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Norton Motorcycles

Dec 06
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Norton Motorcycles unveils new Café Racer bike

By General Posts

from https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/ by Enda Mullen

The V4CR, a derivative of the company’s V4SV superbike, will go on show at Motorcycle Live

Legendary manufacturer Norton Motorcycles has revealed a prototype of a new motorcycle. The V4CR, is a Café Racer derivative of the company’s V4SV superbike.

It is the first prototype to be designed, engineered and built at the company’s recently opened global headquarters in Solihull.

It shares the same engineering DNA as the superbike, including its 185bhp 1200cc V4 engine as well as some engineering advancements.

Norton said the new V4CR’s stripped-back appearance showcases the craftsmanship and quality behind one of the most powerful British café racers out there.

Fitted with a carbon fibre fuel tank and body panels, polished billet aluminium swingarm and frame, the V4CR also features compact framework and a shorter rear frame for an aggressive and commanding stance.

Norton Motorcycles’ CEO Dr Robert Hentschel said: “The prototype VC4R is the next step in Norton’s strategic growth plan on its journey to becoming the world-leader in luxury hand-crafted motorcycles.”

The V4CR prototype is Norton’s latest project to use the marque’s refined V4 platform, revised over the last 16 months by a team of 30 engineers and subject to tens of thousands of road and track miles, as part of Norton’s development process.

The V4CR reintroduces fans to Norton’s iconic café racer heritage.

Norton’s V4CR prototype will make its public debut at Motorcycle Live, taking place at the NEC in Solihull from December 4-12.

Norton formally opened its Solihull headquarters in November this year.

The motorcycle maker has a long and illustrious history, though fell on hard times before being revived.

It became one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands, manufacturing famous models such as the 650SS, Atlas, Commando, Dominator, Manx, Navigator and many more.

It gained a reputation as an innovator in motorcycle technology, with features combining lightness and strength in motorcycle racing.

Norton Motorcycles has a rich history in motorsport and the brand name is synonymous with the famous Isle of Man TT.

The new headquarters in Solar Park, Shirley, is home to design, engineering, purchasing, sales, marketing, and support teams – as well as the skilled production team that is resuming the manufacture of motorcycles.

Norton Motorcycles’ revival and relocation from Castle Donington comes after it was acquired by TVS Motor Company, India’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer in April 2020.

Nov 28
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BSA Motorcycles Global Debut Date Announced

By General Posts

from https://www.rushlane.com by Satya Singh

BSA motorcycles will first be launched in the UK for a reason – as the brand has sizeable fan following in the country

Looking to replicate the level of success achieved with Jawa motorcycles in India, Mahindra-owned Classic Legends will soon introduce BSA brand in UK. The formal unveil event is scheduled to take place at the Motorcycle Live Show in Birmingham, UK.

Classic Legends will be revisiting BSA’s origins to establish a better connect with the brand’s glorious past and its ambitious resurrection in 21st century. It will be interesting to see how enthusiasts in UK, Europe and other global markets respond to the return of the legendary motorcycle brand.

BSA motorcycle details
BSA has plans to manufacture both petrol-powered and electric motorcycles. The first BSA motorcycle could be petrol-powered, equipped with a 650cc motor. Among the rivals will be Royal Enfield 650 twins that have emerged as popular options in several global markets.

BSA motorcycles will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Midlands. The company will also setup a technical and design centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

BSA electric range could be introduced next year. Classic Legends has received a grant of £4.6 million (~ INR 46 crore) from UK government for setting up an R&D centre. This facility will focus exclusively on developing electric motorcycles. It’s imperative for BSA to focus on electric segment, as many European countries are aggressively targeting a complete shift to electric ecosystem.

Speculations
To ensure it retains its old-world charm, BSA motorcycle will focus on retro styling. It is expected to have features like round headlamp, tear-drop shaped fuel tank, flat and wide handlebar and broad front and rear fenders. Some variants could be equipped with spoke wheels for enhanced retro experience. L

Liberal use of chrome can be expected on parts like headlamp, fuel tank, exhaust pipe and engine casing. To target enthusiasts with contemporary tastes, specific variants could be introduced in blacked-out theme.

