Handmadein britain, Rebirth of a Legend

President Kennedy once said, “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” Some things things that evoke a real passion in humankind transcend the usual rules. Seemingly condemned to the history books in the 1970s alongside many other British manufacturers, Norton Motorcycles have reappeared under various guises over the decades, refusing to be kept down. Now, reacquired by British businessman Stuart Garner, Norton are finally back on the straight and narrow. James Ball headed to the beautiful country estate, Donington Hall, to find out more.

My grandfather worked as a machinist at Swindon railway works and had a 1953 Norton Dominator. I didn’t know much about motorbikes, but that Norton has always stuck in my mind. There’s something heavy, mechanical and just plain British about the bike and it would seem I’m not alone in those sentiments. Those old Nortons are a coveted breed, fetching high prices and reflecting a golden age of British motorcycle building.

Norton’s beginnings date back 113 years, to the dawn of British automotive manufacturing. For this series, we’re often looking for companies that reflect Morgan’s own history and identity, and here, more than most, there is a strong resemblance. Both companies started up within a decade of each other, both have a history in high performance machines and they both have an emphasis today on tradition and style.

Beginning in 1902, the first Norton was, as with all early motor vehicles, based on the bicycle. James L Norton produced Clement-Garrard motorcycles for the first half of 1902, then went on to design his own bike bearing the Norton name. The first Norton, called the Energette, used a small 142cc engine from Clement-Garrard. It was a simple machine, complete with pedals and a two-speed gearbox, but it was the start of what would become one of the most recognised bike brands in the world.

In 1907, Norton won the very first Isle of Man TT, across the following decades wins also came at Brooklands and many European races. This motorsport success continued and they became synonymous with high performance bikes. This association with racing performance helped sell the road bikes and the company continued to expand.

The first single-cylinder bike was produced in 1908 and by 1909 the bikes were in Harrods. Over the next 30 years, the Norton marque grew in popularity and by the mid-1930s they were producing over 4,000 bikes annually.

Models such as the Commando, Manx and Dominator are familiar names. At one stage, in the 1930s, a quarter of all British bikes were Nortons. Their fame and use spread far and wide. Wins in the TT came at the hands of Geoff Duke and Mike Hailwood in the 1950s and 1960s, with the bikes at that time chasing and overtaking the milestone of 100mph incredible speeds around the dangerous and twisty Isle of Man road race.

“AT ONE STAGE, IN THE 1930S, A QUARTER OF ALL BRITISH BIKES WERE NORTONS”

The bikes have become iconic in all sorts of guises, not only on the track. Although Nortons have never really been associated with adventure riding, a prerevolutionary Ché Guevara travelled across South America in 1952 on a 1939 Norton 500. The single cylinder, nicknamed La Poderosa, or ‘The Mighty One’ in English, was ridden along miles of Argentine and Chilean dirt tracks. Although the 13-year-old road bike eventually gave up, with months of riding on hard terrain including several heavy crashes it put on a very brave show.

Moving into the latter part of the 20th century, the company changed hands several times, with the rights being split between many different countries. In the 1990s, American Kenny Dreer owned Norton and started work on a new Commando design. Stuart Garner, a British businessman, acquired the rights in 2008 and assembled a team who began refining Dreer’s design building a new engine and bringing Norton back to its British roots.

Stuart bought the spectacular Donington Hall and its surrounding land and, in 2013, moved Norton in. The brand was officially back in Britain. The quintessentially English setting blends perfectly with Norton’s heritage.

When I arrived on the estate, a herd of deer ran through the grand trees of the surrounding grounds. It was so peaceful of course that was to change later. Where there are motorbikes, there’s noise.

Through the doors of the UK sales office you’re greeted by the new Commando. The naked engine and classic styling means that, at a glance, it looks like a classic bike. The iconic Norton logo on the silver tank, paired with curvaceous styling and a gleaming engine, makes it a wonderful thing to look at. It brings back that basic, mechanical functionality in a fresh and heart-stopping way. The most noticeable difference on the new bikes are the gold front forks and modern tyre sizes, but far from ruining the bike’s looks, they look like wisely chosen aftermarket upgrades you might find on a 1960s custom build.

Retro is in, but not everyone wants a genuine classic bike. Engine builder Martin Mitchell, known as ‘VR’, takes me on a production line tour and explains the ins and outs of the new bikes. “We took Kenny Dreer’s design and developed it into a more ‘British’ look. Kenny’s design was a bit Harley, a bit easy-rider, we wanted to return it to that British racer style.” It’s clear how important it is to keep the design close to that classic Norton image people have in their minds. If you compare one of the new Commandos to an original it’s not exactly the same, but it has the same flavour.

