What Motorbikes are made in Britain?

[vlc]

I know triumph make over 1000 a year, an i think BSA make a 100 p/y, but what about Norton an any others..?

btw- most are exported to japan, germany + usa

- well at least they have taste

[Boosted LS1]

I was told by an importer that most of the triumph parts are made in China, shipped here and assembled in the UK. This wouldn't surprise me as the Chinese are making a lot of quality stuff but at a much cheaper price.

[barefoot]

CCM in Blackburn. The R30 is a Brill Super Moto and the new 400cc Dual Sport is a great all rounder.

[barry sheene]

BSA at www.bsa-regal.co.uk/

Enfields at www.royal-enfield.com/


>> Edited by barry sheene on Monday 26th April 17:33

[vlc]

so i take it from the above that norton are defunct - but who owns them?

[vlc]

uhmm, i looked up royal-enfield but found they only import cheapo m-bikes from a 3rd world country.

tho i emailed them to import the parts an assemble it in the uk, so give back its class an heritage, which many admire above all.

As for CCm - i am impressed...
... e-mail: [e-mail] , Web site: www.ccm-motorcycles.com ... CEAG LTD, Barnsley,
Ceag Centre, Pontefract Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 1AX, Tel ...

as for noton, can anyone recommend a good site for their bikes, as i'm interested in their old 'streetfighter' model + their last road bike.

ps- apparently lara croft road its chassis in her 1st film

[barry sheene]

Hesketh still make bikes in the UK, only about 6 a year but they're still going....

[thruster]

vlc said:

so i take it from the above that norton are defunct - but who owns them?

norvil www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk/ will build you a new Commando to order but apparently aren't allowed to use the Norton monica !

Norton America www.nortonmotorcycles.com/ will also build you a new Commando and are allowed to use the Norton name.

Story of the factory closing down sale here www.realclassic.co.uk/news03120100.html and here
www.andrew-grant.co.uk/norton_article.doc

The Norton Rotary spares business was sold off but I can't remember who has the rights to the rotary stuff - the name Joe Sieffert rings a bell though ?

>> Edited by thruster on Friday 14th May 12:51

[vlc]

Oddly enough, the 1st 2 links show that Nortons are still being made!

tho aren't those companies breaking copyright/patent law as surely both cant own the Norton marque?

ps- BSA are owned by Regal engineering in southampton, who i think also own Norton.

[Wacky Racer]

Boosted LS1 said:

I was told by an importer that most of the Triumph parts are made in China, shipped here and assembled in the UK. This wouldn't surprise me as the Chinese are making a lot of quality stuff but at a much cheaper price.

Not true.

I have been round the Triumph factory in Hinkley and MOST of the parts, especially the engines are made there on state of the art machinery..

Owner multi millionaire property developer John Bloor has invested millions in plant over the last ten years, the business even surviving a disastrous fire last year...

[thruster]

vlc said:

Oddly enough, the 1st 2 links show that Nortons are still being made! tho aren't those companies breaking copyright/patent law as surely both cant own the Norton marque? ps- BSA are owned by Regal engineering in southampton, who i think also own Norton.

Regal own the trademark 'Andover Norton' which is the Norton twin spares business. Norvil trade under that name (after a battle over it with Mick Hemmings, who I see still uses the Norvil mark in his advertising !) because they can't use Norton. Norton America are the only company AFAIK that are entitled to call a complete motorcycle a Norton. There is nothing to stop anyone building a new Commando from spares and selling it - just that you can't call it a Norton. There you are - simple isn't it

[stooz]

Wacky Racer said:

Boosted LS1 said: I was told by an importer that most of the Triumph parts are made in China, shipped here and assembled in the UK. This wouldn't surprise me as the Chinese are making a lot of quality stuff but at a much cheaper price. Not true. I have been round the Triumph factory in Hinkley and MOST of the parts, especially the engines are made there on state of the art machinery.. Owner multi millionaire property developer John Bloor has invested millions in plant over the last ten years, the business even surviving a disastrous fire last year...

wrong, triumph parts are mostly produced in thailand, and they have a part sourcing office in malaysia.
assembly is all UK. several parts are also direct KTM bike products. you should have seen the ktm boxes in the tour.
this is a direct source of information from triumph themselves laid out in a current advertisement by them.

[Wacky Racer]

stooz said:

Wacky Racer said: Boosted LS1 said: I was told by an importer that most of the Triumph parts are made in China, shipped here and assembled in the UK. This wouldn't surprise me as the Chinese are making a lot of quality stuff but at a much cheaper price. Not true. I have been round the Triumph factory in Hinkley and MOST of the parts, especially the engines are made there on state of the art machinery.. Owner multi millionaire property developer John Bloor has invested millions in plant over the last ten years, the business even surviving a disastrous fire last year... wrong, triumph parts are mostly produced in thailand, and they have a part sourcing office in malaysia. assembly is all UK. several parts are also direct KTM bike products. you should have seen the ktm boxes in the tour. this is a direct source of information from triumph themselves laid out in a current advertisement by them.

Hmmmm, things must have changed a lot then...

When I went round the factory two years ago we were actually shown the machines in the process of making the cylinder heads and crankshafts....

[barry sheene]

both wrong, both right, Triumph do indeed have a manufacturing plant in Malaysia (mostly used for Asian market machines) and they also have one at Hinckley. The Malaysian plant is quite new (less than a few years old).

[vlc]

stooz said:

assembly is all UK. several parts are also direct KTM bike products.

so who are KTM?

an is this uk units made chart correct...[pa]

triumph = 1000 per yr
CCM = 80
BSA = 40
Norton = 20
Hesketh = 6

also, that company above that builds old nortons from scratch, would they have to remove the norton badge?

[barry sheene]

vlc said:

so who are KTM?

So you've never seen the Paris-Dakar then ?

Austrian bike makers, famous for enduro and motocross bikes...

www.ktmusa.com/frameset.asp

There's a great history of ktm from 1934 onwards on that site....

[Jim'schim]

vlc said:

stooz said: assembly is all UK. several parts are also direct KTM bike products. so who are KTM? an is this uk units made chart correct...[pa] triumph = 1000 per yr

Triumph make more than 20,000 per year

[tallbloke]

thruster said:

vlc said: so i take it from the above that norton are defunct - but who owns them? The Norton Rotary spares business was sold off but I can't remember who has the rights to the rotary stuff - the name Joe Sieffert rings a bell though ?

Graham at startright motorcyles Hunslet Leeds is your man for Rotaries.

[neilsie]

barry sheene said:

Triumph do indeed have a manufacturing plant in Malaysia

but strangly, you cant buy a triumph there... The Malaysian office is opposite mine in Petaling Jaya (suburb of KL), and their door is always locked... on one occasion when i went to enquire and managed to get an answer, they suggested I go down to Singapore and get buy one there!

on the plus side, track days at Sepang are only £12!

[vlc]

Jim'schim said:

Triumph make more than 20,000 per year

are you sure coz thats more than most prestige brit car marques sales when combined!!

any how, i bet few here knew that during the 1990s, Norton supplied their air-cooled engine for the US military to use in their hover-drones...

True.