As we landed in Bengaluru, I had in mind what to expect but I was still surprised — a sign of things to come.
What greeted us was an airport hall of grandiose proportions, imbued with tropical plants emerging from almost every surface; fresh, vibrant and alive. Its ambitious scale was beautifully executed, balanced with detail and texture, with a fragrant floral aroma filling the vast arena of the entrance hall. This attention to detail would become a familiar theme in my time spent in India, as my hosts, TVS Motor Company, introduced me to their state-of-the-art production facility in Hosur.
This impressive facility is responsible for 4.7 million of the 6 million bikes they produce each year, even more impressive when you take into account the fact they mainly sell bikes in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Europe and the Americas present large growth opportunities, and one they intend to explore — but not at the cost of quality.
“TVS is obsessive over quality research and development, and they have won numerous JD Power Awards. Five this year alone and have over 2000 dedicated engineers spread across centres of excellence in India, Indonesia, Singapore, Italy, and of course, the UK. TVS is the first two wheeled manufacturer in the world to receive the Deming Prize for quality and receive the TPN Advanced Special Award for all seven factories in India simultaneously.”
Richard Arnold, Executive Director, Norton Motorcycles
This growth will be fuelled by their recent acquisition of British motorcycling brand Norton. I say acquisition, but in this instance, ‘rescue’ might be a more accurate term as the once famous brand faded into administration in 2020, under the misguided leadership of Stuart Garner. Once secured, the group didn’t look back, investing £200 million to reignite the brand, bringing us five years on to a pivotal moment where they are finally ready to reveal their ambitious plans to the world.
Firstly, it’s about rebuilding trust, and that comes with kept promises. The promise of investment has already been evidenced in the new Norton Solihull headquarters and manufacturing facility, which opened in 2021 as global research, development and design hub, bringing much needed jobs to the region and has the capacity for around 8000 bikes per year.
To further cement that trust, we were invited to “meet the parents”, TVS Motor Company in Hosur. Founded in 1911, their vast scale and precision are both a show of the mighty force that now propels Norton, and a look at the future that awaits Norton once new thresholds of scale have been reached. This ambition is not something they are shy in talking about, with Sudarshan Venu, the young CEO of TVS Motors, being at the forefront of the conversations. Despite his recent appointment as Chairman & Managing Director in August this year, he was heavily involved in the decision to acquire Norton five years prior. Now at the helm of the juggernaut motor group, he has all the right pieces to bring his vision to full fruition.
This thorough planning and due care are all indicators of the precise nature of this new Norton, nothing left to chance, nothing taken for granted. A step-by-step approach in every department — with reviews as they go along — whilst, like the bikes they create, remaining agile enough to change course as and when required.
This was not a project that was taken upon by chance, it was a purposeful considered journey to create what is to be revealed – or has been revealed. A brand that echoes of yesteryear while not living there, a bike that meets the needs of modern riders, yet references a past of success that is undeniable.
Having now witnessed three reveals, there was a growing sense of confidence with each, each event serving a different purpose, as the brand prepared for a full relaunch.
The first reveal at their Solihull factory was ceremonial, a presentation to the those closest to the brands past, a passing of the guard if you will, almost as if the brand was requesting a blessing from past benefactors, before sharing with the rest of the world. The attire was business suits, the tone serious but the response resounding, with — after some consideration — lauded patrons standing to applaud this bold new direction.
The second launch took place yesterday, on the eve of EICMA in Milan, with wider motoring press in the audience. This spoke of the Norton lifestyle, glasses of Prosecco sparkled along with the smiles, as Norton CEO Richard along with Chief Technical Officer, Brian Gillen, and Head of Design Simon Skinner, beguiled the audience with a series of introductions that were as logically sound as they were eloquent. This unveiling was in the same breath a statement of defence, and a declaration of attack; defence for the brand’s heritage, and preparation to attack future growth. New Norton bikes will launch into 200 showrooms across the UK, USA, India and Europe by the start of 2026 season, in a strategy they’re calling “disciplined growth”, namely: ensuring quality, reliability and compliance before chasing volume.