Neo-retro styling used in combination with blacked-out theme almost always results in a gorgeous looking bike. Jawa Perak is a good example, which fascinates a broad spectrum of motorcycle enthusiasts with varying tastes and preferences.

It is unlikely that BSA motorcycles will be introduced in India soon. A key reason is that the brand has better chance of success in UK, where the motorcycles were produced and gained popularity. Second reason pertains to legal aspects, wherein BSA Cycles is already functional in Indian market. This may present trademark issues if Classic Legends decides to launch BSA motorcycles in India.

For Indian market, Classic Legends will continue to focus on Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles. The range will be expanded to enable improved competencies against primary rival Royal Enfield. Upcoming bikes include a new Jawa cruiser, Yezdi Roadking scrambler and Yezdi Roadking ADV.

Nov 15
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Norton Motorcycles opens new Global Headquarters

By General Posts

TVS-owned Norton Motorcycles opens new Global Headquarters: 8,000 bikes to roll out every year
from https://www.financialexpress.com by Pradeep Shah

The new headquarters is creating over a hundred new high-skilled jobs and more in the coming years and will be able to build around 8,000 motorcycles a year.

Norton Motorcycles has announced the completion of its new global headquarters that includes state-of-the-art manufacturing capability and the company’s new global design and R&D hub as well. The new HQ is a display of significant commitment by TVS Motor Company in its partnership with Norton Motorcycles. Within just 18 months of acquiring the iconic British marque, TVS has overseen the creation of its world-class facility in Solihull, West Midlands, UK.

The new Norton leadership, together with TVS Motor Company, has conducted a wide-ranging review of Norton Motorcycles operations, resulting in new appointments and processes and these have been specifically in engineering, design, and manufacturing areas in order to ensure the highest quality standards, the company stated.

Moreover, the new headquarters is creating over a hundred new high-skilled jobs and more in the coming years and will be able to build around 8,000 motorcycles a year.

As part of the new manufacturing process, every single component of every new Norton bike will be evaluated in a new quality-testing laboratory to ensure the highest build quality. Moreover, the company says that within the laboratory are inspection rooms, testing areas including destruction testing, and a rolling road while a customer reception and showroom, service workshop, and office are also housed at the new HQ.

The Norton manufacturing facility has also been engineered to be highly sustainable and to minimize waste. The brand says that the build used numerous sustainable and rapid build techniques on the project, the components of which are almost 50% reconfigurable as a proportion of total construction cost – in order to increase special flexibility. The new facility is supported by the West Midlands Growth partnership, the UK Government, and is a great example of Anglo-Indian cooperation.

Jun 30
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Norton to back 201 bhp electric racing motorcycle built by university students

By General Posts

by https://www.financialexpress.com

The acceleration and speed characteristics of the Norton-backed electric motorcycle roughly translate into a combustion-engine equivalent of around 900cc to 1,000cc.

Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd is supporting students at the University of Warwick in building an electric racing motorcycle capable of the TT circuit. The student team which is researching the future of electric racing motorcycles is aided by the donation of a sports bike frame by Norton Motorcycles. The unit has been fitted with an electric powertrain, with batteries and control systems designed in-house.

The group of 13 students at WMG, University of Warwick – made up of a cross-functional team from first- to final-year degree students, with the support of some EngD students – are joined by a selection of leading academics, engineers and researchers representing WMG, at the University.

On-campus research has been reinforced with input, support, mentoring and technical guidance from Norton’s own designers and engineers, further to the supply of the frame.

The research team has developed an electric motorcycle powertrain, using a high-performance sports frame as a platform. The motorcycle developed using this frame has been called the Frontier. The electric powertrain designed to work in the Norton frame is rated with a power output of 201 bhp and delivering 400 Nm of torque from a standing start.

The acceleration and speed characteristics of the electric bike in motion roughly translate into a combustion-engine equivalent of around 900cc to 1,000cc.

The electric motor draws power from an immersion-cooled battery pack that has been designed and tested by the students and is the first of its kind for application in an electric motorcycle. The battery with a capacity of 16 kWh is designed to last longer with the application of robust thermal management strategies, while also allowing for larger short-term power peaks required by a racing motorcycle.

