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Norton Factory Visit


drewpy
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Had a blast today, rode 100 miles to New inn first for a meet up and scram, then off to the factory at Castle Donington.

Their factory is MIA offices and still is, so its a bit sureal as the carpets are still down and staff look like they just mill around not looking very busy. What a great job.

we went round the assembly area and was told they are gearing up for the new V4 Norton raod bikes which they hope to make 3k per year. looks like the old twin may be making way as they are also doing a twin version by keeping just the from 2 front cylinders to make a 650cc bike.

We got taken to the frame factory but were banned from taking any photos as the new V4 was in pre-production.

here's the photos

pre production american bike from the previous owners, aparently the internals are missing or made of wood

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Aprilia V4 in a rotary spondon chassis, the very 1st foray in to the V4 as far back as 2010

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Cam donald's V4, he didn't get on with it
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007 bike 1 of 2, Aston MArtin paid 10k to have their cars on James Bond films

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IMG_0658_zps8iwzel7n.jpg

The new V4 prototype road version 1 of 2
IMG_0656_zpsribfxxtb.jpg
IMG_0655_zps5bj2pcb0.jpg
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Race bikes, starting from the 1st to the recent
IMG_0649_zpsnyfeo50k.jpg

My TDM at Norton, they use TDM 850 clutch plates bought from yamaha. They wouldn't give me any
IMG_0647_zpsrtlj4h2s.jpg

 

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Awesome! Looks like a good day [emoji106]

 

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

 

 

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Some work or art there - thanks for sharing, looks like you had a good day!

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what was even better, tommy and I took our bikes as the weather was great.

It was getting dark on the way home so we went via the M6 and as usual there were 2 crashes.

We filtered through for 10 miles some cars pulled over, some deliberatly made it harder but we were patient and got through ok.

It was cold anyway and relived the bordom of motorway traffic.

TDM's like oil but mine settled down 1/2 way on the view level and stayed there as I was getting a bit paranoid about it.

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Had a really good day out, the tour is free they just ask you make a donation of a tenner to their chosen charity 

Would recommend it to anyone interested in bikes really, I can't think of better way to donate money to a good cause and any excuse to get out on the bike is a good one in my book, first rideout of the year for me,  my bike needs the carbs cleaning as she wouldn't hold a tick over all day also needs a good wash after me and Drew had to take a small but very muddy detour around what we think was a tree blocking the road in the wake of storm Dorothy. It great to meet with the southern softies who went by car ha ha, its the same lads me and Drew  have been to IOM with the last two years and the banter never ends with them from the minute we meet its always a good laugh or as they say a good laarf. I'll try post some pics later having probs with photobox and most of my pic look the same as Drew's anyway.

 

 

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had to wash my bikes twice Tommy, couldn't belieive how dirty it was. Literaly 1 cm of crud sitting on the bike.

 

horn's stopped working again i'm thinking button now, but the weather stopped play.

Still managed to work out why the rear brake was crap, I had a sticking piston, so freed that up and nice to see stainless pistons in there too.

rear brakes work now.

checked front pads and they are really low, so ordered XBK5 Carbone Lorraine Front Brake Pads, never heard of them but come recommended and at £60 for the front, they better be.

 

Also ordered a fenda extenda as the crud was all over the downpipes and we had a concerned investigation when smoke was pouring from the engine and it turned out to be horse crap burning.

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Washed my bike today sorry I'd left it till now as the crud had set like concrete,  took me 2 hours to shift it all and reckon it'll need another go to get it really clean, hope Mrs xs has a spare toothbrush as I couldn't find any old ones :P

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Looks like a good day out chaps,  ,  Norton make some bonnie bikes nowadays,  like Triumph,   nobody back in the 70/80"s  wudda believed them coming back from the dead, B)

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Sounds like a good day out

It was a nice morning, I went the other way, up through Derby and up to Ashbourne. Left Ashbourne and took the back road to matlock. took me up towards  Middleton etc, and round the res at Carsington. Hardly any traffic on the road, decent tarmac, nice twisties, 70 miles in all. Bit chilly towards the end. Gonna do that run again on the fazer soon as it warms up (took the virago out)

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1 hour ago, neversaydie said:

Sounds like a good day out

It was a nice morning, I went the other way, up through Derby and up to Ashbourne. Left Ashbourne and took the back road to matlock. took me up towards  Middleton etc, and round the res at Carsington. Hardly any traffic on the road, decent tarmac, nice twisties, 70 miles in all. Bit chilly towards the end. Gonna do that run again on the fazer soon as it warms up (took the virago out)

was going to go back that way, but it was getting dark and was safer on the motorway

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Drewpy in Dream land IMG_1167_zpsfhukyovy.jpg

I was there tooIMG_1162_zpsudjirjnv.jpg

one of the oldest Nortons ever 1902 IMG_1171_zpsfagetyop.jpg

and my fav IMG_1171_zpsfagetyop.jpg

whoops that sould have been IMG_1174_zps4qfatsja.jpg

and one of the boysIMG_1166_zpsteqvo0za.jpg

from left to right Wobbly Bob aka Steve, Mystic Dave, Drewpy as most on here know, Captain Pugwash aka Kev

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13 hours ago, Tommy xs said:

IMG_1171_zpsfagetyop.jpg

 

Great pic mate, unfortunately Norton have got Our Flag upside down, which is a distress signal so maybe it is a Freudian slip

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54 minutes ago, jimmy said:

Great pic mate, unfortunately Norton have got Our Flag upside down, which is a distress signal so maybe it is a Freudian slip

if you look at the "flag" it can never be right unless you flip it over

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I did notice that, but didn't think too many people would know (I did know that you would matey)

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