Golden Jubilee Events – Norton meeting Donnington

This was the much heralded and publicised “event of the year” for the Norton Owners Club in this year of the clubs 50^th birthday celebrations. Despite just returning from a European trip I decided to support the event and go.

I met up with David Templeman at Abington services and we had an uneventful and not unpleasant trip down the M74/ M6 and then across country on the A50 to Donnington. The trip reinforced once again how well suited the Commando is for long distance travel even in this day and age and 40 years after the model was introduced.

We arrived at the same time as the Edinburgh branch who had an impressive turnout and who’d come down the A68 followed shortly after by Phil & Trudie, we booked in and on approaching the paddock we were stopped by our Chairman Chris Grimmet who said to me “You never pre booked, If we’d known you lot were coming we’d have ordered more beer”! very funny Chris I thought.

The camping was near the “launchpad area” where most of the activities would take place. The facilities were to keep it short terrible, the main toilets and showers virtually unusable unless you had a very strong stomach (I don’t). The organisation and leadership were lacking to a serious degree. Full marks to the Notts branch who marshalled for the weekend and provided most of the help but when you don’t have leadership or clear instructions (or indeed a plan) there’s a limit to what can be achieved. Tea and Coffee were not available even to buy anywhere near the Launchpad on the Friday (the main day according to the publicity) There was no running water near the area either. Donnington itself reminded me of a very early East Fortune with little in the way of facilities but then that was a rural airfield run totally by volunteers and in those days hosting 3 Race meetings a year. The East fortune organisers have brought the facilities up to an impressive standard now but sadly the Multi million pound Donnington organisation hasn’t. Why people would go there to see a GP or major race meeting with tens of thousands of Spectators and no facilities is beyond me. They didn’t manage to cope with a few hundred Norton owners. Oh and they ran out of beer on Thursday night and I thought Chris was joking, a handful of Scots, English Belgian and Dutch people managed to empty the draught beer by 9.30!!

On the plus side, many very nice Nortons, and great to see the people who make this club a huge extended family. My feeling is that we (the club) missed out on a huge opportunity to make this special rather than what turned out to be a rather tedious event where nobody seemed to be in control of what was happening. We missed the opportunity to gather all the Nortons in one place and get a brilliant photo for posterity. Too much emphasis was in my mind anyway placed on the “special” people who have been associated with Norton in the past and at present (they had endless helpings of free tea and Coffee I found out later) . Respect is due to some of these people but at the end of the day we were the guys who BOUGHT the bikes and spares so they could have some form of living from Norton and the Norton name.

Apologies for being negative about what was supposed to be the blue riband event but the Executive Committee who dictate to the branches how to run a Rally really need to have a good look at themselves and figure out if they want to drive this club forward or be the pet club to people with deeper pockets than sense. In the words of some of my old teachers, has potential but must try harder!!!

The 961 Commando

I’ve kept this separate deliberately from the Donnington piece. I really was hoping to be blown away by seeing the bike in the flesh and visually I was. It’s a handsome bike which would fit in nicely in any 2009 showroom.

I spent at least 45 minutes talking to Simon Skinner head of design and frankly came away feeling less than impressed and less confident (if that’s possible for a cynic like me) of Norton’s future.

The 961SE (Special Edition) is what’s on sale just now at a cost of £15995, the factory are taking orders now for this production run limited to 200 bikes only . Much of the cost seems to be around the superlight carbon fibre wheels, Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes, the bikes also come with a one year unlimited mileage warranty although with no dealer network yet and unlikely in the near future return to Donnington will be the only option for servicing and warranty claims. Top class equipment and I can understand the factory’s strategy to an extent, sell 200 bikes to rich collectors and get some money back to help general production but in my mind the numbers don’t add up.

As far as I was led to believe from Simon the engine isn’t completely finished yet to production standard but is almost there. Ancillary equipment has been sourced and the factory were showing off the Speedo and Rev counter they’d commissioned from Germany but I’d have been happier seeing a couple of engines and internals. I also felt the frame could have been reworked to make it look less like a modified Commando frame without losing the character and looks of the bike.

The first bike will be delivered in September allegedly but once again I think this might slip, owners who paid their 10% deposit will take delivery in rotation following September as the bikes roll of the (not yet built) production line. I think a more sensible version without the daft wheels and with cheaper suspension and brakes could easily shave £5000 of the price, that would be a very sellable motorcycle providing the engine works OK. There’s still a long way to go before we realise our dream of seeing Norton back up there as a world leading manufacturer of quality motorcycles and I’m afraid this meeting left me with more questions than answers.

Applecross

Words cannot describe how well this meeting went, it was small (around 50 people and 30 Nortons) but it couldn’t have gone better. The Gods were with us on all fronts, the weather and the midges and lack of mechanical disaster. Many people travelled impressive mileages to make it to the party and they were rewarded with a truly excellent weekend. They were literally dancing in the streets on the Saturday night. Personally I’d like to thank all the people who came along and made it such a special weekend. It’s good to end on a positive note that the spirit of Norton Camaraderie remains alive and very well!

The Small Print

The views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.

No one accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I didn't warn you.

Gino Rondelli

July 2009