Why not commision a new m-bike for the Police etc.
Discussion
what do u reckon to my idea below....
If i was in the government or high up in the DTI, i would grant a few million £ to commision a dormant brit bike marque, into supplying the UK with m-bikes for all offical business depts.
- in fact i would revive Norton with a contract to supply an maintain bikes for...
the police, NHS, + royal mail etc
[+ maybe fleet purchase deals with the RAC, AA, DHL + UPS etc...]
an it would be an ongoing affair where a regular supply would ensure that those made per year match those bikes which need replacing per year - as that way their customer needs would never dry up, an thus ensure norton has a fixed income forever.
the gov grant would cover r & d + factory setup for a single model, general purpose designed bike.
BUT - how many bikes do you reckon need replacing, per year, for the police, NHS, + royal mail combined?
for eg, i read that Hesketh survive by making only 12 bikes a year, so would those gov depts yearly requirements be viable enough to keep a small bike continuly alive?
i thought up this idea as i have much respect for british bike marques an wish they'd return in the way MG came back as a popular car marque in the 1990s.
ps- in the 1980's the uk gov did similar by paying BSA to make mx army bikes.
If i was in the government or high up in the DTI, i would grant a few million £ to commision a dormant brit bike marque, into supplying the UK with m-bikes for all offical business depts.
- in fact i would revive Norton with a contract to supply an maintain bikes for...
the police, NHS, + royal mail etc
[+ maybe fleet purchase deals with the RAC, AA, DHL + UPS etc...]
an it would be an ongoing affair where a regular supply would ensure that those made per year match those bikes which need replacing per year - as that way their customer needs would never dry up, an thus ensure norton has a fixed income forever.
the gov grant would cover r & d + factory setup for a single model, general purpose designed bike.
BUT - how many bikes do you reckon need replacing, per year, for the police, NHS, + royal mail combined?
for eg, i read that Hesketh survive by making only 12 bikes a year, so would those gov depts yearly requirements be viable enough to keep a small bike continuly alive?
i thought up this idea as i have much respect for british bike marques an wish they'd return in the way MG came back as a popular car marque in the 1990s.
ps- in the 1980's the uk gov did similar by paying BSA to make mx army bikes.
I guess buy your post that you are not involved in the R&D and production of the transport industry. I can forgive you for this because it's not that funny!
I would suggest that rather than create a new company and all that that entails for R+D, development of infrastructure, ISO regulations and all the other none fun part of running an engineering company. I would commission Triumph to provide a Sprint ST type emergancy bike and an inner city bike from CCM. That way using our brilliant british technology and design base whilst providing the govt with a quality product. The benefits of course would mean lower R&D and common part platform for Joe public too. Which of course would help export sales.
Nice idea just needed some more thought.
Govt should use UK based vehicles where possible!
I would suggest that rather than create a new company and all that that entails for R+D, development of infrastructure, ISO regulations and all the other none fun part of running an engineering company. I would commission Triumph to provide a Sprint ST type emergancy bike and an inner city bike from CCM. That way using our brilliant british technology and design base whilst providing the govt with a quality product. The benefits of course would mean lower R&D and common part platform for Joe public too. Which of course would help export sales.
Nice idea just needed some more thought.
Govt should use UK based vehicles where possible!
When I was serving in the Police, I was a full time Police Motorcyclists for nearly 20 years and we used to get all sorts of bikes on trial.
We had a Yamaha XS1100 in a Norton frame to try, tremendously powerfull but would not go around bends, and then Aston Martin Tickford produced a Kawasaki GTR1000 based bikes which was the absolute business but was about 3 times more expensive than what we had on the fleet at the time.
Norton then produced the Interpol 2 with the rotary, and they spent more time in the workshop than they did on the road, and then I had the great fortune to be asked to do the development work on the very first Honda ST1100 Pan European Police bike (my only real claim to fame) and that was a revalation. Honda listened to our requirements, the price was very competitive and so our whole fleet was changed over to Honda en Mass.
So British bikes have been tried, (Can't speak about Triumph as they were not avialable to try during my service), but they just were not up to scratch and/or they were so expensive it was unrealistic to consider them!
We had a Yamaha XS1100 in a Norton frame to try, tremendously powerfull but would not go around bends, and then Aston Martin Tickford produced a Kawasaki GTR1000 based bikes which was the absolute business but was about 3 times more expensive than what we had on the fleet at the time.
Norton then produced the Interpol 2 with the rotary, and they spent more time in the workshop than they did on the road, and then I had the great fortune to be asked to do the development work on the very first Honda ST1100 Pan European Police bike (my only real claim to fame) and that was a revalation. Honda listened to our requirements, the price was very competitive and so our whole fleet was changed over to Honda en Mass.
So British bikes have been tried, (Can't speak about Triumph as they were not avialable to try during my service), but they just were not up to scratch and/or they were so expensive it was unrealistic to consider them!
t-c said:
So British bikes have been tried, (Can't speak about Triumph as they were not avialable to try during my service), but they just were not up to scratch and/or they were so expensive it was unrealistic to consider them!
The price of patriotism, if UK gov't can't use UK built vehicles.... I mean Ducatis/Moto Guzzi are more expensive, less reliable & probably less practical than Jap bikes but the Italian Police use them.
But then our Gov't seem intent on eliminating all manufacturing from our shores by giving it to nations more 'in need' than our own - a sad state of affairs imho
. 
rsvmille said:
I guess buy your post that you are not involved in the R&D and production of the transport industry.
actually, i used to be an aeronautical engineer for BAe, but thats beside the point, as tho i agree your point is valid, it does nothing for varying the uk m-bike base, as those bike makers are already present now an dont need a kickstart.
also norton fans etc will still remain uncatered for, as like Vincent fans still are
please note - a strong m-bike base is when its diverse an varied, but only 2 production makers isn't diverse at all!
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