The battery can be recharged with the common CHAdeMO connector, facilitating fast charging and allowing for a full charge of the battery in around an hour (up to 80% from empty in just 32 minutes).

Students have been able to craft a functioning electric motorcycle based on the Norton frame in just seven months. The project began in October 2020 with the donation of the frame and associated parts, with students working hard to realise their goal alongside studying for their degrees. The bike has undergone significant testing including much computer-based validation such as CFD of battery cooling, modelling around thermal management, along with physical testing of cells and modules.

Jun 30
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Former Jaguar Land Rover CEO to be Chairman of Norton motorcycles Parent Company TVS Motors

By General Posts

by Enda Mullen-COV from https://www.coventrytelegraph.net

Former Jaguar Land Rover chief to take up new role at reborn motorcycle maker
News of Sir Ralf Speth’s appointment follows Norton Motorcycles’ move to Solihull. In January Norton announced it is to move into the most advanced manufacturing facility in the brand’s 122-year history in Solihull.

Jaguar Land Rover’s former boss Sir Ralf Speth is to join the board of legendary motorbike maker Norton Motorcycles.

Sir Ralf, who stepped down as CEO of the Coventry car maker in September last year, is to become the chairman of Norton Motorcycles’ parent company, TVS Motor Company.

Sir Ralf will take up the role in January 2023.

CEO at Jaguar Land Rover for 11 years, Sir Ralf is hailed with transforming the company during his time at the helm.

He was the recipient of a knighthood from the Queen in 2018 for his contributions to British industry, and also named as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2020 for his passion for science.

News of his appointment to Norton Motorcycles comes at a time as the company is being reborn under TVS Motor Company’s ownership.

The company is currently finalising work on construction of the new Highlands Road factory, which is expected to open by the end of this year.

John Russell, interim CEO of Norton Motorcycles, said: “We are truly delighted to welcome Sir Ralf to the TVS Motor Company family.

“We know that Sir Ralf is a tremendous leader and his accomplishments in the automotive industry speak volumes.

“This excellent appointment comes at a time when the Norton Motorcycles business is on a very positive trajectory but still with much work to do.

“We will soon be settled in our state-of-the-art new manufacturing base and the guidance of Sir Ralf will be important for us as a growing British business that has a strong legacy.”

by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com

Norton Parent Company TVS Motors Welcomes New Chairman In 2023

Norton Motorcycles and parent company TVS Motor Company announced that they’re pleased to welcome a new Chairman of TVS’ Board of Directors as of January, 2023. His name is Sir Ralf Speth, and he’ll bring decades of auto industry experience to his new appointment.

Speth has a strong engineering background, which helped him lead Jaguar Land Rover for 11 years as its CEO. Under his leadership, the company brought the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric performance SUV from an idea into a fully engineered and designed reality.

Prior to his work with Jaguar Land Rover, Sir Ralf spent time with Ford Motor Company’s Premier Automotive Group, as well as BMW, which is where he first began his career. He has also served on the Tata Motors Board, as well as the Supervisory Board of Tata Sons Limited.

Thanks to his outstanding leadership skills and service to science, Sir Ralf has been recognized in multiple ways. According to his Royal Society biography, he has so far been twice honored by the British Empire for his services. In 2015, Sir Ralf was appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire. Just four years later, in 2019, he was made an Additional Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He has also been a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2014, and is also a professor at the University of Warwick.

This appointment comes as Norton Motorcycles, which is wholly owned by TVS Motor Company, continues construction on its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Solihull. It is currently scheduled to open by the end of Q2 of 2021, and will form the central base from which all Norton Motorcycles operations occur.

“We are truly delighted to welcome Sir Ralf to the TVS Motor Company family,” said Norton Motorcycles interim CEO John Russell, in a statement.

“We know that Sir Ralf is a tremendous leader and his accomplishments in the automotive industry speak volumes. This excellent appointment comes at a time when the Norton Motorcycles business is on a very positive trajectory, but still with much work to do. We will soon be settled in our state-of-the-art new manufacturing base and the guidance of Sir Ralf will be important for us as a growing British business that has a strong legacy,” he concluded.