Iconic British motorcycle Norton Motorcycles may now be part of India's third largest two-wheeler manufacturer, TVS Motor Company, but there is no plan as yet to introduce a more affordable Norton motorcycle, for markets like India and South East Asia. TVS acquired Norton Motorcycles, which went into administration in January this year, on April 17, 2020 for GBP 16 million (around Rs. 153 crore). TVS currently makes commuter motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, targeted at the mass market segment, and the flagship motorcycle is based on the common platform developed with BMW Motorrad, the TVS Apache RR 310.
Also Read: Norton Bikes Will Not Be Manufactured In India
The Norton Atlas Nomad and the Norton Atlas Ranger share the same 650 cc parallel-twin engine
Comparatively, Norton Motorcycles has two parallel-twin engine platforms, as well as a V4 engine platform, and under the acquisition, TVS now owns all intellectual property and other rights. One of those parallel-twin engines may be a 650 cc twin, but there seems to be no hurry to get into large volumes with a smaller, and more affordable Norton motorcycle, at least for now. In an interaction with carandbike, TVS Motor Company Joint Managing Director Sudarshan Venu was candid in his remarks that Norton will continue to remain a premium brand, and ruled out any plans for a smaller displacement motorcycle.
Also Read: TVS Motor Company Acquires Britain's Norton Motorcycles
The Norton Superlight SS is a sportbike developed out of the V4 engine platform
"Norton is a brand which delights this unique segment of customers around the world, with these very high-end and powerful engines. So, the idea is to build on that legacy and those products, and focus on them for now.
"The iconic brands like the Dominator, Commando and the V4, we have all the rights, and the IP we need to produce these, and we can get off the ground very quickly. All the engine rights that we need, remain with us, including the Atlas. Some versions of these engines do not meet the new emission regulations, so I'm not concerned about those. But whatever has the ability to go forward into Euro 5 and BS6 is with us, and with these we will be able to produce all the brands currently available and under development. Some of these rights have been sold away, but that does not concern the existing portfolio, or in-development portfolio that we have all taken over now," said Sudarshan.
The focus now will be on reviving well-known and popular names like the Norton Dominator and make them global products
For now, the focus of the new owners of Norton Motorcycles will be to improve the existing models, iconic brands in themselves, like the Norton Commando, and the Norton Dominator, take them into the future and also capitalize on emerging models like the Atlas and the V4. While all this is being done, the support from TVS will be to encourage new premium products, but also leverage TVS Motor Company's global supply chain and distributorship to expand further and increase the customer base. For now, the message is clear - Norton will continue to remain a premium brand.
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