Norton trouble

in comments
https://motorbikewriter.com/happened-bsa-revival/
oldjohn 1951 says:
7th January, 2020 at 11:19 am


Looks like Mahindra & Mahindra bought a “pig in a poke” was they say. Not only has their own inability to sort out Jawa cost them but Kawasaki checkmated their efforts by trademarking the “Meguro” name which is their old motorcycle brand name. The reason is simple: Meguro made under license BSA A7 to A10 models branded them as Meguro during the 1950s and early 1960s. When BSA managers visited the Meguro factory back in the day they remarked the Japanese quality was superior to the British. So, if you want the real BSA pedigree, the stay tuned for what Kawasaki will turn out under the Meguro moniker. Most likely it be several derivatives of the current Kawasaki W800 and 250cc Estrella machines.
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worntorn said:
It might be a situation where if the production is under 50 per year, for example, the rules are relaxed.
A friend in Norway who built a lovely one off Egli Vincent ( 10 year project, every spare moment) was denied registration.
The licensing department figured out it was a new build .They required full crash testing and engineering data as would be provided with a new Volvo model.

After you crash test and destroy ten you might get to build one for keeps, we'll see!
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Wow, that’s a nightmare.

A little while ago I looked at importing an used, unregistered 2016 motorcycle to the U.K. it was Euro3 compliant, which was correct for the year. But not correct for now of course.

I contacted the DVLA to try and find out the score. My biggest fear was importing it only to find it impossible to register. The DVLA could not answer me. We had a long and pretty incredible conversation that the Monty Python script writers would have been proud of. To no avail. In the end they basically said I should go ahead and import it, then start the process, then find out. When I pointed out that this may leave me with an expensive motorcycle that I can’t register, they said “we cannot help that”. Absolutely useless.

I have since spoken to a dealer who does EXACTLY what I was trying to do, and does it regularly and without issue!

Moral of the story? The laws are more complex than the people enforcing them can hope to properly understand or administer.
 
I remember seeing a Commando V5 on eBay go for £1000, buyer was the Midlands Norton spares specialist. EBay have stopped these sales some years ago. V5 is a UK version of Title.
 
Exemptions are available in the USA. Lotus obtained one to import Elises into the States for many years (it has since expired) - it couldn't met many of the safety requirements in the US - crash impact, bumper height etc.

I know from talking with former Norton suppliers the 961 was "fiddled with" until they managed to get one to scrape through emissions testing. I doubt they told the regulatory agency in the UK when they changed to the OMEX ECU since it has no OBDII output which is a requirement for certification.
 
iwilson said:
Exemptions are available in the USA. Lotus obtained one to import Elises into the States for many years (it has since expired) - it couldn't met many of the safety requirements in the US - crash impact, bumper height etc.

I know from talking with former Norton suppliers the 961 was "fiddled with" until they managed to get one to scrape through emissions testing. I doubt they told the regulatory agency in the UK when they changed to the OMEX ECU since it has no OBDII output which is a requirement for certification.
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I understand Morgan cars have given up north America, no air bags etc, there was an attempt to import them in semi kit form but nothing came of it?
 
Last edited:
Britfan60 said:
So how is Royal Enfield getting away with producing a parallel twin air cooled bike and passing Eurospecs??
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Kawasaki can do it with the W800 too and it's as gutless as the Enfield.
But Kawasaki and the biggest motorcycle manufacturer on earth (Enfield) have some money to spend for R and D.
Unlike Mr Garner.
 
Fast Eddie said:
I believe circa 250.
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I find that hard to believe for a small workshop. I'd have thought a tenth of that was realistic. All the replicas I know off bar Manx racers were sold in single rather than two-digit numbers, even desireable ones like Peter Williams' Monocoque Replicas that were definitely not overpriced.
 
I’ll check when I get home, but I think it’s right. Don’t forget Godet have been doing them for quite a long time now.
Interesting comments about the ‘desirable and definitely not overpriced’ PW monocoque though as, as much as I’d love one, they have a FAR smaller appeal than and Egli Vincent and IIRC they’re more expensive.
 
An article by Alan Cathcart in RealClassic of January 2020 gives an obituary of Patrick Godet who
passed away at age 67 in November 2019. It states Godet made 280 Egli Vincents over a 25 year
period with the permission of Fritz Egli who is quoted as saying the Godet Eglis were better than his !
 
iwilson said:
Exemptions are available in the USA. Lotus obtained one to import Elises into the States for many years (it has since expired) - it couldn't met many of the safety requirements in the US - crash impact, bumper height etc.

I know from talking with former Norton suppliers the 961 was "fiddled with" until they managed to get one to scrape through emissions testing. I doubt they told the regulatory agency in the UK when they changed to the OMEX ECU since it has no OBDII output which is a requirement for certification.
Click to expand...
I am happy that in Switzerland there are no emission tests!
 

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