Tag Archives: Norton Atlas

Norton seeks crowd funding to meet orders

Norton Motorcycles is about to launch a crowd funding campaign to raise money to step up production as they struggle to fulfil a £30 million order book for V4 and Atlas models.

Crowd funding

The company is seeking £1 million ($1.89m) crowd funding through Crowdcube.

This is despite £4m in UK government funding last year and a £20m deal with Japan to deliver an extra 1000 motorcycles worth £5m to Japanese riders over the next five years.

Norton says the crowd-funding objective is to give global customers and bike enthusiasts a chance to become part of the heritage company, “profiting from its continued success”.

The offering page is not yet live, but you can register your interest in participating in the securities offering here. Shares start from £10 (about $A18.90).

Details of the securities offering, company valuation and current year financials will be made available when it goes live on Crowdcube.

Meanwhile, interest investors can review the most recent financials on Norton’s Companies House page .

Australian importer James Mutton of Brisbane Motorcycles told me he has no concerns about the financial viability of the company and is expecting delivery of Atlas and V4 models next year.

Norton Commando 961 Sport Mk II James Mutton crowd
James Mutton

Norton Global Sales & Marketing boss Kay Johnson says they are on track with production.

“We are currently making Atlas chassis and other components ready for production/deliveries next month,” he told us last month.

“First customers have been advised and we look forward to deliveries shortly.”

Turbulent year

Norton Motorcycles in Beak St, London levis crowd
Norton Dominator on show in London

The funding plea follows a turbulent year for the 121-year-old British motorcycle manufacturer.

Earlier this year, Norton said there was “no cause for alarm” when a British notice that Norton be struck off the Register of Companies and dissolved after a late-filing notice.

Over recent months customers have complained that the V4 and some other models have not been delivered, despite deposits and even full payment being made.

One customer who paid for a V4 even started up a petition to wind-up the company in the Business and Property Courts in Manchester.

However, Kay says this was a dispute over several months with DHL that was resolved and the action dismissed by “mutual consent”.

“At no point was it ever about a motorcycle, it’s solely over import and export duty on components,” he says.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Norton adds Superlight 650 racer

Just a week after Norton launched the 650cc Atlas Nomad cafe racer and Ranger scrambler, they have added the Superlight road-legal racer.

While the Nomad will sell for £9995 (about $A17,700, $US12,750) and the Ranger for £11,995 ($A21,250, $US15,300), the Norton Superlight will sell for about £19,950 ($A35,350, $US25,500).

That’s a lot for a 650cc bike, but we expect its main purpose is to compete in the Lightweight TT class in next year’s Isle of Man TT.

It will be raced by 23-time IoM TT winner John McGuinness who moved from Honda t Norton this year but didn’t race because of injury.

Why does it cost so much?

Superlight by name …Norton Superlight

Well, for a start, it is covered in carbon fibre from the wheels to the body work and single-sided swingarm.

Together with a polished aluminium tube frame instead of steel in the Atlas models, so it weighs just a dashing 158kg.

That’s 20kg less than the Atlas and if you add the optional titanium exhaust system it drops another 6kg.

Suspension is top-shelf Ohlins with NIX 30 forks and TTX GP monoshock.

Norton TTX-GP 7
Ohlins TTX-GP shock

Brakes are big Brembo 330mm discs on the front with M50 calipers.

It also features an up-down quickshifter, IMU traction and ABS controllers, colour LCD dash and race-worthy electronics such as wheelie and launch control.

Power-to-weight ratio

The 650cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine in the Atlas models is basically half of the 120cc V4 Norton are working on for their engine V4 flagship model which is expected to be released next year.

In the Atlas Nomad and Ranger, it produces a modest 62kW of power at 11,000 revs and 64Nm of torquer.

In the Superlight it makes 78kW which gives it a racy power-to-weight ratio.

We are still awaiting news from Norton on the V4 and it remain s a mystery what the British company has planned for India.

The company last year signed a deal with India’s Kinetic Group to build 650cc motorcycles for Asian markets.

When we mentioned this before, the company was at pains to say all their bikes are handmade in England.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Norton reveals Atlas Nomad and Ranger

Norton has unveiled a surprise with not one, but two Atlas 650cc models – the cafe racer Nomad and the Ranger scrambler.

The bikes go on sale as early as this weekend in the UK for £9995 (Nomad) and £11,995 (Ranger).

There is no word of export schedules or overseas pricing yet.

Since the Norton Commando 961 starts at £15,995 in the UK and $A29,990 in Australia, we can expect the pricing to be just under $20,000 for the Nomad and just over for the Ranger.

