Running Pre-war Singles in 500cc class against the multis in the 1950's relying on Geoff Duke and the Manx frame to win championships. The lack of investment should have raised alarm bells when the Japanese started to come to these shores with their 4 cylinder motorcycles. They first went bust shortly after being formed back in the early 1910's"Norton has never worked as a brand" How can you think that let alone say it. I assume you're referring to the post Bracebridge Street products. It's a wonder I didn't choke on my lunch when I read that. Norton was always a front runner and certainly from the 1930's almost dominated motorcycle racing at an international level. Even at club level Norton's were still competitive right up to the late 1960's. The modern replica Manx Norton's although not manufactured under the Norton name are still a force to be reckoned with and have given us a hard time on many occasions. It is a fact though that Norton's road bike sales were a reflection of their racing successes. The Norton name slowly died after Bracebridge Street closed and everything moved to Plumstead. Finally the modern Norton's you're referring to are not by any stretch of the imagination real Norton's at all are they? I've attached a pici of my real 500 Manx at East Fortune a couple of years ago.
They vibrated that much I'm surprised you were born at all.Sad. My dad had a Norton Dominator back in Denmark, before I was born.
ROTRON isn’t Norton backwards.Norton has never worked as a brand. I remember in the early 90's they were struggling with the rotary engine. It was the subject of a BBC programme, 'Troubleshooter' with John Harvey-Jones, in that it didn't make enough motorbikes to reduce costs and so with the high price it didn't sell many bikes. Granted they had Norton Commander police bikes but they still didn't make enough. The product was good with the 588 Wankel and it won the IOM TT with Steve Hislop and they should have diversified into drone technolgy as they supplied the engine to the US Military. (Still do in fact with ROTRON, Norton backwards)
Yet everytime someone starts up a new 'Norton' motorcycle business, I think immediately that they are going to fail. You need to have the resources, patience and business plan of John Bloor, who rebuilt Triumph. From nothing in the 90's they are now a multinational brand, making many different products in different countries and are even engine suppliers for the Moto2 race series.
ROTRON isn’t Norton backwards.
A real shame that Norton have gone again. Been a fan all my life. The rotaries were way ahead of everything else on the track at the time.
Here’s mine.
View attachment 65065
I'd 'like' that twice!I agree. For me it’s Moto Guzzi and Norton, and Maserati and Aston Martin.
I’ve two of each.