Norton Motorcycles

[robertaccio]

Just went to GP Motorcycles, Norton presentation on Sat..
The machine is striking with all the modern stuff packaged into a retro looking Norton. Seems to be a good package overall with that nod to the "old" Commando. Very lovely looking machine.
http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/bikes/commando-961-sf/

http://gpmotorcycles.com/norton_.php

(these guys also have WHT Huskys and ORG KTMs)

 

[everfree]

Cool bike, Robert. The black version is nice.
I read a review awhile back that really liked the Norton.
I believe its motor is derived from a motor designed up here in Oregon by Kenny Dreer over 10 years ago.

Things didn't quite work out as this 2004 news article hoped:
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2004/05/10/story3.html?page=all

 

[Norman Foley]

Take out a mortgage on the house... My next street bike!

 

[Darkside]

I remember seeing these at the MC show. They were taking preorders saying they would ship the next year. This was 5-6 years ago. Last I heard they were just starting to fill orders last year

 

[ray_ray]

Norton was one of the 'big' (650-750CCs ?) street bikes back when I was buying 74\75 yr model yamahas ...They were cool bikes but not sure how well they actually held up ...

Hopefully the last and next move on my home will be a sell. Not sure if it still exists but I think there was a time when a person could get an one-time tax exemption from a large capital gain such as selling a home ...

 

[ray_ray]

Cool bike, Robert. The black version is nice.
I read a review awhile back that really liked the Norton.
I believe it's motor is derived from a motor designed up here in Oregon by Kenny Dreer 10 years ago.

Things didn't quite work out as this 2004 news article hoped:
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2004/05/10/story3.html?page=all

--
Here's the scoop on the new Norton and yep Dreer is mentioned here ... Sounding interesting and last words in bold puts this effort into prospective

The Donington Park revival

During the late 1990s, Kenny Dreer of Oregon evolved from restoring and upgrading Commandos to producing whole machines. He modernised the design and in the early 2000s went into series production with the 961 Commando, but then suspended operations in April 2006.


After fifteen years of US ownership the Norton brand has now been secured by Stuart Garner, UK businessman and owner of Norton Racing Ltd. Garner is developing a new 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) Norton factory at Donington Park to develop the Dreer-based machine.The new Norton is a 961 cc (88 mm × 79 mm (3.5 in × 3.1 in)), air- and oil-cooled pushrod parallel twin with a gear-driven counterbalancer and a 270° crank (a concept pioneered on the Yamaha TRX850). The machine, a single-seat roadster styled after the earlier Commando models, has a claimed rear-wheel power output of 80 bhp (60 kW), giving a top speed of over 130 mph (210 km/h).

The new operation at Donington Park has gone into limited production producing a motorcycle based on the Kenny Dreer 961 Commando. The new motorcycle only shares the outline of the Dreer bike; all aspects of the motorcycle have apparently been re-designed in order to move into production. An updated and revised version of the rotary by Brian Crighton, an engineer who worked on the rotary machine in the 1990s is also being developed.

To expand the range of machines available, the company has acquired a significant interest in Maxsym Engine Technologywith the aim of using the Maxsym parallel twin engine, originally developed for Moto GP as the basis of a new range of Norton motorcycles, with options including 1,200 cc Superbike, and 750 cc Supersport variants. In January 2011, it was announced the highly regarded designer Pierre Terblanche had departed Piaggio / Moto Guzzi to join Norton.

In August 2011, UK minister Vince Cable announced that the Government was underwriting a £7.5 million bank loan to Norton, to promote secure cash flow for their export sales. Garner responded that this finance would allow Norton to double annual production from 500 to 1,000 machines.

 

[mnb]

Weighs more than my F800GS parallel twin. Has 5hp less. Costs nearly double what my GS did (not counting all the add ons).

Looks sexy as hell. Not sure if it has that classic, beefed up Norton sound, but if so, that's a drool worthy exhaust note.

 

[ray_ray]

Looks like there might be a couple gadgets (black in color) hanging on the outside of the engine? And almost like an entire auxiliary box is added on the back side of the engine just above the footpeg.

--
Misleading pic above ... You can see here that the rear part of the engine is just a plate covering the FS sprocket maybe... The small black item with the hose coming out looks familiar ..