All Nortons are handmade in the UK and these will only be available in small numbers in the UK. So it might be some time before they are exported in significant volumes.

They draw inspiration from Norton’s original 750cc Atlas of the 1960s.

Both new Atlas models are powered by a 650cc twin engine. It is basically half of the 1200cc V4 they are working on for their flagship V4 model expected to be released next year.

Norton V4 RR British atlas
Norton V4 RR

The liquid-cooled, parallel twin engine in the Atlas models has a 270-degree firing order like the new Triumph Bonnevilles.

It has 62kW of power at 11,000 revs and 64Nm of torque.

In cafe racer form, the Nomad features an 18-inch front wheel, 180mm rear tyre, wire wheels, straight bars, suede and vinyl bench seat, single headlight and twin pod instruments.

The scrambleresque Ranger has a 19-inch front wheel, high front guard, 50mm higher suspension, a 43mm higher seat (867mm), sport screen, headlight protection and dual-sport tyres.

Both come in a choice of grey, light blue, maroon, black or white.

Norton Atlas RangerNorton Atlas Ranger

Engine: Norton Designed 650cc parallel twin. 270 degree firing order. Chain driven double overhead cams with idler gear.

Bore & stroke: 82mm x 61.5mm

Compression ratio: 11.5:1

Fuel injection: Electronic fuel injection system. 4 fuel injectors. Full drive-by-wire system.

Euro 4: Full compliance including secondary air injection and EVAP

Power: 62kW (84bhp) @ 11,000rpm

Torque: 64Nm

Lighting: Full LED lighting system including super bright high and low beam, daytime running lights, rear lamp and indicators.

Chassis: Twin tube seamless steel perimeter chassis with aluminium swingarm mount.

Swingarm: Braced twin spar cast aluminium.

Wheelbase: 1470mm

Dry weight: 178kg

Headstock angle: 24.2 degrees

Fuel tank: Composite fuel tank with 15L capacity.

Yokes: Forged top and bottom.

Wheels: 19-inch front spoke wheel with Titanium coloured aluminium rim and 120/70 R19 Avon Trekrider tyre; 17-inch rear spoke wheel with Titanium coloured aluminium rim and 170/60 R17 Avon Trekrider tyre.

Bodywork: High mudguard, brushed aluminium rear panels.

Others: Factory fit sump guard, screen kit, headlamp guard. Braced handle bars.

Seat: 867mm

Brakes: 2 x 320mm full floating Brembo discs. Radially mounted twin Brembo monoblock callipers with ABS. Brembo master cylinder; Single 245mm Brembo disc. Brembo twin piston rear calliper with ABS. Brembo master cylinder.

Suspension: 50mm Roadholder USD forks, preload, compression and rebound adjustable. 200mm wheel travel;  Roadholder monoshock with rising rate linkage and piggyback reservoir. Adjustable preload. 200mm wheel travel.

Norton Atlas NomadNorton Atlas Nomad

Engine: Norton Designed 650cc parallel twin. 270 degree firing order. Chain driven double overhead cams with idler gear.

Bore & stroke: 82mm x 61.5mm Compression ratio: 11.5:1

Fuel injection: Electronic fuel injection system. 4 fuel injectors. Full drive-by-wire system.

Euro 4: Full compliance including secondary air injection and EVAP.

Power: 62kW (84bhp) @ 11,000 rpm Torque: 64Nm

Lighting: Full LED lighting system including super bright high and low beam, daytime running lights, rear lamp and indicators.

Chassis: Twin tube seamless steel perimeter chassis with aluminium swingarm mount.

Swingarm: Braced twin spar cast aluminium.

Wheelbase: 1446mm

Dry weight: 178kg

Headstock angle: 24.2 degrees.

Fuel tank: Composite fuel tank with 15L capacity.

Yokes: Forged top and bottom

Wheels: 18-inch front spoke wheel with polished aluminium rim and 110/80 R18 Avon Trekrider tyre; 17-inch rear spoke wheel with polished aluminium rim and 180/55 R17 Avon Trekrider tyre.

Bodywork: Aluminium polished low front mudguard. Polished aluminium rear panels.

Seat height: 824mm

Brakes: 2 x 320mm full floating Brembo discs. Radially mounted twin Brembo monoblock callipers with ABS. Brembo master cylinder; single 245mm Brembo disc. Brembo twin piston rear calliper with ABS. Brembo master cylinder.

Suspension: 50mm diameter Roadholder USD forks. Preload, compression and rebound adjustable. 150mm wheel travel; Roadholder monoshock with rising rate linkage and piggyback reservoir. Adjustable preload. 150mm wheel travel.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com