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Whats happening?

I see the crowdfunding effort seems to have been stopped? 

Is it because of the pension fund issue?

There seems to be a lot of bad publicity around undelivered bikes lately

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Nope it seems a generous benefactor has come along with a truck load of readies and so no need for crowdfunding. All I know is it aint me.

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Why not do both, benefactor and crowdfund, then all could have won. The latest news shows just what tosh the statement was that was issued last month with the 650's pictured in Scotland. 

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Where in Scotland were the 650's pictured? I've had no reports of strange Nortons being spotted, maybe they had stealth fairings on whilst travelling and only morphed into Nortons at a standstill? Ain't technology fantastic these days! If you'd told me this a few years ago I would have thought you were making it up. 

We have a meeting this Thursday, can the pilots of these bikes bring them along for us to marvel at? (Be careful though, it's minus 5 degrees C at the moment )

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My 650 Norton is all set and ready for making Christmas deliveries. And the chances are those deliveries will be made without any need to deviate for repairs, upgrades or modifications. As can be seen in the photograph, the bike just need a suitably dressed mature pilot with lots of yo in his ho! ho!  Note that an escort for sky travel has been provided.

For those people interested in helping charities at this time of year. The Surrey Branch is once again helping out with the Golden Lion Charity based near Gatwick Airport. See the attached info sheet if you can also help in some way.

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Actually I believe it was a German who disappeared when he realised what he was getting into, or maybe I'm misinformed? Anyhow I expect this post to disappear soon

They have already exhibited their Norton Atlas at the Chinese motorcycle show with Norton on the tank deliveries will be January.

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I believe not, otherwise there would have been the usual big twitter / instagram / press announcement. Not only that, how would it have impacted Firodia and his tie in. 

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according to accessnorton discussion, it is an Asian business man, and a photo was shown.

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On the grounds of common decency and reverence for Norton I deleted the very funny post I originally typed. 

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"Indecent and irreverent"  is usually why you're such good company Gino. What is indeed going on ? :-)

 

In reply to by jan_nelder

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Catch up, Firodia from Kinetic PVT, was involved over a year ago, that is why if any recent backer really existed it would have to also suit Firodia

As for what is happening, for someone who liked Twitter, Facebook, and the Indian press, then you can always ask Stuart Garner, he once seemed to like social media. 

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He bats back these winding up orders faster than Andy Murray returning serves at Wimbledon! I think he missed his vocation in life.

More will be revealed shortly in this endless can of worms 

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And it is adjourned apparently according to the press, by request of HMRC and approved by the judge - Not Norton Motorcyles UK Ltd. A WUP is massively serious, just look what the judge can apply, even if the company proves it is financially sound in court.

HMRC's issue is not the winding up of the company, they just want the money owed to the government to be paid, the judge will still need convincing at the next hearing even if the tax has been settled.  

So not quite batted back. As for sailing too close to the wind, looks he has found out and bumped into the tax man - not good. 

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Must be massively double serious. 

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I don't know nothing about tennis, Winbolden  or that Murray bloke, that's all for softies. And who the hell is Lesta Pigshit or Len Plod. Can you give me a meaphore that relates to Moto GP or WSB so that I can join in the fun. 

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MotoGP star Dani Pedrosa on Spain’s top tax debtor list  

This is not quite the same but it will give you an idea of the story.

The daily Telegraph had a story about Simon Garner(Norton Motorcycles) owing money to Mr taxman and maybe coming close to getting the company wound up change  D.P. for S.G and you get the gist .

P.S. A jockey and a much missed comedian .     Hope this helps

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sadly it goes deeper than avoidance of tax, much deeper. There may though be a business opportunity in the future for an enterprising person keeping 961's going. A bit like Mick Broom with Hesketh 

Anyone with a v4 could take it to their local Aprillia dealer?

 

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Metaphor................A figure of speech which makes an implied comparison between things which are not literally alike.

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Now John McGuniness joins the queue.

https://www.visordown.com/news/racing/road-racing/john-mcguinness-calls-out-norton-ceo-garner-anybody-seen-him

With McGuinness understood to be chasing unpaid salary, it also raises questions about Peter Hickman’s involvement.

Peter Hickman is not signed up with Norton direct but through Smiths Racing, so his worry will be the machinery being available which could be replaced.

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The truth, when I visited the Norton factory in 2018, although they made many handmade pieces, others in aluminum alloys with CNC, I was surprised by some things (a small, very noisy air compressor that made it difficult to listen to the person who guided the visit ), very small facilities, few people working and do not observe modern technology. Maybe I had a wrong perception, I had some doubts about the competitiveness against the other brands. Norton is in my heart, I would like to see you in the TT 2020 and I would not like it to disappear again, this emblematic English brand, due to economic problems.

Gerardo

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We're sad to confirm that Norton Motorcycles UK Ltd has now been placed in administration and our thoughts are with all those who have worked so hard with Stuart Garner to revive the Norton marque during the past twelve years. The Norton Owners Club has had a sometimes 'bumpy' relationship with Stuart but we have always appreciated his determination to revive Norton as a high quality British brand.

