Real Classic January 2023

Time was, Gentle Reader, that I would pride myself and bore my friends with my noted status as a year-round rider. Heroic, me, as I'm (almost) certain you'll agree. You might also prefer the adjective ‘foolish’, but that's less flattering. In any case, it's easy to be a year-round rider when you lack alternative wheels - when the Better Third is using the car, for example. I would shake, rattle and roll my way off a couple of dozen miles to meet increasingly amused pals for lunches. Something the shaking (mine, not the bike's) would be over by the time the hot food arrived … but not always. Lots of coffee, washed down with that impossibly inevitable wave of elation - the rattling may have been my teeth clattering together, but…

Britain's most historic sporting brand, Norton Motorcycles, is in the process of being reinvented by the management team recruited by its owners TVS, the Indian manufacturer which acquired the bankrupt company in April 2020 from the ashes of former CEO Stuart Garner's 12-year ownership of Norton. The £16m price which TVS paid the liquidator included the manufacturing package - such as it was - for the marque's iconic Commando model. In its 961cc guise this formed the basis of Norton production throughout the Garner years, from its March 2010 debut onwards. Production was however sporadic over the next decade owing to a lack of capital, and it's believed that only around 2500 Commandos, including the short-run Domiracer, Dominator and California versions, were built during Garner's tenure of the company. Having invested…

Time was, Gentle Reader, that I would pride myself and bore my friends with my noted status as a year-round rider. Heroic, me, as I'm (almost) certain you'll agree. You might also prefer the adjective ‘foolish’, but that's less flattering. In any case, it's easy to be a year-round rider when you lack alternative wheels - when the Better Third is using the car, for example. I would shake, rattle and roll my way off a couple of dozen miles to meet increasingly amused pals for lunches. Something the shaking (mine, not the bike's) would be over by the time the hot food arrived … but not always. Lots of coffee, washed down with that impossibly inevitable wave of elation - the rattling may have been my teeth clattering together,…

In June 2022 Christian Gladwell, 48, was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of Norton Motorcycles, charged with 'building upon the brand's heritage, delivering unique and inspiring customer experiences, and leading the Norton brand into the future'. The chance to quiz him about his plans for Norton's future path revealed some startling choices for the historic brand's direction. AC: Christian, what's your exact role today at Norton Motorcycles? CG: I'm Chief Commercial Officer, which means I look after all the customer facing operations, so sales, after sales, servicing, warranty - the community aspect of Norton. But I'm also custodian of the brand, which means I have quite a large remit in design as it affects the customer experience, which sees me cross over a lot with the internal motorcycle design team. AC: So it sounds…

RealClassic NORTON COMMANDO 961 Britain's most historic sporting brand, Norton Motorcycles, is in the process of being reinvented by the management team recruited by its owners TVS, the Indian manufacturer which acquired the bankrupt company in April 2020 from the ashes of former CEO Stuart Garner's 12-year ownership of Norton. The £16m price which TVS paid the liquidator included the manufacturing package - such as it was - for the marque's iconic Commando model. In its 961cc guise this formed the basis of Norton production throughout the Garner years, from its March 2010 debut onwards. Production was however sporadic over the next decade owing to a lack of capital, and it's believed that only around 2500 Commandos, including the short-run Domiracer, Dominator and California versions, were built during Garner's tenure of…

DAVID MINTON We're very sad to inform you that Dave Minton, writer and rider extraordinaire and good friend to many of us, passed away in November 2022. We'll miss him. Rowena and Frank GLOVELY STUFF Just returned from a three-hour ride on my BSA A10, wearing my newly acquired Alpinestars heated gloves with life remaining in their batteries. These were purchased from my local garage, Streffords of Worcester. This time of year, I am normally putting my bikes into hibernation until next spring, due to my inability to safely operate controls with cold hands. Heated grips have been tried with their associated wiring to the battery. On a 12V dynamo-powered system this can result in a choice between daytime running lights or warm fingers, but not both! The benefit of these heated gloves if that…