Norton HQ opened
The reborn, TVS-owned iteration of Norton has opened the doors of its new Solihull factory and headquarters to reveal a production facility that makes a mockery of the previous Donington Hall operation.
Spread over 73,000 square feet, the building contains a production line with the capacity to make 8,000 bikes per year, along with an on-site showroom doubling as a heritage centre and offering a view onto the production line. More than a mere assembly line, the factory encompasses everything from welding frames and building engines to final quality inspection and testing. The same building also houses Norton's R&D centre, albeit hidden from view, where future models are to be developed.
Initially, production will focus on the V4 superbike, redeveloped into the V4SV after a host of flaws were discovered in the original V4SS model. Only 200 of those are due to be made, with most already spoken for, with the naked V4CR café racer expected to follow once the run is complete. Norton is planning to slowly raise production - of a variety of models - towards its 8,000-per-year target by 2024.