Whatever the future now holds for the Norton name and the bikes, we will seek to support our Members interests and their future enjoyment of the bikes made in Donington since 2008.

We have placed a News item detailing all the information presently available and will update this as best we can during the coming weeks and months.

Peter

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Norton Prams demise told anyone what to expect. SG deserves no sympathy, the employees, customers and pensioners do.

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The administrators have one hell of a job recovering and selling a motorcycle manufacturer in a struggling market. Maybe Metro Bank will get their money after all, they hold the trump card.

 

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I have no idea if SG was a fraudster or simply made mistakes, or fell foul of a grotesque tax system that seems to be designed to destroy all except global corporations. I vaguely assumed SG had money from other sources...like Triumph motorcycles. When T restarted they did NOT start with 'retro' bikes, but with bikes to satisfy today's market.  It was only later when they moved into the retro bike niche. I wonder what their best seller is? I suspect it isn't the Bonnie. Or at any rate the Bonnie is not the bulk of their market. And there's no reason why it should be. I suspect that most people who want an old bike go ahead and buy an old bike.

Sad day for Norton. Again. Now, of course, the name will be up for grabs. I predict the next model will be a Chinese Manx. But if I could predict the future  I would invest in lottery tickets.

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I see that there is a hearing coming up with the pensions ombud and 30 complainants on 13 Feb in relation to the pension fund and SG.

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I feel very sad that the present company has gone into administration and I am sure that those Norton enthusiasts who have shown faith by placing deposits on machines will have much to consider now that the news about the situation has been highlighted.  It does raise one issue, that the company has yet again failed and the administrators will be looking for a new buyer or source of investment.  There are strong echoes of the Shelley takeover, AMC, NVT, the rotaries, Le Roux  etc.  

Norton is still a terrific brand and there now exists a superb opportunity for the right person who has vision and sufficient integrity to produce machines that have a history of proper research and development behind them and are suitable to be ridden with enthusiasm.  Let us all be positive and try to keep Norton Motorcycles in Leicestershire, producing fine, reliable and extremely desirable motorcycles; we should be looking forward, not back.    

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New for 2021- the new Norton Jubilee lightweight. Now a 125 with a Honda cg125 lookalike engine and made in China. 

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I know SG will get a lot of stick - but it's only buccaneering characters who dare try creating such a manufactured product in the UK this century.

It's shown yet again the impossible position of all  but the huge global firms in the motor industry.  Even giants like Fiat are forced to join up with their old competitors to keep in the game technologically.   Most of the 961 issues appear to be caused by engine management issues (including anti-pollution issues such as crank case breathing matters).  And it looks like the expertise to sort such things out resides only in the biggest firms with vast research budgets.

If the 961 had used twin Amals, maybe the firm would still be going!

And as business model - aiming only at the retro (read: 'vintage') bike market was surely doomed to fail.  Most (not all - but most) who want a vintage bike go ahead and buy a vintage bike.  There are plenty around at less than half the price of a 961.  A small number of people could buy an old Inter for much the same money as a 961, and have less depreciation (and incidentally might still have crank case breathing issues...).

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As one owner woke this morning to find this news, concerned as his bike was at Donnington being serviced, not any more - it has gone.  

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Ashley:

What do you mean in regard to your bike:    "It has gone"???

Gone where?  To the Revenue agents?   Hidden away somewhere?

Mike

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Not my bike but a concerned owner, it was on the move near London according to the tracker. 

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I believe it was fitted with GPS and Thatcham approved RF tracker, it which case it should have been intercepted. 

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Having worked for 3 businesses that went bust, and  been a business director and sole trader (owner) of one that I closed down , I have some sympathy for S.G,  When faced with a total wipeout of your lifes savings and possibly Bankrupt you would consider all sorts of shady deals to stay afloat.  Business is now dog eat dog.

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Steve Sergent, Chief Product Officer, Triumph Motorcycle Ltd

If Triumph had continued to build bikes purely in the UK, what would it look like today?

“For me, the interesting thing about this debate is that every single vehicle manufacturer is buying components from all over the world, and always has, and always will. If any motorcycle manufacturer said ‘I’m going to source 100% from my home country, and I’m going to manufacture 100% in my home country’ they’d never compete.

“The difference between what Triumph is doing [in Thailand], and maybe what some of its competitors are doing is that instead of saying ‘Right, we’ll buy our crankcases or engines from someone in China,’ what we’ve decided to do is acknowledge that we need to have a lower cost manufacturing process, but we’re doing it with our own people, and we’re keeping control of the quality. In addition to that, everything that we learn from manufacturing those components is fed back into the design of the motorcycles.

“We’re not doing anything significantly differently from anyone else, but we want to be in control of it.

“The differentiating part of a motorcycle business is as much as anything in the engineering. If you’re control of the engineering and the design side of things, and you’re working with someone you trust in terms of producing the quality, then why not?”

 

 


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