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Norton Unveils The Hand-Built V4CR Cafe Racer – Only 200 Units, 185HP

Norton Motorcycles, under the guidance of TVS Motors, has recently showcased their latest creation, the Norton V4CR.

The V4CR joins the Norton lineup as a neo-retro sports naked motorcycle, captivating enthusiasts with its raw power and vintage-inspired aesthetics.
The V4CR as the brand’s first completely new motorcycle under the TVS Motors ownership.

Derived from the successful Norton V4SV supersports bike, which made waves upon its debut last year, the V4CR boasts striking similarities to its predecessor. The heart of this beast is the same 1,200cc engine found in the V4SV, delivering an impressive peak power of 185 horsepower and a torque of 125Nm.

Furthermore, the V4CR adopts the TT-developed aluminum frame utilized in the V4SV, ensuring an exceptional riding experience.

The V4CR moniker stands for “cafe racer,” alluding to its neo-retro styling that combines classic design elements with contemporary touches. A full-carbon fairing adorns this captivating machine, further enhancing its allure.

Norton Motorcycles proudly presents the V4CR as their first completely new motorcycle under the TVS Motors ownership, following the successful launch of the “re-engineered” V4SV and Norton Commando 961.

“The Norton V4CR is a raw expression of impeccable design and intoxicating performance. We’ve stripped back the outer shell of the V4SV, ensuring an uninhibited motorcycling experience for riders,” said Dr. Robert Hentschel, CEO of Norton Motorcycles.

Attention to detail has been paramount during the creation of the V4CR. Meticulous engineering and design teams meticulously refined every aspect of the motorcycle, from initial sketches to concept production and final finishing touches.

This bike represents the culmination of Norton’s learnings and investments over the past three years, providing a tantalizing glimpse into Norton’s future.

Hand-built to perfection, the Norton V4CR comes equipped with top-of-the-line features, including Brembo brakes, a quickshifter, and auto-blipper for seamless gear shifts, as well as billet aluminum machined yokes, aluminum OZ racing wheels, and Ohlins suspension.

Production will be limited to a mere 200 units, making each V4CR an exclusive gem for discerning riders. The price tag for this extraordinary machine stands at GBP41,999 (RM240k) per unit.

Norton Opens First Flagship Store At The Bike Shed London

Norton Motorcycles has just opened its first retail store, the Norton Atelier, at The Bike Shed in London. This is a major milestone for the British brand, which has been steadily rebuilding after a period of tumultuous change.

The new flagship store to showcase the brand’s V4SV superbike and the iconic Commanod 961.
Norton also plans to establish showrooms at five other locations throughout the UK.

Norton’s new CEO and a £100 million investment have helped to revitalize the company, and the launch of the 2023 Commando 961 has shown that Norton is ready to compete once again.

The Norton Atelier showcases the V4SV superbike and the Commando 961, both of which are available for purchase or test rides. Additionally, the showroom features Norton apparel designed by Savile Row fashion designer Nick Tentis. Tentis has also played a significant role in designing the retail space, which he describes as reflecting the history and values of the Norton brand.

The launch of the Norton Atelier is just the beginning for the brand. The company plans to establish showrooms at five other locations throughout the UK, including Krazy Horse London, Crawley’s P&H Motorcycles, Sheffield’s Via Moto, Bodmin’s Thor Motorcycles, and Cheshire’s Oakmere Motor Group. All of these locations will offer test rides, maintenance, and parts and accessories.

Norton Chief Commercial Officer Christian Gladwell expressed his enthusiasm for the brand’s expansion into the marketplace. “More dealers mean more riders enjoying the results of the hard work and dedication that the entire team at Norton has contributed towards,” he said.

TVS Working On Royal Enfield 650 Rival

TVS is said to be developing a new 600-750cc motorcycle to rival the popular Royal Enfield 650 twins.

TVS plans to rival Royal Enfield with its own 650cc motorcycle.
The development is rumoured to be underway and with the help of Norton Motorcycles.

Although there is no official confirmation from TVS regarding the development of this new motorcycle, it is rumoured that the company is already working on it.

The new flagship is expected to have a twin-cylinder motor, with power and torque output potentially exceeding that of the Royal Enfield 650 twins, which produce 47 hp of max power and 52 Nm of peak torque.

The body style of the new TVS flagship is still up in the air, with the company possibly launching multiple body styles simultaneously, or starting with a single offering such as a roadster.

Based on market response, TVS may consider other body styles such as scrambler, cafe racer, and ADV similar to what Royal Enfield is doing with its 350 and 650cc range.

