Four years is a long time in most areas of life, but it’s perhaps not so long when you’re having to sort out the kind of problems that TVS inherited when it took over the Norton Motorcycles brand from the disgraced previous owner in 2020. Even without the miseries of Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine and all their attendant cost-of-living knock-ons, fixing the many and varied headaches at the British-based bike maker has become an ongoing saga.
Sorting out legacy customers (arguably not the responsibility of the new proprietors), resolving issues in the existing line-up of bikes, and addressing the limited future of the air-cooled twin and V4 powertrains has, it seems, been a bigger job than expected (and an expensive one: the firm says it’s spent £2.3m re-engineering those old designs alone). That all comes on top of fundamental matters, such as building a new factory in Solihull.
Now, though, it looks like Norton is seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The firm hosted a presentation at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, where senior figures outlined plans for the road ahead, including a pledge for six all-new models in three years, starting in 2025, and an expanded global distribution network targeting the US, Germany, France, Italy and India. TVS has also earmarked £200m for product development, R&D, expanded facilities and new engineering technology.
Addressing Festival of Speed attendees, Sudarshan Venu, managing director at Norton parent company TVS, said: “Our vision, commitment, and investment in the Norton Motorcycles brand are entering an exciting phase. We look forward to sharing that with motorcyclists across the world.”
Norton’s newly appointed executive director, Richard Arnold, went on to discuss the future of the brand, including its stance on the world stage. “Norton’s heritage is vast and plays a key part in our development as a global brand,” he said. “It’s important for us to prioritise our customers, both in the present and the future, not only with new bikes but also with every touch point of the Norton experience. The products currently in testing and development are incredibly exciting. Bikers around the world will love to ride them and love to own them.
“I am looking forward to expanding their availability to dealers in new territories and connecting with bikers to share the Norton journey.”