When we talk at length about the British motorcycle "Triumph", we must mention another brand. It is both a competitor and a partner with Triumph, and is also a well-known name in the British motorcycle industry.
That's right, it's Norton.
Regarding this brand, many people may only hear its name and have not seen its body, but this logo is believed that you must have seen ~ ~ ~ ~
Also, the ride in the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" that takes Che Guevara across South America is the Norton motorcycle.
Speaking of this "Norton", it can also be regarded as a century-old brand. In 1898, the Englishman James Lansdowne Norton founded the Norton Motorcycle Company in Birmingham, and in 1902 the Norton motorcycle was produced. Although it uses French and Swiss engines, the performance of the car is widely praised, which has attracted widespread attention from the society.
In 1907, Norton began to enter the racing circuit, and Rem Fowler won the first championship of the Isle of Man TT in a two-cylinder car. The small test led to a championship trophy, which was like a powerful stimulant that made Norton more confident, and they began to participate in various events frequently.
Between World War I and World War II, "Norton" won the highest level of the Isle of Man TT Championship for 10 consecutive times, and after World War II, he won the event for 8 consecutive times, so that "Norton" even became synonymous with motorcycle racing in the Isle of Man race.
After the end of World War II, Norton realized that the development path of "civilian race" was a virtuous circle, so he began to concentrate on the production of civilian motorcycles and introduced the two-cylinder "Model 7" model in 1949.
The car was designed by Herbert Hopewood, who had worked as a designer for Triumph and BSA, and improved it many times, achieving decent market recognition. However, the huge investment in the racing industry has made the company's finances in a state of loss for a long time, and "Norton" has been unable to develop the civilian motorcycle market well.
After a difficult period of death, mergers and acquisitions, financing, etc., by 1960, "Norton" landed in the Us market with a new car, "Manxman". Realistically speaking, the "Manxmann" is still a very good car from handling to performance, but it can not adapt to the American market's desire for increasing power, because if the capacity of the twin engine is increased, it will produce obvious vibrations, and this problem has not been solved.
Fast forward to the late 1960s, when "Norton" not only had to compete with "Triumph", but also faced fierce competition from the "Dark Horse of the Motorcycle World", the four major Japanese brands led by Honda, and as a result, you have seen where it is the opponent of the Japanese, and the hard-earned market share is rapidly squeezed. But as the saying goes, "Norton", who does not steam steamed steamed buns and competes for breath, has won the lead in countless fierce competitions, and no matter what, he does not admit that he has lost in such a disgraceful way, and they have decided to fight to the death! In 1969, the advent of the Commando issued a deafening roar on behalf of Norton
Modeled on the model 7's side-by-side twin engine but with a forward-leaning cylinder, the Commando is equipped with a double carburetor, a displacement of 745cc, a compression ratio of 9:1, and a power output of 58 hp at 6500 rpm with a top speed of up to 185 km/h.
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The engine, transmission and rocker arm assembly are bolted together, and then the system is suspended to the frame by two horizontal tubes, and the entire powertrain is isolated from the frame by rubber pads, so that the engine runs in a "flat floating" state, and the extreme vibration problem is eliminated.
A 14.7-litre fuel tank is grabbed by an extension of the two-seat side panel, and riders can press their knees against either side of the tank, a somewhat old-fashioned but very practical for high-speed riding.
Telescopic forks and drum brakes can effectively control the travel of the front wheels and emergency braking, and the top of the fork is the headlights and the "three tables" dashboard, which record the operation data and condition of the car in detail.
The tail of the "Commando" is very distinctive, and the side looks like the "hump" of The Cafe Racer and like a wedge, which highlights the full sense of movement, and the momentum is on the verge of erupting.
The two exhaust pipes distributed on both sides of the body are bright and shiny chrome-plated, and the tail section is tilted upwards, which also shows a lively and dynamic feeling.
At the same time, in order to be closer to the market and meet the needs of more people for color, "Norton" has also launched a variety of liveries such as red, green, silver and so on...
The newly designed Commando was immediately and received a warm welcome upon launch and was named "Machine of the Year" by Motorcycle News magazine for five consecutive years.
The excellent performance of the "Commando" seems to have awakened the sleeping racing dream of "Norton", in 1969 and 1971, "Norton" took the "Commando" to participate in the Isle of Man TT Competition, and only won the second and third places, and the majesty of the former king of the field is difficult to reproduce...
By 1972, the pair of "Norton" and "BSA-Triumph" were in serious financial difficulties, and the two sides had to merge into a new company named "Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT)", and by 1978 NVT declared bankruptcy.
From the 1980s to the 1990s, Norton's brand rights were used by many companies in many countries, and they also won the British Superbike Championship and the Isle of Man Premium TT, but they were all short-lived and finally ended in vain. In 2003, The American Kenny Dreer acquired Norton and modernized the commando design, but after three years of effort his plan was finally frustrated, and in April 2006 he announced the suspension of operations.
From 1902 to 2006, "Norton" has gone through a hundred years of history, although it has not been "alive" like other brands, but the posters in motorcycle bars, the logo pattern of "Norton" on T-shirts, the modified cars that many fans have modified with the old cars of "Norton", and the 1:12 model produced by the German company Minichamps that you just saw...
It all makes us believe that "Norton" has always been there, it has never left.