TVS will need multiple products in the 600-750cc segment to compete with rivals like Royal Enfield, who are consistently expanding their portfolio in this space. After the recent launch of the Super Meteor 650, Royal Enfield plans to add other 650cc bikes such as Shotgun 650, Himalayan 650, and Classic 650.

It is unknown whether TVS will develop this new motorcycle on its own or seek collaboration with another entity. TVS acquired British brand Norton Motorcycles in April 2020, and it is likely that they will use Norton’s expertise for their upcoming motorcycle.

TVS-Owned Norton Motorcycles To Fulfil The Commando 961 Backlog From Previous Owners

Norton Motorcycles announced they are fulfilling the 29 outstanding orders of the Commando 961 Classic.

Norton is fulfilling all 29 outstanding orders of Commando 961 left by previous ownership.
The first batch of orders has reached its customers.

The backlog was left from the previous ownership led by the disgraced former CEO, Stuart Garner.

Despite no legal obligation, the TVS-owned company, will fulfil all 29 outstanding orders.

Most importantly, all the Commando 961 have been developed and significantly improved by the firm’s new manufacturing plant in West Midland.

According to Norton, the first batch of bikes has already reached its customers.

Unfortunately, the revised Commandos do not meet Euro5 emission standard, hence the motorcycle were sold via Motorycle Single Vehicle Approval process.

That said, Norton did not disclosed the price and the spec sheet due to its limited volume.

Nonetheless, the British firm has confirmed a new generation of Commando 961 is in the pipeline.

Norton Working On A New Commando 961

Norton Motorcycles is now working on a new generation of Commando 961.

production will commence at new Solihull manufacturing plant.
Norton will fulfil customers’ deposit submitted during previous management.

Norton has been working hard to restore its customer’s faith in the company ever since India’s TVS Motor Company purchased the British brand back in April 2020.

TVS has also invested millions in opening a new headquarters in Solihull to ensure the brand stays in the UK and hired new top executives to bring back the company to its former glory.

Norton recently kickstarted its manufacturing plant with the new Norton V4SV superbike, but in the latest development, the company also decided to fulfil customers’ Commando 961 deposits submitted during the previous administration.

In a new announcement, Norton will fulfil the pre-orders for the Commando 961 before offering the new bike to the public.

Although the Commando 961 nameplate is associated with the previous management led by former CEO Stuart Garner, the new Norton CEO, John Russel, thinks that the Commando moniker should continue to live on.

“I can’t imagine Norton not having a Commando in the lineup, so the big question is what should characterize a modern Commando and when we will bring it to market,” he said.

The announcement also came together with two teaser photos of the new Commando 961, confirming that the iconic motorcycle will retain the classic cafe-racer design.

Meanwhile, interested parties can sign up for Norton’s e-mail notifications to get updates on the new Commando 961.

Norton Accept Bookings For 2023 V4SV Superbike – RM237k

Norton Motorcycles have announced that bookings are now open for the company’s flagship V4SV superbike.

The V4SV is the first model to roll out of the factory since the acquisition by TVS.
The flagship superbike offer 185hp and full carbon fibre bodywork.

However, delivery will only occur after the first builds are delivered to customers who placed their orders before TVS Motor Company acquired the British motorcycle brand in April 2020.

“It is a hugely proud moment to announce that customers can now buy the re-engineered V4SV.

“I would like to thank the Norton team, customers and fans for their continued support for joining us on this journey in bringing Norton and V4SV to life,”
said Norton CEO, Dr. Robert Hentschel.

According to reports, the V4SV superbike is the first motorcycle to roll off the production line 18 months after TVS had to re-engineer the bike following the discovery of 35 faults in the previous built under former owner Stuart Garner.

A liquid-cooled 1200cc 72-degree V4 engine powers the Norton V4SV and can pump 185hp at 12,500rpm, making it a close rival to the Triumph Speed Triple 1200RR.

Other neat features available on the V4SV include:

carbon fibre fuel tank
carbon fibre bodywork
handcrafted TIG-wielded aluminium tube frame

The V4SV is being built at Norton’s new Solihull HQ, developed as part of a new investment from TVS with the promise of delivering up to 8,000 units annually.

For those interested to placed an order, the Norton V4SV is priced at GBP44,000 (RM237k).

Norton To Build Electric Motorcycle, Announces Project ‘Zero Emission Norton’

TVS-owned Norton Motorcycles is ready to kick-start its electrification program by announcing the ‘Zero Emission Norton’ project.

The Zero Emission Norton will take two and a half years.
Plans to design and manufacture electric motorcycles in the United Kingdom.

Norton is finally on the move two years after the brand was in a critical situation by unveiling the V4SV exotic superbike.

The momentous occasion marks the company’s new direction under TVS Motor Company.

