The Bike Shed x Norton Event: V4SV In The Spotlight

On Friday 30th September, Norton Motorcycles hosted an event at the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club. The event gave us an opportunity to share details on a number of things. The first was a new relationship with The Bike Shed. This is a long term partnership that will allow fans of both Norton Motorcycles and The Bike Shed to combine their passion for both.

Next on the agenda for the evening was an overview of the realities of automotive production given global events over the last 24 months. Recently appointed Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Gladwell, highlighted how the global pandemic and various geopolitical challenges including conflict has not just impacted Norton, but the majority of UK based automotive industry.

Following this, one of Norton’s powertrain engineers took to the stage to help guests in the room understand the engine durability testing process for the 1200cc V4. There’s been an extensive overhaul in all testing processes and invited guests in the room enjoyed hearing more about the work Norton is doing.

Next up on stage was Norton’s new Head of Communications, John Hogan. John joins Norton Motorcycles at an exciting time and brings a wealth of understanding of the motorcycle industry with him. John and Christian then shared a sneak peak of a Norton motorcycle that is being launched before Christmas.

The remainder of the evening was spent talking with journalists, invited guests and Bike Shed members in the room. Seeing deposit holders that had flown in from Scotland, or driven and ridden from hours away specifically for the event was a sure sign of the commitment and loyalty to Norton that has remained steadfast.

For those invited guests that were unable to attend the event, below is a list of FAQs from the evening:

1. Why is it taking so long to fulfil V4SV deliveries?

It’s a combination of things that has impacted the wider automotive industry. Material shortages, production issues, geopolitical tensions and the logistical effort required to build a new factory capable of meeting the demands of Norton today and in the future.

2. Can you give me an exact delivery date for my V4SV?

Admittedly, we’ve overcommitted with delivery dates in the past, without taking into account the realities listed in the question above. The last thing we want to do is repeat this and for that reason, we were intentionally broad with our previous communication to deposit holders in September. It is our intention to begin deliveries of the V4SV in 2023. If we announced an exact date and then suffered the same issues we’ve had to deal with in 2022, we’d be repeating the past. This is something we’re simply not willing to do.

3. It sounds like there’s a new model being launched by Norton before Christmas, surely the time would be better spent sorting the V4 backlog than working on a separate model?

Norton Motorcycles has already begun the journey into the future. Building a brand new factory, equipping ourselves with some of the most high tech testing equipment available and then staffing the factory with the best talent in the industry is means that we’re able to work towards multiple goals at the same time. Developing new models in tandem with dealing with the legacy of the V4 isn’t what’s caused the delays we’ve suffered from.

4. I’ve heard that people are able to come to the factory for a tour now, is this something I can do?

Absolutely. One of the areas we discussed at The Bike Shed was how much we’re looking forward to starting factory tours. If you have an order for a bike, it would be our pleasure to show you around the Solihull factory at a time and date that’s convenient for both us and for you. If you don’t have an order for a Norton motorcycle, that’s no problem, we’d still love to see you although priority will always be given to customers with a firm order. You can get in touch with us to arrange this and we look forward to seeing you at Norton HQ soon.

5. I have a specific question relating to my order from the pre TVS era of Norton and I’d like a personal update.

No problem at all. You should email our new Head of Communications, John Hogan at John.Hogan@nortonmotorcycles.com