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TVS Buys Norton Motorcycles a New Factory in England

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The Norton Motorcycles brand has gone through the wringer this past year, with the company’s financial scandal culminating in  India’s TVS Motor Company purchasing the beleaguered British marque.

Much was said about what the future of Norton would look like under TVS ownership, but it seems clear now that the new regime is set on righting the ship.

In addition to its product lineup commitments, TVS has invested heavily in Norton’s long-term future. The latest evidence of this is the creation of a new headquarters for the iconic motorcycle brand in Solihull, in the West Midlands of England.

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What the Future Looks Like for Norton Motorcycles

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While the year 2020 will be known almost exclusively for something else, for Norton Motorcycles the year marks a key point in the brand’s 100+ year history.

It is the year that the British marque collapsed in on itself, with accusations of fraud and mismanagement, and was then bought by India’s TVS Motor. The full history of the brand is still being learned and written in its most current chapters, but our eyes are already turning to the future of Norton Motorcycles.

Talking about his company’s acquisition of the Norton, Sudarshan Venu (Joint Managing Director of TVS Motor) has already given us some indication on what to expect.

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Official: India’s TVS Motor Buys Norton Motorcycles

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It has been a long sad road for Norton Motorcycles lately, and we apologize for not covering the complete debacle that has unfolded from this historic British marque.

That being said, it is hard to condense what has happened to Norton in the past few months, as well as the accusations that have been levied at the company’s CEO Stuart Garner; but cutting to the point, the company has gone bankrupt, which has lead to allegations of the mishandling of funds and even of fraud.

Now after a week of rumors regarding a pending sale, on Friday we got confirmation that Norton Motorcycles has been sold to TVS Motors, the third-largest two-wheeled manufacturer in India, with a price tag of $20 million.

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Bikes

The TVS Zeppelin, A Hybrid-Powered Cruiser Concept

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Regular Asphalt & Rubber readers should recognize the name TVS as the brand behind BMW’s small-displacement lineup of motorcycles, with the Indian firm also releasing its 300cc-class sport bike, the TVS Apache RR 310.

Here is another reasons to take notice of the TVS Motor Company though, as it just debuted a hybrid gas-electric cruiser concept, which not only is interesting from a technical perspective, but it looks pretty good too.

For the Western world, the TVS Zeppelin isn’t going to blow the doors off the market, at least not with the quoted specs, but TVS does have some clever ideas for the model.

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Bikes

The TVS Apache RR 310 Is Finally Here – Et Tu, BMW?

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As expected, the TVS Apache RR 310 debuted today in India, thus ending the bike’s nearly year-long delay in coming to market.

Why do we care so much about a motorcycle that will likely never set foot on US soil? Because at the heart of the TVS Apache RR 310 is BMW Motorrad’s next small-displacement motorcycle: the BMW G310RR.

…well that, and the TVS Apache RR 310 looks pretty tasty as a track bike.

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Bikes

2016 BMW G310R Debuts for New Riders

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When BMW Motorrad showed us the BMW G310R Stunt concept, we knew that a small-displacement model from the German company was just around the corner, and sure enough here is the 2016 BMW G310R street bike – project undertaken by BMW with help from India’s TVS Motors.

A 313cc single-cylinder engine with four valves and a dual-overhead cam, the BMW G310R makes 34hp, and tips the scales at 350 lbs. Of note, the cylinder is racked rearward and has been rotated 180° from normal, with the intake facing forward, and the exhaust ports facing rearward, like some more advanced thumpers on the market.

The frame is made-up of tubular steel, with a long swingarm used for better handling characteristics. Suspension is done by upside down forks, and a linearly mounted rear shock, the latter having an adjustable preload. ABS is of course standard.

All-in-all, the BMW G310R should be ideal for the A1 tiered license structure found in the European Union, and the G310R should slot in well with its small-displacement counterparts for markets like the USA.

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