Mechanically identical to the new CBR500R, the Honda CB500F ditches the fairing a clip-ons for arguably more practical flat bars and drops $500 from the list price. Just as good?

What’s New:
We really do mean that the CB is identical to the CBR. Same exact steel-tube frame; same exact 471cc parallel-twin making 47bhp and 32lb/ft of torque; same chassis dimensions, non-adjustable forks and preload-only Pro-Link shock; same 320mm single front brake disc with two-piston caliper and optional ABS.

The only changes are in translation from fully-faired to naked. Out goes the fairing to more fully reveal the (surprisingly handsome) engine and the CBR’s fairly high clip-on handlebars are replaced by slightly higher, but much wider flat handlebars.

You sit slightly more upright on the CB500F, but the big difference is that the reach to the handlebars becomes shorter, making this the better choice for shorter riders. In fact, that one little difference makes the whole bike feel more compact. Plus, you get to feel the wind on your face.

Along with the CBR500R and CB500X (riding that one in July), the CB500F completes Honda’s new range of accessible, affordable, economical middleweight bikes. All three are designed to capture the hearts and minds of both novice riders, or someone more experienced just looking for something easy, fun and cheap.

None of these are outright performance bikes; instead of a laser-like focus on going fast (typically achieved at the expense of every other dynamic parameter), they’re broadly applicable, fun bikes that would be good to learn on, good to commute on, good to take trips on or good just to tool around on at the weekends. Motorcycles as exciting transportation, not ridiculous toys.

The Ride:
We rode the CB500F back to back with the CBR500R around Honda’s Torrance, California headquarters. City streets, suburban neighborhoods, a little bit of highway and a few good corners.

The most remarkable thing about both bikes? How at-home they make you feel the second you sit on them. There’s no learning curve necessary to adapt to either, everything is where you expect it to be, everything works exactly how you expect it to work. And it works with you to make riding easy.

That motor is both linear and smooth, but also surprisingly flexible. You can pull away from a dead stop in 3rd gear just as easily as you can full throttle it to the 8,500rpm redline, reaching a top speed of about 115mph.

I was actually surprised to learn the CB weighs 420lbs (wet), it feels no heavier than the 360lbs CBR250R, which itself does an excellent job of feeling like a much lighter bike. It’s utterly unintimidating whether you’re pushing it around in the garage, stopping at a stop sign (often, there’s no need to even put a foot down) or flicking it from left to right through a series of good corners.

Given that welter weight feel, it’s then surprising how stable the bike is at freeway speeds, subject to neither crosswinds nor drafts from the trucks you’ll pass.

The CB500F will simply disappear beneath you, doing anything and everything you ask of it an undramatic, but utterly willing manner. It quickly becomes a two-wheeled extension of your own body.

What’s Good:
Ditching the fairing gives you a greater sense of speed. I passed a cop and immediately slammed on the brakes assuming I was well over the speed limit. When I looked down at the speedometer, I was doing exactly 35mph. The fun I was having was disproportionate to the speed I was going.

Despite the basic spec, the brakes are strong and reassuring. I was one-fingering them like a proper sport bike, using the smooth, predictable throttle response to seamlessly rev-match downshifts in the process. With ABS, they’re particularly good, bringing you to a commanding stop free of any judder or vibration.

Like the CBR500R, comfort is also excellent. You could ride either bike all-day without any aches or pains. Something that should hold true whether you’re 5’ 4” or 6’ 4”.

I also like the naked CB’s styling. It’s no retro round headlight, but it’s fundamentally a motorcycle without being overly aggressive or futuristic.

And, while remaining exceptionally easy to ride, it’s also surprisingly quick. Even on straights only about 100 yards long, I was able to pass one or two cars in able to ensure I had the next corner all to myself.

Like the CBR500R, the CB returns 71mpg in mixed riding and has a tank range of just under 300 miles.

What’s Bad:
Like the CBR, the CB500F’s suspension is underdamped. That’s fine for 90 percent of your riding, but when you really start dialing in some speed in corners, it walks around rather than encouraging you to lean further. It’d be a great bike to learn how to go fast on, but lifelong speedfreaks like me will want a little more from the suspension.

Ground clearance will also limit your lean angle in corners. The pegs are high enough to give you great control over the bike and all day comfort, but just a little to low for very aggressive cornering.

Riders planning distance on this naked model would also do well to fit an aftermarket windscreen. The little headlight cowl does a good job of minimizing turbulence, but sitting at 85mph for hours on end will get tiring without some wind protection.

The Price:
$5,500. Not only is that a useful $500 cheaper than the CBR500R, but it just makes the CB500F uniquely affordable. There’s not really any sporty nakeds around either this price or engine capacity, giving Honda a very strong unique selling point.

Entry-level standards like the Suzuki TU250X or CCW Ace are much slower and much less capable than the Honda. The CB500F is as good outside the city as it is in.

To get a bike of similar capability, you’d have to spend up to the $7,999 Suzuki SFV650. That’s a bit faster, but more or less the same idea.

The Verdict:
Affordable, practical, fun and easy to ride, the CB500F is an astoundingly good all-round motorcycle. It’d make a great first bike for a novice rider, a great commuter for anyone on a budget or just a great second or third bike for someone who doesn’t always need to pull something expensive and difficult out of the garage just to get from A to B. It asks you to make no sacrifices in quality or functionality compared to a bigger or more expensive machine, but all that accessibility and friendliness does, like the CBR500R, ultimately blunt its outright sporting ability. This is a bike for everyone but someone looking for the ultimate in performance.