“THE QUALITY OF THE WELDING, EVEN ON THE COMPLICATED SHAPE OF A FUEL TANK, IS FANTASTICALLY ACCURATE”

The Commando comes in three different specifications, the SF, the Sport and the Café Racer. They all use the same 961cc parallel twin, Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes, but the engine is mapped differently to suit each bike. Other differences include handle bars, fly screens and any other visual alterations a customer might want.

As mentioned, this isn’t a straight recreation, it’s an all-new 961cc engine and it takes advantages of a few modern parts, as VR explains: “People want a classic-looking bike without the hassle of a classic bike.” This is a sentiment familiar with many Morgan owners, looking for old thrills with modern convenience. “As much as we all love cams,”VR continues, “we settled with the more reliable fuel injection. We’ve also incorporated electronic sensors to give accurate readings. Other than that, this is a very mechanical machine. We make most of the bike just how they used to. However, if things need updating and there are modern components that perform better it makes sense to use them.”

The new Norton engine is a 961cc parallel twin unit with electronic fuel injection, built by hand in-house. VR explains the reasoning behind building their own engines: “We try to keep most things in-house. We build the engines on site in the same room where we assemble the bikes.” Essentially the whole production line is in one room. Looking over at the engine assembly area, it’s amazing how simple the machinery is. “We don’t use any air tools. I was always taught that you have to feel how tight the nuts are. For production, we also use old mechanical machines rather than modern electronic devices.”

We left the assembly area and headed out into the woods; next to a pond is an unassuming metal building with a Norton sign. “This is where the welding happens,” VR explains. “We are re-locating these guys to the main building, but for now they’re out here. They actually had to build this hut themselves before they could start on the bikes!” Opening the door we’re greeted with the pungent smell of molten metal. In this cosy metal hut Norton frames, fuel tanks and other parts are all being expertly welded together. The quality of the welding, even on the complicated shape of a fuel tank, is fantastically accurate.

When it comes to bringing the bikes to the market, the demand has been huge. From the UK to the US and further afield, the new Nortons have been taking the world by storm. Global Sales Manager, Mark Pinfield, explains how much people seem to want these bikes: “We’ve had a great reaction worldwide. We’re selling to the usual markets in Europe, but also countries in the Far East are snapping at the chance to sell our bikes. We’ve got dealers out in Thailand and Japan now.” The appetite is certainly there for the new Nortons. Mark tells of one customer who put down a deposit in a rather unconventional way. “We had a Domiracer available from a cancelled order and there was a man who was particularly keen to get one. I told him it’s a £10,000 deposit and he turned up later with £10,000 in cash in a suitcase!” Probably better not to ask too many questions!

“THE DOMIRACER WOWED THE MOTORCYCLE WORLD WITH ITS BLEND OF CUTTING EDGE MODERNITY AND DASHES OF RETRO STYLE”

Alongside their more classicstyled machines, the Domiracer is a bike that has wowed the motorcycle world with its blend of cutting-edge modernity and dashes of retro style. Head of Design and Executive Director, Simon Skinner, designed the Domiracer and tells us his ideas behind the design: “Norton never made ‘retro’ bikes, nobody did, it’s a very new thing. We love the classic style of our Commando but we wanted to think about creating something new. The Domiracer is a combination of vintage café racer and modern sport bike.” Indeed, the Domiracer’s beefy tank, pointy carbon-fibre tail and aggressive stance makes it a very dramatic, but natural progression. “It was all about getting the balance right and I think we’ve done that. It’s been a great success and going forward we’ve launched the new Dominator model, based on the Domiracer.” The new Dominator is quite a departure from my grandfather’s 1953 bike, but to see the iconic Dominator reborn over 60 years later is incredible, and something many thought would never happen.

With their retro Commando and new Dominator you get the feeling Norton has pitched their comeback in the right manner. The style is there, the handmade machinery is there, and the demand is there. A classic British brand has been reborn, and it’s been done just right.

Upon leaving, Simon asks if I’d heard the new Norton fired up. We headed back into the assembly area and as he started the Senior TT bike, he quickly explained: “We turn the fire alarms off as we start these up occasionally!” Pulling on the throttle, fire blasted out of the exhaust and the sound was painfully fantastic. The noise no doubt startled any nearby deer as petrol fumes filled the air. “Well there you go!” Simon shouted as the fire alarm went off. “Whoops, we must have turned them back on!”