6 New Norton Motorcycles Under Works, Will They Come To India?

TVS Motors had acquired the iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles in 2020 and over the years it has invested £113 million (₹1,224 crores). In its four-year journey, TVS ensured that all the commitments made by the previous Norton owners were met as the former CEO of the company, Stuart Garner had siphoned off funds and was caught in legal trouble. Over the years, TVS set up a new Norton manufacturing facility and has brought the brand back on its feet. There were rumours that TVS might launch the Norton motorcycles in India but it never materialised. However, a recent report suggests that Norton will be launching 6 new motorcycles in the coming three years and these bikes will also be launched in India. 

Current Portfolio

Let’s first browse through the current Norton family which consists of the Commando 961 and the V4 portfolio. The Commando 961 is a retro-styled range of motorcycles and is available in both a modern-classic and cafe racer form. The Commando 961 motorcycles are powered by a 961 cc, parallel-twin engine delivering 77 bhp and 81 Nm. In terms of performance, the Commando 961 aren’t as quick as modern machines but have an old-school charm about them which makes them unique. The Norton Commando 961 range is priced between £17,000 and 17,500 (around ₹18.95 lakh). 

Next up is the performance powerhouse, the Norton V4SV and V4CR. The Norton V4CR is among the most premium cafe racer bikes in the world. While both the motorcycles share the same underpinnings and engine, the form factor is completely different. The Norton V4SV is a proper superbike with sleek styling and aggressive riding stance. Both the flagship Nortons are powered by a 1,200 cc V4 engine belting out 185 bhp and 125 Nm. The power figures and kits are impressive but what will shock you is the pricing, the Norton V4CR retails for £42,000 (₹45.50 lakh) and the V4SV is even more expensive at £44,000 (₹47.66 lakh). 

The Challenge

As is clear from the above Norton motorcycle portfolio, the biggest challenge for the brand is pricing. Currently, Norton is operating as a niche bikemaker delivering limited units, but this business model will not be sustainable for TVS given its huge investment. The other issue is that the Norton motorcycles are built in the UK and shipped to other parts of the world, thereby attracting heavy taxes. So even if TVS does plan to bring the Norton range to our country, the pricing will be exorbitant and given that there are more affordable options from established brands such as Ducati and BMW, whether it will find any takers looks difficult. Although we must add that it had showcased the Norton V4CR at the Bharat Mobility show earlier this year. 

The Solution 

To make the Norton brand more accessible, the British bike maker has to expand its portfolio and that’s exactly what the plan is. While details regarding the 6 bikes are still not clear, we hope there are some affordable Norton motorcycles under development. In fact, before the TVS takeover, Norton and Chinese brand Zongshen had been working on a 650 cc platform and even showcased the Atlas and Nomad 650 prototypes. However, after TVS’s involvement, this project was scrapped indicating that the Indian two-wheeler giant had some other plans. 

We hope that TVS is developing a 500-700 cc platform for the new Norton range as this segment is witnessing a lot of action and there’s huge potential. Royal Enfield has tasted success with its 650 cc twins range in India and globally, BSA is soon launching the Goldstar 650 and Triumph collaborated with Bajaj to launch the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X. So a single-cylinder or a twin-cylinder Norton bike which is built by TVS in India will be the perfect move by TVS as it will keep costs and quality in check. The above strategy will be beneficial for TVS as it hasn’t been able to dent the sales of Royal Enfield with the Ronin. 

One of the key aspects for this is the fact that TVS doesn’t have any history with roadsters or retro motorcycles as racing has been its DNA with respect to premium bikes. Norton offers the Hosur-based giant a perfect platform for its assault on Royal Enfield and the lucrative retro motorcycle segment in India. Whether Norton remains a niche brand or an affordable premium motorcycle company in the future is something we shall find out soon.