Classic Bike June 2020

Back in the monochrome days of my biking youth, there was a bunch of us in the village with old British iron – teenagers inspired to explore beyond local boundaries by riding motorcycles. It was a (relatively) cheap and easy way into personal transport, felt a bit rebellious, and was way too much fun. We’d ride all year, but there always seemed to be an annual winter trip to London – though not on bikes. We’d fill a minibus, go en masse to one of the annual bike shows, check out the new stuff but, more important, buy loads of tat we needed to bring our bikes back to fine fettle. We also used to hit the smoke by minibus when Coles needed Velo parts. Coles had a Venom and despite being…

Welcome ORANGE GLOW AND PURPLE HAZE Back in the monochrome days of my biking youth, there was a bunch of us in the village with old British iron – teenagers inspired to explore beyond local boundaries by riding motorcycles. It was a (relatively) cheap and easy way into personal transport, felt a bit rebellious, and was way too much fun. We’d ride all year, but there always seemed to be an annual winter trip to London – though not on bikes. We’d fill a minibus, go en masse to one of the annual bike shows, check out the new stuff but, more important, buy loads of tat we needed to bring our bikes back to fine fettle. We also used to hit the smoke by minibus when Coles needed Velo…

NEWS WAY WE WERE EVENTS LETTERS Norton finds stability British icon is saved from extinction by Indian-based TVS with promises to look after existing customers and restore the brand to its original glory WORDS: JOHN WESTLAKE PHOTOGRAPHY: NORTON & BAUER ARCHIVE After decades of uncertainty and turmoil, Norton has some stability at last. The company, which collapsed into administration in January, has been bought by India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, TVS, for £16m. Although it always rankles when British brands are swallowed by overseas giants, this particular purchase looks like an excellent deal for Norton staff and customers – TVS say they will keep design and production in the UK, no jobs will be lost, and they have allocated cash to make sure people who paid deposits get their bikes…

After decades of uncertainty and turmoil, Norton has some stability at last. The company, which collapsed into administration in January, has been bought by India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, TVS, for £16m. Although it always rankles when British brands are swallowed by overseas giants, this particular purchase looks like an excellent deal for Norton staff and customers – TVS say they will keep design and production in the UK, no jobs will be lost, and they have allocated cash to make sure people who paid deposits get their bikes or a refund. “There have been some concerns about those who have paid deposits,” said TVS boss Sudarshan Venu. “Our intention is to get bikes to them as soon as possible. We will announce a plan once we have all the customer details.” TVS…

KEEPING THE CLASSICS ALIVE Norton now has a new owner, but these three outfits have been keeping the Norton name alive on the classic front for years. Norvil Based in Burntwood, Staffordshire, Norvil is the UK’s one-stop Norton shop. Founded by Les Emery and wife Sue in 1980, Norvil hold more than 7000 parts in stock and around 10,000 separate part numbers are listed on their trade inventory. There’s not much they can’t supply for Norton twins – and many singles. They also take on restos and even brand new Commando builds – but there’s a queue... norvilmotorcycle.co.uk Andover Norton This company was set up by Dennis Poore following the collapse of NVT in 1977, in order to maintain the supply of genuine parts for Norton machines. Andover Norton produce…

Norton now has a new owner, but these three outfits have been keeping the Norton name alive on the classic front for years. Norvil Based in Burntwood, Staffordshire, Norvil is the UK’s one-stop Norton shop. Founded by Les Emery and wife Sue in 1980, Norvil hold more than 7000 parts in stock and around 10,000 separate part numbers are listed on their trade inventory. There’s not much they can’t supply for Norton twins – and many singles. They also take on restos and even brand new Commando builds – but there’s a queue... norvilmotorcycle.co.uk Andover Norton This company was set up by Dennis Poore following the collapse of NVT in 1977, in order to maintain the supply of genuine parts for Norton machines. Andover Norton produce a staggering range of parts made using the…