Enfield. [;)]
 
#6 ·
But the Chinese have a trade imbalance with everyone. If they take their money and invest it in our countries, they have more than 0's and 1's in their accounts. I wouldn't be surprised that they buy out Norton and do something with their money.

Things like this make me want to stay with what I have. If I'm in the middle of nowhere in the western USA or Canada or Alaska...I want a motorcycle with someone who had parts support. If I bought a Norton, I'd have it to tool around in the local area only. I'd never take it across the passes to Eastern Washington or parts east.

Norton has a great history. So does Studebaker. And Hudsons. And even more modern versions like Oldsmobiles.

Chris
 
#7 ·
........Things like this make me want to stay with what I have. If I'm in the middle of nowhere in the western USA or Canada or Alaska...I want a motorcycle with someone who had parts support. If I bought a Norton, I'd have it to tool around in the local area only. I'd never take it across the passes to Eastern Washington or parts east.

Chris
Generally I agree BUT if somebody DID offer to take my GT of my hands in exchange for this all sense goes out the window. I'd rip their arm off.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Daboo and 308bever
#9 ·
Years ago when I had an Ariel, there was a parts house in middle America that sent out nice posters sized ads with the parts listed on one side and a classic bike on the other.
Can't remember the name of the company though.
A friend restored a Manx race bike and got a lot of the parts from New Zealand, I think. He pissed and moaned about the price of the stuff but it was available.
So having an attractive relic isn't necessarily a problem keeping it running.
 
#12 ·
Looks like there might've been some financial improprieties. From what I've read, lots and lots of money went into the company with little to show for it.

Royal Enfield seems to be doing things right. They are kind of making a niche for themselves. A motorcycle that isn't the fastest high tech bike around...just one that runs. And with the low tech it has, it can be sold and maintained anywhere in the world.

Chris
 
#14 ·
I saw a pre-production GT650 at Phillip Island a few years ago and instantly liked the bike. It was parked next to the Royal Enfield 500 Continental GT, a little bike that would have been fun for those Sunday morning cappuccino rides. The two bikes were like chalk and cheese. I think Royal Enfield have got their stuff together with their 650 twins. Right market, right price.

I think Norton attempted to enter the market at a level they couldn't maintain, attempting to produce bikes that were exclusive and priced to match. Norton should have started near the bottom rung and worked their way up.

The replica/cafe racer genre is huge, especially in the UK. Brits still have a soft spot for old British bikes. A Norton replica of a Commando or Manx at a good price would have worked.
 
#13 ·
Not surprisingly, a YouTube video has been published explaining the demise of Norton:
 
#15 ·
When I saw the video above, my first thought was Enron. The employees invested everything they had to make the company work. In the end, the bosses got away with millions...at least in this case. The employees are looking at working till the day they drop dead.

Chris
 
#16 ·
Not only the employees, but also the investors, many of whom invested their retirement savings to help fund the company, the government, who gave Norton grants and low-cost loans and all of the many customers who paid large deposits for their motorcycles and never received their bikes or a refund. Sounds like a classic Ponzi scheme to me.
 
#18 ·
  • Like
Reactions: MGD109
#19 ·
Here is the latest video blog regarding Norton's demise:
 
  • Like
Reactions: padaek
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top