In the latest announcement, Norton has revealed plans to design and manufacture electric motorcycles in the UK.

The new manufacturing plant will be in charge of race performance, lightweight and touring range.

Thanks to the government funding, it will be a joint effort between Norton and Delta Cosworth, which will assist the battery and other critical components to power the motorcycle.

Meanwhile, the University of Warwick – which helps develop the TT Zero Race machine – will take charge of modelling, toolchain development and battery technology.

According to Norton, the Zero Emission project is part of a 10-year product plan and supports UK’s mission to achieve a net-zero automotive future. The aim is to lift the UK is returning to being a global tech leader for motorcycles.

TVS Motor Company invests £100m into Norton Motorcycles brand

New owners of ailing British brand Norton Motorcycles, India’s TVS Motor Company, puts up £100m investment to spur brand’s development.

(more…)

Ex-Norton Motorcycles CEO Stuart Garner Facing 2-Years Jail Time

Former Norton Motorcycles CEO, Stuart Garner, was found guilty of illegally investing pension funds into the business and is facing a two-year jail time.

Garner was responsible for reviving the brand after purchasing the company in 2008.

He then introduced the revamped Commando range and the ambitious V4 superbike project before Norton went into administration in January 2020.

However, he was in the spotlight for injecting the pension funds into the 2012 Dominator, 2012 Commando and the Donington MC schemes to prop the business up.

The act is a clear breach of the law that only allows a maximum of 5 per cent of occupational pension to be invested into the employer’s company.

After an investigation by the Pensions Ombudsman, which found that Garner had acted dishonestly, the court ordered Garner to pay off the money (estimated GBP11mil) in June 2020.

At that time, most of Norton’s assets were already sold to current ownership, TVS Motor Company, for GBP16mil.

Nevertheless, TVS opted to take over the firm; instead, the current Norton brand is a new company with rights to the bikes’ brand name and intellectual property.

Garner pleaded guilty at Derby Magistrates’ Court to three charges of breaching employer-related investment rules, investing money from the three pension schemes into Norton in return for preference shares between 2012 and 2013.

Norton Motorcycles Confirm Plans To Make A Comeback To Racing

Norton Motorcycles is actively seeking ways to expand the brand reach ever since the takeover by new ownership, TVS Motor Company.

The British motorcycle manufacturer has spent the past 18-months restructuring the company portfolio after its disastrous downfall under former-CEO, Stuart Garner.

In the latest effort to drive away from the scandals that almost put the company in bankruptcy, new Norton CEO, Dr Robert Hentschel, unveiled plans to return to racing.

*Norton Motorcycles CEO Robert Hentschel

“For me, it’s very clear that racing is part of the story of Norton.

“I can confirm today that I intend for Norton to go racing again. I echo John Russell’s thoughts here, and we are completely aligned with regards to which step to take next,” he said.

However, Hentschel did not specify whether it’s the Isle of Man TT or jumping on a more mainstream competition such as the British Superbike Championship.

WMG And Norton Develop A TT Capable Electric Motorcycle – 201hp, 400Nm!

Together with Norton Motorcycles, Warwick University has built an all-electric motorcycle capable of competing at the Isle of Man TT.

To help with the engineering students effort, Norton has donated a motorcycle frame from the Norton V4 along with some crucial data for the university project.

According to reports, the electric powertrain designed to work with the frame has a power output of 201hp and 400Nm.

The power comes from an immersion-cooled battery pack with 16Wh capacity designed to last longer, thanks to robust thermal management strategies.

The cooling system will allow the motorcycle to operate at an efficient temperature rate based on the requirements of the track.

Interestingly, it took just seven months for the students to develop a functioning electric motorcycle based on the Norton V4 frame.

The motorcycle has since undergone a significant amount of tests and is currently in the process of mitigating the risk of failure.

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norton

Norton Motorcycles, under the guidance of TVS Motors, has recently showcased their latest creation, the Norton V4CR.

Norton Motorcycles has just opened its first retail store, the Norton Atelier, at The Bike Shed in London. This is a major milestone for the British brand, which has been steadily rebuilding after a period of tumultuous change.

TVS is said to be developing a new 600-750cc motorcycle to rival the popular Royal Enfield 650 twins.

Norton Motorcycles announced they are fulfilling the 29 outstanding orders of the Commando 961 Classic.

Norton Motorcycles is now working on a new generation of Commando 961.

Norton Motorcycles have announced that bookings are now open for the company’s flagship V4SV superbike.

TVS-owned Norton Motorcycles is ready to kick-start its electrification program by announcing the ‘Zero Emission Norton’ project.

New owners of ailing British brand Norton Motorcycles, India’s TVS Motor Company, puts up £100m investment to spur brand’s development.

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