 

[Xcuvator]

There has always been a special place in my hear for Nortons. I bought a brand spanin new 74 850 Commando Roadster and after all the bikes that have come through my hands is still the one I miss the most. WTF was I thinkin?

They were cool bikes but not sure how well they actually held up ...

All the Brits of (Harleys too) were known for leaking oil and electrical problems, some of it was unfair IMO. I rode the 850 for 10,000 miles and only changed the points,a points cam seal and of course lubricants. The bike was still running very strong. I still have a 73 Triumph that got it's first top end a 23,00 miles. It can sit for 2-3 years will start on the second or third kick.

 

[mnb]

Doesn't matter. The new engine has no direct line to the Nortons of old. Sure, it's a parallel twin and it may resemble the old norton engine externally in some ways, but it's not the old engine. I'm sure in some ways that's good. There has been a lot of progress in engine technology and getting a bike with an engine that can last 100k miles is typical these days. Hopefully the new engine is well designed and will be reliable. Time will tell.

 

[Xcuvator]

Doesn't matter. The new engine has no direct line to the Nortons of old. Sure, it's a parallel twin and it may resemble the old norton engine externally in some ways, but it's not the old engine. I'm sure in some ways that's good. There has been a lot of progress in engine technology and getting a bike with an engine that can last 100k miles is typical these days. Hopefully the new engine is well designed and will be reliable. Time will tell.

Thanks for reminding me that it doesn't matter mnb.
If you look closely at my post though you will see I was referring to RRs post about how the Nortons and Brits in general held up back in the day.
Like Everclear stated he (KG) was a local sort of hero around here and the changes he made to the original designes were well documented and talked about.

 

[robertaccio]

gp has one or 2 old nortons around the shop the new engines actually look like scaled up versions wrapped in a modern mono block set up. alot like the new triumphs in that regard. they give you the visual feel of the old bikes with new tech mechanics.

 

[ray_ray]

All the Brits of (Harleys too) were known for leaking oil and electrical problems, some of it was unfair IMO. I rode the 850 for 10,000 miles and only changed the points,a points cam seal and of course lubricants. The bike was still running very strong. I still have a 73 Triumph that got it's first top end a 23,00 miles. It can sit for 2-3 years will start on the second or third kick.

That 850 was the big boy on the block .. It was a steady CC walk up the ladder in that time yr by yr ... ~350cc, 450, 500, 550, 650, 750, 850 ...

Same dealer selling the yamahas and Nortons also sold Triumphs and Rickmans ... This was all pre-Japan taking over street bikes maybe ... I can remember a guy having a 305 Honda dream back then but nothing any larger in size ...

 

[huskyfrk]

south bay norton got 6 in last week, 6 SE models. supposed to get 6 a month till orders are filled, not bad for a 4 1/2 year wait !!! 420 lbs. 270 crank so it sounds similar to a duc... new ones will run at adjusted prices for inflation, ready - 24K

 

[robertaccio]

The original last models of the Nortons were very last of the fast British twins that hung on and could still outspeed the on slaught of the Japanese in line fours. Which of course eventually nailed the Brit bike coffin (mostly self induced shameful suicide).
Our local Norton and British bike dealer/pioneer Sonny Angel built an aircooled transverse 4 on a Norton chassis and presented it as a future "weapon" the Norton old guard were not convinced or impressed with the idea...........

This is the the same thing different builder, later time.
http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2011/02/building-four-in-1960s.html

 

[mnb]

south bay norton got 6 in last week, 6 SE models. supposed to get 6 a month till orders are filled, not bad for a 4 1/2 year wait !!! 420 lbs. 270 crank so it sounds similar to a duc... new ones will run at adjusted prices for inflation, ready - 24K

24k for a 12k bike.

Seriously... High end touring bikes are 24k and have lots of fairing work and electronics, stereos, high tech suspensions. This it just milking an old brand name. Looks like a nice bike, but not 24k nice. You can buy a low mileage actual Norton for under $10k easy.

 

[T.Read]

I had high hopes for this Norton when I first heard about it. The suspension seems to be where they concentrated the expense in a way. For it to still be not much more powerful than my '73 Triumph or even an 850 from the same period and be that expensive is a shame. Just paying for a name and a custom bike as well as not knowing when you'll actually get the thing.