TestPilot Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 The latest Cycle World has a short note about new Norton motorcycles. Seems a British industrialist bought up the lot from Kenny Dreer after his attempt to resurrect the brand here in the US failed a few years ago. I actually had a deposit down on one of Kenny's bikes, but got my money back when Kenny's financing fell through. Now it seems that new bikes are a reality, at least in the UK. The Cycle World note said that Matt Capri (formerly of Luftmeister) is now the exclusive US Norton distributor through South Bay Norton. For info on the bikes you can see the UK web site (here) or the South Bay site (here). Link to comment
Sailorlite Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 It's hard not to notice the clutch and brake fluid reservoirs on their Commando 961 SE. I wonder why Brembo or someone doesn't design and engineer a new set of decent looking reservoirs and sell them to the manufacturers who can't seem to do it themselves. Link to comment
chrisd Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 What a beautiful bike. But, $19,500+ and you're required to pony up $3,000 (non-refundable)to ensure allocation and build position. Can a company succeed that way? Link to comment
lvnvbiker Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 BMWs are 20k and require a deposit to pre-order... As are a few other brands. If you build it they will come, and Norton is a marque that makes some of us weak in the knees just thinking about a 750 in a featherbed frame flying across the cobbled streets of Mannin. Link to comment
Huzband Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Cobbled streets my a$$. How about swingin' through the sweepers of the Cherohala Skyway? Link to comment
johnlt Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Cobbled streets my a$$. How about swingin' through the sweepers of the Cherohala Skyway? I guess the young just can't appreciate true art!! Link to comment
Huzband Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Cobbled streets my a$$. How about swingin' through the sweepers of the Cherohala Skyway? I guess the young just can't appreciate true art!! Who you callin' young? The second Brit bike I rode (after a 500 Tiger) was an 850 Commando. I not only appreciate the art, but more so what they're capable of. Link to comment
lvnvbiker Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 My pops had both a 750 and 850 Commando, along with a Matchless G60, and a few sundry Triumphs T120, Bonnie and Trident. Not counting the BSA Goldstar "dirtbikes" and the Scramblers that I learned to ride on. I suffered the "prince of darknesses" wonderfull engineering from an early age, and grew up thinking that a 51 "panhead" was a dependable machine. Given the resources and garage space I would have a few "originals" and one of each of the new breed on order to keep the 150 or so must have bikes in my dream stable company. I would die a happy man if I was allowed to take one lap of the Isle on a Commando in anger while sportin' a "pudding bowl" and a Belstaff. Link to comment
johnlt Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Danny, I was fortunate to "borrow" a completely restored 850 Comando for a 200 mile ride through the Blue Ridge mountains at an antique motorcycle rally two years ago. Here's a pic: Link to comment
soboy Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I started riding in the early 1970's and two of my friends had Norton Commandos. One had a 750, the other an 850. Both were serious eye candy. And both were incredibly fragile. I had some crazy rides on those two bikes, I remember them being very fast and agile: you could make your way through traffic like a hot knife through butter on those Commandos. My best Norton story was in 1978 - and a road trip from Atlanta to New Orleans to see the Rolling Stones. We took my buddy's Rabbit, but my friend Bobby did not want to cage it and insisted on riding his Commando 850. He broke down at 4:00 am in Mississippi and hitched a ride with a trucker to the Big Easy. He spent the entire vacation getting the Norton running again. Fun times. Link to comment
Sailorlite Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 In the mid-70's I had a rare Commando 750 model called "Production Racer", a Dunstall-looking piece with a yellow plastic fairing and seat/number plate. The shifter was on the right side, and because of the rear set pegs you lifted up to shift down and v.v. At the same time I had an R75/5 and one of those Kawa. triples - both with "normal" left side shifters. Well, I just couldn't get comfortable riding the right-shift Norton so I sold it. That makes three bikes in this one post that I wish I still had. Link to comment
Boffin Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 It's hard not to notice the clutch and brake fluid reservoirs on their Commando 961 SE. I wonder why Brembo or someone doesn't design and engineer a new set of decent looking reservoirs and sell them to the manufacturers who can't seem to do it themselves. Bike manufacturers do not design fluid resevoirs - they buy them in from the folk at Brembo or Teves etc. To get a bespoke design you need to be able to demonstrate a significant market or pay for the design upfront yourself. Andy Link to comment
Boffin Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 In the mid-70's I had a rare Commando 750 model called "Production Racer", a Dunstall-looking piece with a yellow plastic fairing and seat/number plate. The shifter was on the right side, and because of the rear set pegs you lifted up to shift down and v.v. At the same time I had an R75/5 and one of those Kawa. triples - both with "normal" left side shifters. Well, I just couldn't get comfortable riding the right-shift Norton so I sold it. That makes three bikes in this one post that I wish I still had. Right-side shifter with an up-for-down pattern was standard for British bikes - it is what I cut my teeth on. Andy Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Danny, I was fortunate to "borrow" a completely restored 850 Comando for a 200 mile ride through the Blue Ridge mountains at an antique motorcycle rally two years ago. Here's a pic: tHAT...iS pRICELESS.! Awesome of you to share that, John.! Link to comment
TestPilot Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share Posted November 25, 2009 I talked to Matt Capri at South Bay late yesterday. He said he currently has deposits for 17 bikes. All the bikes coming in are the SE (Special Edition) models with the fully adjustable Ohlins suspension front and rear and the carbon fiber wheels ($$$). The first production run for Europe is sold out, but Matt convinced the new owner that the US market should be part of his business strategy. When I ordered my Norton from Kenny Dreer in 2003, the deposit was $2000 (10% of the final price). Those bikes were carburated and had alloy wheels, so the current price is certainly in line with Kenny's version. All deposits went into an escrow account, and a signed escrow agreement was part of the order paperwork. If I order one from Matt I will certainly insist on a similar arrangement. Link to comment
tobyzusa Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Danny, I was fortunate to "borrow" a completely restored 850 Comando for a 200 mile ride through the Blue Ridge mountains at an antique motorcycle rally two years ago. Here's a pic: The bike sure looks good . Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 The bike sure looks good . +1. Now that is a "proper" motorcycle! My only Commando experience was vicarious. The kid next door had an 850 Commando when I was in high school, and I used to drool over it regularly. He let another friend ride it and the guy wrecked it. Link to comment
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