Today’s launch was all about scale and authority, a bold launch to the motorcycling world at the prestigious EICMA in Milan.
Their approach was the inverse to that of a peacock, choosing minimalism and reduction in design, standing out amongst a plethora of brightly coloured stands and storied liveries. Mirroring the strategic design of their bikes, this new brand was unveiled at scale, with quietly imposing large sections of metallic greys punctuated with black, featuring lavish “N” monogrammed surfaces.
With large screens giving a countdown to launch on the periphery, onlookers feverishly clamoured to get a first glimpse of the new models. This setup was theatre; the tone was celebratory — the new Norton had arrived. As the covers of the bikes were removed, fanfare ensued, as the five-year journey was finally unveiled to the wider public. The new bikes were the celebrities, and they were enjoying their newfound fame.
In fact, let’s talk about the heart of the matter; the all-new Norton bikes.
“All good design starts with proportion,” Simon Skinner, Norton’s Head of Design, tells me, “It’s giving the bike the right stance, then the surface quality of finding the details. All of our bikes have a great stance. Modernity is forward looking.”
“The future is a place of inspiration and desire and there are many interpretations of modernity. It is a broad church, but ours is one of reductivity, essentially less is more until less is less. If you look at the motorcycle landscape, bikes are becoming increasingly visually complex to truly stand out. We have reduced the visual clutter of modern motorcycles. Every line is considered and intentional, and we use our well-defined design strategy as our guiding light. This is a modern approach to luxury, refined and sophisticated, not traditional and overt modernity.”
Using their heritage as a backbone, technically, the bikes are market leading; a culmination of flawless planning and intention, realised by a team of experts that have nothing but success on their CVs.
Spearheaded by the return of the award-winning Manx, in all four new models have now been launched: Manx, Manx R, Atlas, Atlas GT, with a total of six new motorcycles across three engine platforms planned through to the year 2030.
The Manx and Manx R are flagship supersport bikes, track capable, but featuring a high-torque road-first performance, with rider connection and premium tech. The Manx is to play a vital role in Norton’s future, the very embodiment of the brand’s commitment to create the most desirable motorbikes in the world. The Atlas and Atlas GT are class-leading middleweight sport-touring bikes, with 585 cc twin engine, created to be on/off-road capable.
“The new Manx draws from Norton’s storied dominance of the Isle of Man TT; it’s one of the most important and iconic names in motorcycle history and Norton’s history. The Manx is a nameplate born from racing excellence, purity of purpose and engineering, the resulting dominance of north end of the TT and the banks, known as the toughest road race of them all. This is the heritage that we’re building on; the bikes will be among the fastest road bikes in the world today, tuned for the road and completely at home on the track. The new Manx is the pinnacle of a British motorcycle, a bike that combines design, technology and performance.”
Brian Gillen, Chief Technical Officer, Norton Motorcycles
Granted, it has been a cross-continental journey, but the synergies across markets have been constant. For me, a journey that started in Bengaluru, India, has ended in Milan and yet feels no stranger to either environment; my understanding of this “new” Norton embellished with every event, conversation and unveiling.
The stylish nature of the brand suits the Milanese unveiling, while the perfection and inherent passion for perfections emanate from the Indian roots. But, underlying all of these is the British heritage, the soul of the brand which is inherent in everything that has transpired and reflective of its reception across multiple markets globally.
It is early days yes, but regardless it’s clear to see that the soul that has been a constant since the early days of the Manx has returned — it’s not a rebrand, it’s a reincarnation.
This is not a reinvention, it’s a reincarnation of classic Norton values in a modern guise; it’s a long-considered investment. With their dynamic new ownership and an astutely navigated rebirth underway, all signals are pointing to a storied future, one with a long-lasting legacy.
