Norton Motorcycles goes into administration.

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Chippy_Tea

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I used to love Norton Motorcycles when i was at school and hoped one day to own one but ended up with several zap bikes due to price, looks like they moved with the times but they were expensive.


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The famous British motorbike company Norton Motorcycles has gone into administration.

The Leicestershire firm was reportedly struggling to pay a tax bill and faced a winding-up order.

Founded in 1898, Norton is one of the last remaining British motorcycle brands and best known for its involvement in motorsport.

The administration puts about 100 jobs at its Castle Donington factory in question.

Lee Causer, of administrators BDO, said: "We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that customers, staff and suppliers are supported through the administration process.

"Our job is to determine and execute the most appropriate strategy as swiftly as possible to protect creditors' interests, bearing in mind the need to minimise distress for all parties."

Founded in Birmingham, Norton began making motorbikes in 1902 and soon became associated with races such as the Isle of Man TT.

Among its most famous models are the Dominator and the Commando, while its Norton Interpol was used by UK police in the 1980s. Vintage models are now considered collectors' items.

Its bikes have also featured in hit films such as the James Bond movie Spectre and the Che Guevara memoir, The Motorcycle Diaries.

Read in full - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51303905
 
Spot on Myqul.

The Times - Amazon paid a total of £220 million in direct taxes in the UK last year despite its total revenues from doing business in the country amounting to £10.9 billion. aheadbutt
 
I was reading about this earlier. Clearly, HMRC, finding the mega-corps like Amazon and Google too much to handle have an easier time of it going after smaller companies like Norton

Everyone should be paying their taxes and I'm glad that the HMRC are pursuing companies that aren't. Unfortunately the Amazons of this world seem to have the government over a barrel.
 
In my yoof, over 50 years ago had a Norton single, all I could afford, much as a I would have liked a twin.
Fast forward to now and I still ride and take an interest in bikes
However even I didn't know that the Norton name had been resurrected. And looking through their range today Ill bet their bikes aren't cheap, so they are very much catering for a small niche market (who exactly?). But biking isn't cheap at the best of times typically I pay about £90 road tax for a 700cc Yamaha twin, more than many pay for a car. And for the young rider insurance can be really expensive, especially if you are riding something that's a bit unusual. Plus the bikes that will compete with new Nortons will be modern, not based on old push rod engines. Even Triumph manage to keep up with the times, and now Indian owned Royal Enfield have recently marketed two new modern bikes in addition to flogging their old but very cheap bikes. And there's also a number of other manufactures out there as well each with a many modern bikes in a good range.
So sad though it may be I'm not surprised, Just like I wasn't surprised when all the old British bike names like BSA, AJS and Norton themselves went to the wall at the beginning of the 1970s because they hadn't got the market right in the face of increasing car ownership and much better bikes coming out of Japan.
 
I saw this yesterday, I always loved the Norton Commando from the mid 70's. A guy had an 850 on my paper round with peashooter exhausts and he used to kick it up and then go back into his house to get his bag and his skid lid. I always timed it so I could amble slowly past it while it vibrated and growled, I always thought it looked like it was alive as it stood shaking on its huge side stand. When the guy rode off on it he must have woken everyone in the street up as it would only be about half six in the morning. The new bikes look fantastic, retaining the retro look with modern day tech,it's a shame if it can't be saved or bought out. Triumph make fantastic motorbikes on par with the best Japanese bikes so it shows it can be done by aUK company.
 
The headline should really read 'Norton goes t*ts up AGAIN'. This is the third incarnation of the brand; You had the original one that went under in the 70's due to not keeping up with the Jap competition. Then is was reincarnated as a manufacturer of rotary engined bikes in the '80s when Terry Nation seemed to win everything on one, lol, that went **** up because it was badly managed, and this was a third incarnation that I know little about. Some brands just seem to be unlucky!
 
I feel sad for the employees they were skilled folk
They are going to find Universal Credit a real hoot.!!!!!!

Best that can be said is at least they got over Christmass.
 
Just checked dvla the last bike I had a Honda CX500Z is on sorn, I bought it when it was 25 years old had it 12 years did 70,000 miles on it, when I got it I did the triple bypass new cam chain guides, mech seal, and stator, also put an ignitec electronic ignition on it, I don't ride anymore but I miss that little V Twin, I was on a rally in somerset in 2006 and a guy offered me ago on his cx650 turbo 83 bike, 100bhp 141mph even the 500t was 84 bhp and well over a ton, its hard getting pistons now as the heads are twisted in 22degrees loads will fit but the valve cutaways are out of flunter hence the name twisted twin, she will be 41 in may
 
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The demise of Norton is yet another UK company that will be sorely missed.

The photograph is of Derek, a cousin of my Mum and the man who got me hooked on motorbikes when I was about eight years old.

In 1951, he turned up at our house on his brand new Norton Dominator and (after much badgering from me) I was allowed to sit on the tank as he blasted (I suspect about 10mph tops) up and down the new tarmac road at the front of our house.

Is there any wonder that I rode a motorbike (illegally and legally) up until the arthritis kicked in when I was 66?

BTW, Derek's is currently 91 years old, still rides his pushbike (not the one in the photograph!) and when he was 85 he rode from Stockport to Leeds to see "Le Grand Depart" of the Tour de France before cycling back to Stockport!

Derek on Penny-Farthing.jpg


Ah well, it looks like Norton will become yet another "distant memory"!
 
@Chippy_Tea I see the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald also gone into admin. Surely you can use your influence to help them out.
 
@Chippy_Tea I see the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald also gone into admin. Surely you can use your influence to help them out.

I live in a LA12 post code (originally Lancashire) before Thatcher the milk snatcher moved us into Cumbria aheadbutt i have never seen the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald.

I think the comment below sums up why its struggling.
PhilIp G 6 hrs ago
They obviously didn't post enough climate change, vegan and religious letters generating lots of comments and associated advertising views. ;)
 
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