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Norton go into administration
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30-01-20, 12:43 AM
All the signs were there.
Pity as the new V4s and 650 twins looked good. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51303905 
30-01-20, 01:03 AM
It's so sad but the prices were crazy when compared to the competition,they shouldn't be trying to produce a modern Commando,Atlas etc and asking almost double of a comparable Jap model regarding power,economy,weight,ease of maintenance,etc,recipe for disaster.
never look down on anyone unless you're helping them up.
 A non-biker would be forgiven for thinking that there'd been over a century of continuous, successful production reading that story. It mentions 'financial difficulties' in 2008, but no details of the former decline/s and collapse/s under previous owners :rolleyes
30-01-20, 07:50 AM
Just goes to prove you can't trade on just a famous name. You have to produce bikes people want and can afford not expensive white elephants and race bikes for the nostalgic few.
30-01-20, 08:47 AM
Maybe this explains why John McGuiness has moved over to a Kawasaki team?
30-01-20, 10:21 AM
30-01-20, 10:24 AM
Hardly a shock, has anyone actually seen one on the road?
30-01-20, 11:09 AM
Quote: Hardly a shock, has anyone actually seen one on the road?No, but I've seen one in a workshop. Seized gearbox.
30-01-20, 11:13 AM
The trouble when you hand build bikes. However good they are, you can't keep the price down. Look at Brough. 60K each and sold in single figures. Compare with Triumph. Bloor took on all the best of Japanese production ideas, and they sell in zillions.
30-01-20, 11:43 AM
Yes but he learned from the other times triumph went to the wall, gave us decent bikes we wanted to ride and could afford buy & and run.
30-01-20, 11:55 AM
I'm not surprised, I am surprised they've lasted this long. Old bikes, over priced, delivery and build issues, yes they'll appeal to the Norton enthusiast market but that isn't going to give you long term market.
Triumph on the other hand, most of their bike looks nothing like their classic stuff, competitively priced, so much bigger market, if they just sold the retro bikes like Norton they'd go the same way. Norton learnt absolutely nothing from their original demise, sad but true.
Later
30-01-20, 11:56 AM
The new Norton 650 scramblers are/were going to start at 10k. Competition for the Ducatis and Street Scrambler. Pity if they don't make the shops.
30-01-20, 04:59 PM
I'd never seen one of these before last Sunday. Hope he's stockpiled some spare parts :lol .
Whizz kid sitting pretty on his two wheeled stallion.
01-02-20, 01:16 AM
It looks like there's more to this story.
Some odd deals have disappeared, and so have people's pensions.... https://www.morebikes.co.uk/news/67560/s...dium=email https://www.theguardian.com/business/202...ndal#img-1 
01-02-20, 06:38 PM
yup, its starting to look like a long con. That leaves a bitter taste, especially as most of us really wanted Norton to fly again. .
it did seem a little odd that they were developing and marketing the v4 and the smaller bikes me and Dave saw at the show, whilst the 'Classic' Commando still had a reputation for reliability to claw back. It would have made much more sense to sort those bikes first; perhaps even to do what Honda did after the disastrous vf750, over engineer new vfr versions and sell them at a loss to get their reputation back. It seems Garner had the funds, albeit gained in what is turning out to be some very shady dealings. sad day all round really.
01-02-20, 06:54 PM
btw theres talk the real atlas engine never actually ran, and was a 3d printed piece of plastic. Hence we couldn't get near it during the show. If thats true, thats even worse than what garner did to spondon...
02-02-20, 12:52 AM
Quote: btw theres talk the real atlas engine never actually ran, and was a 3d printed piece of plastic. Hence we couldn't get near it during the show. If thats true, thats even worse than what garner did to spondon...I thought I remember seeing a cut-through engine in a display case at the show. Or perhaps that was just the V4. Wonder if they'll be at the London show week after next? :rolleyes Picked up some brochures last time. Collector's items? :lol
02-02-20, 02:39 AM
Was just reading that John Mcguiness is asking if anyone sees Garner tell him to get in touch as he owes him £60,000 for last years TT ! :eek
never look down on anyone unless you're helping them up.
02-02-20, 07:38 AM
02-02-20, 10:59 AM
Garner's other 2 companies one being Priest House Hotel in Castle Donington is also in administration, seems there's a theme here. He and his companies have had millions poured into them over the years and Norton fails because they can't pay 300k tax bill, perhaps the same for the others.
I smell a huge art here  top like they didn't know they've got to pay the tax! I'd also take a bet they've not paid the employers pension contributions either, another Phillip Green stunt. Garners more than likely put Norton in the name of his aunt or such like, in which case he owes nothing and pops up somewhere else. According to reports last year Norton had £6.7 million in sales on which they made pre tax profit £33,701................. really They pay over inflated prices for services, by companies they or their mates/family own and get nice little kick backs all round. The HMRC has a lot to answer for how can a business run like that without it ringing alarm bells.
Later
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