Norton announced they’ve just received the blessing of all of those folks carrying clipboards at the EPA, CARB and NHTSA, which means it’s now OK to sell their 961 Commandos over here in the US. I was surprised to see this because I had mistakenly assumed they had already passed all of the appropriate tests. This may explain why you don’t see these bikes on the road over here, though I hear rumblings deliveries have been a bit slow elsewhere, too.
I really like the look of these Nortons and I’ve been hoping the company would do very well. Ever since Kenny Dreer sold the rights and name they seemed to be doing all of the right things, but everything was moving in slow motion. Maybe now that everyone has signed off, we’ll see them on the road in greater numbers. I certainly hope so.
From Norton Motorcyles:
Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd today announces an important milestone with their ability to supply bikes to the North American and Canadian market upon the successful completion of the durability and emission testing for its Commando 961 series of motorcycles.
The emission and durability testing was carried out by a certified testing laboratory and at specific intervals during its 15,000Km accumulation the bikes are tested to ensure compliance with EPA and CARB exhaust, noise and evaporative emissions. The lab’s testing also completes a significant durability and safety trial and the new 961 Norton Commando passed and exceeded all standards by a wide margin.
This testing process included NHTSA’s safety and compliance documentation, plus the certification testing review and processing required by the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board. The remaining steps in the certification process are primarily paper based compliance reporting and subsequent approvals from various departments.
Link: Norton
Mike says
I love the new Harris version of the new Commando. This one is great too. Now if they could only make a reasonably priced version that you could actually buy, instead of putting a deposit on and waiting futilely for a delivery.
B50 Jim says
I’ll be eager to see my first one when they reach these shores — but they’ll be expensive, I’m sure. It IS a handsome bike, though; looks thoroughly English. All it needs is a kickstarter that tires riders to the point of exhaustion and still doesn’t start the bike, just like the original Commandos.
Richard says
No one to typically lead readers to another site, but I thought you might want to take a look at this article before you do any promo for Norton… :http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/08/nortongate/
Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" says
I’m not promoting Norton, just saying they passed the tests though I absolutely hope they do very well, it would be a good thing for everyone involved. Norton’s long delivery times and supplier issues may be related to dramatically under estimating how much up front costs would be involved in starting a company and building a brand new bike, which is essentially what they did, even though they purchased the rights, prototypes and tooling from Dreer.
The process of getting approvals from the EPA, CARB and NHTSA drains untold hours and money when a company needs every dollar, pound or euro it has, and not being able to sell in the USA or Canada restricts income at the worst possible time. While the bureaucrats are checking all of the boxes, the company bleeds money and problems begin to mount. Customers complain and the company looks bad.
If a company has billions of dollars in start up capital, no problem, but how many companies have that luxury? Combined with the current economy, you have a prescription for disaster. I don’t think there’s anything underhanded or conspiratorial going on, just a shortage of cash. How they deal with it will determine whether they can move ahead or fold.
Rich says
It is definitely a shortage of cash. However, if the reports from many dissatisfied customers are accurate, Norton is also being at least misleading if not down right deceptive. Reports indicate that it is only when a lawsuit is filed that the customer either gets a bike or their deposit refunded.
I love the bikes; but their lack of capital makes purchasing one untenable.
Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" says
As I noted in my comment,
If a cash shortage leads some individuals within the company to act in a deceptive or misleading manner, it says a lot about the people involved and does not bode well for future prospects. However, I have zero first hand information, so I can’t say whether or not that is the case. I hope not and I will withhold judgement until and unless I know more.
B50 Jim says
It just points up the immense difficulty of starting a manufacturing company, especially one intended to have a full-blown product line at the outset. Most motorcycle manufacturers started out making something else (Honda made piston rings; BSA made rifles; Yamaha musical instruments, Kawasaki ships, etc.) before capitalizing a motorcycle company. Most English manufacturers built bicycles first so they had an idea of the process. They grew from something smaller and evolved. I wish Norton the best, but if they can’t deliver product as promised they should re-think their business plan.
Hooligan says
There are many dissatisfied people who have put down money and not recieved the goods. How much did the fiasco of the Norton TT bike cost? They would have been better just buying a Aprilla SVR4 and painting Norton on the tank. Rather than attempting to re-engineer a Aprilla engine with a Spondon frame.
I am not interested in giving English engineering a good kicking. We need it badly. But when you can make a copy of a orginal Commando with pattern parts with no problem. Then I think with Norton it is all down to a lack of money.
I would like it to work. But….
Barry says
how much did the re-engineering of Kenny Dreer’s work cost?
Russell B! says
I really wanted Kenny Dreer to succeed with his Norton. And I hope that the current UK Norton firm can survive and prosper with this new design.
But I’m in my mid 50s and owned a ’74 Interstate 850 back in the early ’80s. If I get another Commando it’ll be one from Colorado Norton Works with a QSP electric start. If I want a contemporary parallel twin with heritage I’ll look at the BMW F800ST or the Honda NC700X.
It looks like it’ll be a long time before the heritage vs. headaches balance tilts in the owner/riders direction for Norton UK.
OMMAG says
I really do wish they could get their Sh!t together so I’d at least have a chance to see one.
I’ve owned several Nortons … I loved each one… leaks … broken parts …warts and all. It took me about two years on the first one …a 69 fastback… to learn how to keep it sorted out.
The New Norton was in my opinion over promoted and the management knew very well that they could not deliver. The fact that only NOW do they have the regulatory approvals fro the north American market is just another example of not being on the ball. It’s really hard to take this company seriously and heartbreaking to think that they are likely going to fail.
