A few years ago I visited the Norton facility a couple of times when it had premises at the Donington Park race circuit. It was a very small operation with what looked like three or four people assembling twin-cylinder machines on a few bike lift benches. It looked like most of the parts were manufactured elsewhere by sub-contractors. I am no businessman but I didn't see how such a small underfunded operation was going to be viable.
They more recently moved down the road a little way to Donington Hall. I never visited there but friends who did said it was still a small operation.
The company have produced some interesting machinery including a promising V4 so it will be a shame if this latest reincarnation of the Norton marque sinks.
I have visited the Triumph operation many times and have good friends that work there. (It is only maybe a 15-minute walk from my home.)
It works because John Bloor is a
very focussed businessman. He started work as a plasterer in the local building trade and worked hard to become a multi-millionaire. John Bloor put his money where his mouth is.
As an aside, Stuart, our new VOC chairman, is an engineer at Triumph.