TVS-owned Norton Motorcycles celebrates 125th anniversary with limited edition range
British bike maker Norton Motorcycles, owned by India’s TVS Motor Company, is in its 125th year of production and to commemorate the same, the company has introduced a new range of limited edition motorcycles. The limited edition Norton Commando 961 SP, Commando 961 CR, V4SV and V4CR will have a production run of just 125 units and pay homage to the iconic motorcycles from the legacy brand.
The Norton limited edition motorcycle range takes inspiration from the bike maker’s iconic models throughout the years. This includes the Energette, Manx, the Formula 750 Works Racer and the NRS588. The Norton Energette was introduced in 1902 and serves as the inspiration behind the Commando 961 LE Energette Edition. The limited edition bike borrows styling cues from the original in the form of a deep yellow paint job, brown leather saddle, alloy yokes, natural alloy finish on the engine, silver headlight, polished alloy handlebars and Ohlins suspension. The colour-matching seat cowl carries the 125th-anniversary crest with the Limited Edition logo.
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The Norton Manx developed in 1937 is the inspiration behind the Command 961 LE Manx with the silver fuel tank with black bodywork and frame. The Max also gets a black engine, footrests, yokes and suspension components. The chainguard is done up in carbon fibre, along with the flyscreen.
Up next, the Norton Commando 961 LE Transatlantic is based on the F750 race bike that competed in the Formula 750 category. The limited edition borrows its name from the Transatlantic Trophy, which the F750 competed in, and gets the red, white, and blue racing livery. This is complemented by the blacked-out engine, footrests and yokes. It also gets a colour-matching seat cowl and a 125-year anniversary crest with the limited edition logo.
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Boasting a 588cc liquid-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine, the Norton F1 was the road-legal version of the dominating 588cc rotary-powered racing motorcycles. Taking countless wins across British road racing, the RC588, RCW588 and NRS588 were victorious across both British Superbikes and the Isle of Man TT in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The last of the Commando 961 limited editions is the ‘588’ which takes cues from the rotary race bikes. Based on the Norton F1 with a 588 cc engine, the limited edition offering gets a black engine, footrests, yokes, and suspension. The bike also gets a carbon fibre chainguard, flyscreen and gold wheels.
Joining the Commando 588 edition is the Norton V4SV 588 limited edition that’s also inspired by the 588 cc Norton F1 from the 1980s. The V4SV ‘588’ shares the same racing livery with gold anodised OZ Racing wheels and the commemorative 125-year anniversary crest on the top of the seat unit. There’s also the Norton V4CR 588 limited edition with the racing livery, gold wheels and anniversary crest.
The limited edition Norton Motorcycles are priced from 18,999 Pounds to 51,999 Pounds (approx. ₹19.71 lakh to ₹53.95 lakh) in the UK and will be primarily available across the UK and Europe. The bike maker has not announced plans to introduce the same in other markets including India.
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Norton was declared bankrupt after insufficient funds forced it to enter administration in the UK, which allowed TVS to acquire the brand in an all-cash deal in April 2020. It’s been making a turnaround since completing pending orders and working on newer models. The acquisition also brought a retro British bike maker under Indian ownership, much like Royal Enfield under Eicher and BSA under Classic Legends, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group.
