When one talks about classic British motorcycles, it is hard to ignore Norton Motorcycles, as the company has produced some of the fastest, attractive and best handling two wheelers in early 1900s. The company made a name for itself by consistently improving the comfort and speed of its bikes. As a result, many of its bikes were able to make it to the list of most desired machines of that era. However, it was Norton Manx, a 500cc bike of the British manufacturer that proved a real game changer for the company, as the racing machine never allowed any other bike to win the GPs and Isle of Man TT for more than a decade. Norton Commando is another feather in the hat of Norton Motors, as it was the first Superbike that any manufacturer has introduced, but it was launched quite lot later.
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The success story of Norton Motorcycles includes several other bikes as well, which you may have heard about or seen in various documentaries. However, not many know that Norton Motorcycles was originally not a motorcycle making company. In fact, when Norton was founded in Birmingham, England back in 1898 it was only used to manufacture parts and fittings for motorcycles, but in 1901 James Lansdowne Norton decided to build bikes under the name. Finally in 1902 Norton started producing motorcycles, which incorporates Swiss and French engines. It took the classic bikes of Norton just five more years before they started winning TT races, which also includes the first ever race of Isle of Man TT that was one of the most prestigious races in the world.
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Though, today Norton is ranked among the leading motorcycle makers in the world and the UK, where riders buy helmets and gears from RiderWear to match with the latest models of the company, but unfortunately its financial condition in 1913 was not as good as it is now. The company faced serious financial crunch after which Norton decided to bring Bob Shelley on board, who brought his brother in law, Dan O’Donovan with him. Donovan’s addition to Norton Motorcycles proved quite significant for the company, as the brother in law of Shelley developed the first production racing motorcycle, the BS 490. The new racing bike of Norton not only proved a life saver for the company, but it gave the manufacturer a new direction as well. Thanks to the victories of BS 490 in races, which Norton made a base of its marketing strategy by introducing the famous slogan “Win on Sunday & sell on Monday?”
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Apparently the marketing strategy worked for the manufacturer, but in 1925 the company received a slight jolt when James Norton passed away. Luckily it did not affect the company much because both racing and business were at their peak than. In fact, just two years after the death of James Norton his company produced Super Sport Roadster, Norton CS1 that proved a big hit. The successful run for the Norton Motorcycles did not just end there as it continued throughout the next decade (1930s).
Till the start of the Second World War, Norton was able to produce 19 different models of its motorcycles, of which most were the versions of its 490cc bike. The British manufacturer also built some motorcycles during the Second World War, when the War Department commissioned company to produce Norton 16H, a primitive side valve model.
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