History of the Norton Motorcycle Company

The Norton Motorcycle Company was founded by James Lansdowne Norton, in Birmingham in 1898. By 1902, Norton began to produce Norton Motorcycles using French and Swiss Engines. These new builds were well received and garnered a lot of attention. By 1907, the Norton Motorcycle Company had won the first Isle of Man TT Race with a twin-cylinder ridden by Rem Fowler. As the company’s success started to grow, they began to compete more often. The most well-known of the Isle of Man events, the Isle of Man Senior TT, is an event which they went on to win 10 times between the World War 1 and World War 2. In addition, they would also win 8 times consecutively following World War 2, establishing themselves as the premiere racing motorcycle.

Following the closing of the second World War, Norton began to focus more heavily on the production of civilian motorcycles, focusing on usability and other features – such as bike storage space. Norton Motorcycle Company was able to quickly expand their production and in 1949 they released the twin cylinder Model 7. At 500 cc, the Bert Hopwood designed machine featured several upgrades and quickly rose in popularity among the civilian population.

Norton – Viking Bags

The company did suffer financially though. Possibly attributable to their huge investments in the racing industry, which is believe to have hindered their ability to make investments in their civilian lines of motorcycles.

On November of 1960, the company released their first motorcycle that was available to the American market – the Norton Manxman. The Manxman was launched to some critical acclaim. However, the ongoing thirst for more power in bikes from the American market forced the company to attempt to increase the twin engine capacity. The increased power production of the twin engine let to vibration problems. Another version of the motorcycle, the Norton 650SS, would appear in the United Kingdom in 1962.

Norton – Viking Bags

By the late 1960s, the Norton Motorcycle Company was forced to deal with increased competition from multiple angles. Japanese companies had moved in, and their market share had quickly declined. The company sputtered throughout the 1960s until the release of the Norton Commando in 1969. The Commando was highly stylized, featuring an innovative frame. The motorcycle also offered a range of attachments for mounted saddlebags and luggage, making it great for civilian use.The Commando easily outperformed previously releases by the company and earned it’s spot as perhaps the most renowned bike of its day. The Commando would go on to receive several upgrades over time, including the “Combat” engine in 1972, which included a bearing crank and 10:1 compression.

Even today, the company continues to release high quality motorcyles with a retro flare. In 2013, the company acquired Donington Hall as their new corporate headquarters, conveniently placed less than a mile from the production plant.

The Norton Motorcycle Company has been a staple of the industry since they first opened their doors at the turn of the century. They have been a part of some of the largest releases throughout the region, and also have earned their place as a true racing pioneer, securing a huge amount of victories in the Isle of Man races. Although the company has seen on-and-off success in the civilian motorcycle market throughout the last century, they have produced a plethora of motorcycles that have changed the way that we look at motorcycle production.