The famed British maker of the Commando has big plans, including distribution in the US
The Return of Norton Motorcycles
The famed British maker of the Commando has big plans, including distribution in the US
If you ride, you know the Norton Motorcycles name—but even if you don’t you may have caught classic images of Clint Eastwood on one of many models, or recent ones featuring great motorcycle enthusiast Keanu Reaves. Norton’s rich heritage dates back to 1898, though it’s now freshly reinvigorated under new ownership by international powerhouse TVS Motor Company.
Norton currently makes a few models, starting with the Commando 961, an air-and-oil cooled bike whose namesake put Norton on the map in the 1960s. At the top of the range is the V4SV, powered by a 1200-cc V4 that pushes out 185 horsepower, especially impressive considering the $57,000 bike only weighs 454 pounds; a V4CR is a cafe racer offering of the V4SV. Currently, Norton is cranking out a few hundred of these motorcycles for the UK, but all of that is about to change.
First, the offerings themselves are about to change. Over the next three years there are six models being brought to market. “We’ll start with that super-luxury, super sport, cafe racer framework, but then there will be an expansion beyond that,” executive director of Norton, Richard Arnold, tells us. “The expectation or the plan we have is to remain premium, luxury quality, beautifully hand-built, quintessentially British-designed bikes, but with the scale TVS bring, and the capability. They’ll still be designed and manufactured in the UK, but with the logistics and ability of a global company.” Arnold, the former Manchester United Football Club CEO, came to Norton after buying a V4SV.
“There’s a very immersive aspect to a bike experience. The most private experience in the world is inside a helmet. At the end of a ride, you’ll have spent an hour, an hour and a half, and you’ll have watched the cars and you’ll watch what’s going on to make sure you’re safe, and you’ll have enjoyed the experience of controlling the bike, and getting home, but at the end of it, you’ll have not thought about anything but riding that bike. And that sort of mindfulness, and presence, it all sounds a little bit zen, but actually the act of riding a bike, people would pay an enormous amount of money to get that experience in any other sort of way,” Arnold says.
The company that acquired Norton, TVS, also knows quite a bit about two-wheelers. They’re the fourth largest motorcycle producer in the world, and the third largest in India. Last year they made approximately 4.5 million vehicles—a mix of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds—including a quarter million electric examples.
“I think what we bring to it is a lot of engineering capability, high quality manufacturing and supply chain, and of course, capital,” says Sudarshan Venu, managing director of TVS. Venu’s company, which produces motorcycles for BMW, has committed 200 million pounds (about 260 million dollars) to lift Norton to prominence once again. “Norton, when we bought it, was a very small brand, but now we are reviving it in a modern way. Looking forward, it’s ready to be a leading global brand. I think we bring a lot of resources, engineers and global distribution,” he says.
Norton will lean into a new factory in the West Midlands, one which Arnold equates to a Swiss watch factory, a stone’s throw from where the company was founded. While the UK will remain a key market, expansion in Europe, and across the Atlantic is also in the cards. “America is a market dominated by Harley. But I think what Norton brings is a uniquely British charm. A certain detail, a certain design, drivability, that is truly unique. I think young aspiring consumers will really enjoy this differentiated experience,” Venu adds.
You can expect the new Nortons to begin arriving next year, starting in the UK, and will make their debut stateside shortly after. Details of the new models will be revealed closer to launch.