Still …. I’m hoping ……
anti says
This company by accounts is running into the ground in an unethical way. Can’t comprehend that anyone can defend them. ultimately they need to be bought out by a solid British business gun, and put back on the straight path. The last thing we want in another british company bought by India. Even Triumph is taking their brand to indian manufacture, not good. I have nothing against Indian manufacture, I just believe ownership and manufacture should be in country of origin.
bbartcadia says
Don’t know anything about this company but like their bikes a lot. Do know that governments seem to do everything in their power to lay obstacles in our paths causing many to throw up their hands and quit.
Scotduke says
I’ve seen the bikes up close and they do look good, though I’ve never ridden one. There are however serious questions over how the company is being run and I for one would not want to put down a deposit on a new Commando until the firm has a better financial situation. Here in the UK I’ve heard of many people who paid for bikes they haven’t seen yet. If I wanted a new British bike, I’d buy a Triumph. With the way the economy is going at present, motorcycles tend to be luxury purchases for most and sales have been hit. Norton’s best chance for a future at present will be its acquisition by another company with funds available to invest in R&D and manufacturing. In some ways it would be good if Triumph was to buy up Norton. Let’s see what happens.
Hooligan says
Triumph buying Norton? No we have been down this kind of road once before and it ended in the demise of the English bike industry.
Scotduke says
The British motorcycle industry, as it was, disappeared up its own exhaust pipe for so many reasons you could write a book about it. And several have. Key words and phrases would be: poor quality, old designs, insufficient R&D, greedy unions, poor management, archaic production facilities, low productivity. None of that applies to John Bloor’s Triumph company, which is a well run firm that invests in R&D, has a good product line and production capability, a motiviated workforce and which is doing well despite adverse economic conditions. I doubt Triumph would buy Norton as the firm already has a successful retro styled range with the various Bonneville models. But perhaps another firm, maybe Chinese or Korean, will see value in the Norton brand. Hyosung in Korea for instance would benefit from such a purchase. For Triumph I do think buying the CCM business would make sense as it would add something to the range in terms of expertise with singles. I don’t have a working crystal ball so let’s see what happens.
Hooligan says
I agree totally that Triumph are well run, invest in R&D make well made bikes (as the owner of a Street Triple R I can attest to that) have a good range of bikes and a very good customer services/warrenty regime. I doubt whether they would be interested in buying CCM, who have no engine building experience as all their engines are bought in from somewhere else – Suzuki & Rotax. I don’t see the Chinese of Koreans being interested in Norton, being more used to making knock offs of existing last generation bikes. Maybe one of the many Russian billonaires would see it as a “fun” investment. But as you say we will see how this current Norton saga pans out. As I pointed out if you can build a modern “original” Commando with off the shelf parts freely availble then whats the problem with this new one? Well apart from the fact suppliers will not supply until they are paid.
Tom Lyons says
I’m hoping for their success.
Tony says
So, making a mass produced bike “street legal” in U.S.A. is hard and extremely expensive, but if one wants to export and sell a very small production (5 to 50 per year) handcrafted bikes have to cross the same hell? Or there is another way to make street legal the very small production bikes? I see some incredible built choppers or bobbers (or cars) going up and down across the States roads with all sort of not legal components and emissions, how they can be street legal?
I’ve taken a look at the EPA, CARB, NHTSA but they look not so clear and definitive about it… Anyone can explain that? How small production bikes could be made street legal in the U.S.A.?
Matt Hubbard says
Stuart Garner, Norton CEO, responded to the Biker Glory/Hell for Leather piece via this interview on my website. You can take his comments or with a pinch of salt but at least he’s answering his critics.
http://www.speedmonkey.co.uk/2012/08/interview-with-norton-ceo-stuart-garner.html
bart says
It’s been contended that Garner really didn’t answer much in that interview in terms of hard numbers and dates. Many promised delivery dates have been made by Garner only to see them come and go always with a new excuse.
Some people have been waiting for two years now for a bike that they paid in full for. The operation appears to be run on a hand to mouth basis and the quality control was apparently non-existent according to an insider.
bart says
PS. Mr. Bloor could make a great success of Norton. We need more beautiful air cooled motorcycles as we have an over abundance of plastic covered garish water cooled uglies as is. ugh.
Hooligan says
A couple of hundred bikes sold?. Hmm to be honest I have not seen a single one on the road, or at any of the biker meeting points where riders of both old and new gather. Especially in the South of England which has a higher proportion of people with disposable income available to tie for up for a year or so while awaiting delivery of a Norton.
Ducati have probably sold less than a hundred of their Diavel here, but I have seen a few of those.
steve w says
Everyone is oh so negitive. It is going to take some time for sure. Re engineer Epa etc. It surely isn’t easy and it surely is expensive. So what do people really want? A rush job that is a piece of —- or somethng that just might be worth the wait. For those that put money down they had to be fully aware it was somewhat a gamble and it wasn’t going to happen overnight. If they thought otherwise then they are fools. I’ll bet it makes it this time but it won’t be overnight. I worked for a company that developed engines for the Custom market and it isn’t as easy as most think. And yes those custom engines are EPA compliant if required. However once someone takes delivery it just doesn’t stay that way. Everyone is such a bunch of whinners!
bart says
You apparently haven’t read the article. Alleged deceptive practices as well as questionable quality. You’r e not whining because you haven’t laid out 18 grand for a bike that never gets delivered despite repeated promises. I suspect your tune would change if you did.