RideApart Rating: 10/10 (The Buyer’s Guide will update with this new information shortly)

Gear:
Helmet: Schuberth S2 ($700)
Suit: Aerostich Roadcrafter Tactical ($897 before custom work)
Gloves: Racer Sicuro ($240)
Boots: Dainese Cafe ($260)

The post RideApart Review: 2013 Honda CB500F appeared first on RideApart.

Ever wondered if your kids are getting your money’s worth at that pricey collidge? Here is proof that they are. I have the privilege of teaching some incredibly bright, hard-working students at Case Western Reserve University. These are engineering, math, nursing, pre-med, and various hard-core, thinky majors who are also game for an off-the-wall course called “Live to Ride, Ride to Live: Motorcycles in American Culture.” They read Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Pirsig, and articles from the International Journal of Motorcycle Studies. They analyze Richard Thompson lyrics. The culmination of the class is a research paper that they have to present to their fellow students. They have to select the topic of the final paper; some choose the obvious, some take risks. The paper below is one that I found particularly interesting, and I think you will, too. — Carter Edman

Hello, my name is Henry Hershey. I’m a rising sophomore at Case Western Reserve University studying biology and environment. I recently gained an interest in motorcycles thanks to a class I took called “Motorcycles in America” taught by Carter Edman. I researched this topic of motorcycles in masculine fashion trends because I wanted to learn more about why I want a motorcycle. Although I don’t currently own one, I’m working on it.

Photo: Sherman Thomas

What happened to men? When did tailored suits, cigars, and log splitting disappear? Why do young men covet their technology instead of their biceps? What you’ll find if you look closely is that although long gone, the old era of manliness has not been totally forgotten. Young men still imitate idols of masculinity like Teddy Roosevelt and James Bond. They do it through metrosexual style, and through motorcycles. As metrosexuality becomes more and more prominent, hegemonic masculinity fades into a retro fashion trend that motorcycle companies like Triumph are successfully exploiting.

“Man” has been redefined time and time again by his responsibilities dictated by his culture. For millennia, men were required to be strong, unemotional, and most importantly, useful. Although different cultures valued different traits to varying degrees, their congruencies collaborated to create the archetypal man. When men of this generation look for old role models, they find hardworking breadwinners, war heroes, and upstanding citizens. The things that these men did became standards for masculine behavior. Take Theodore Roosevelt for example. He is probably the best example of the old archetype of manliness: a rough riding, adventure seeking outdoorsman who also happened to be the president of the United States. He is worshipped for his legendary manliness. Other such idols include the fictional character James Bond. Bond was a different side of manliness. Sean Connery’s Bond was a womanizing, cigarette-smoking alcoholic who could shoot you between the eyes even after a few martinis. He is venerated as a hero of manliness too. However, these guys are from a dead era: the pre-feminist era. The things that used to define archetypal manhood have been altered by progressive feminism. As soon as feminism came into the picture, hegemony was challenged. Anyone who tried to be like Sean Connery or Theodore Roosevelt was called into disrepute by feminists – women who challenged masculine hegemony by being hired for upper management jobs, getting elected for political office, and joining the military. After feminism had established itself, men no longer had to be breadwinners, war heroes or upstanding citizens. Their wives, girlfriends, and domestic partners could take care of them (Paginda 2009). Also, men perceived that what women found sexy changed from a log splitting marine to a sensitive lawyer in a slim-fit suit that wouldn’t complain about changing a diaper. And so, men changed, willingly or not, to fit the new niche.

What remain of the archetypal man are his material belongings. Although there might seem to be a Rough Rider revival, in reality, only the superficial qualities of hegemonic masculinity remain. The superficial attempt to latch on to pre-feminist masculinity comes out mainly through style and fashion. The modern metrosexual male is the prime example.

“Metrosexual man wears Davidoff ‘Cool Water’ aftershave (the one with the naked bodybuilder on the beach), Paul Smith jackets (Ryan Giggs wears them), corduroy shirts (Elvis wore them), chinos (Steve McQueen wore them), motorcycle boots (Marlon Brando wore them), Calvin Klein underwear (Marky Mark wears nothing else). Metrosexual man is a commodity fetishist: a collector of fantasies about the male sold to him by advertising.” — Simpson

Although not every man wears these things, what Mark Simpson is really saying is that men have become vain imitators of their really masculine ancestors, like Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando. They are constantly told that the easiest way to imitate their alpha male ancestors is by mimicking their style. The advertising world is telling young men that the best way to be sexy is to invest in the fashion of the retro-manly era. Although they can’t be the chain-smoking, wife beating, alcoholics that many glorified men of that era were, they can certainly look like them and get sexual attention for it.

Another way that men have tried to assert their challenged masculinity is through “menglish”. By adding the word “man” or its many variations to a word traditionally ascribed to the female gender, or by being a portmanteau of words, the new word becomes accessible to men (Paginda 2009). Examples include: man bag (a purse for men), bromance (a friendship between men), man date (an outing for two men), etc. A dictionary of these terms exists online. It began in 1999 when surf journalist Chris Cote began a column called “Significant Surf Slang” in Transworld SURF Magazine. The fact that these terms even exist makes it clear that masculinity has been challenged and men are slowly adopting more and more traditionally feminine tendencies.

What says it all about modern masculinity is a blog called The Art of Manliness. The blog features 6 sections: “A Man’s Life”, “Dress & Grooming”, “Health & Sports”, “Manly Skills”, “Money & Career” and “Relationships & Family”. “A Man’s Life” features essays on philosophical questions about what it means to be a man, tutorial style pieces on typical manly qualities and best of all, a series called “Manvotionals” which features pieces on manly virtue. One such piece is entitled “Manvotional: Theodore Roosevelt on Integrity in Private and Public Life”. Again, we see the veneration for Theodore Roosevelt as an icon and role model for aspiring “manly men”.

It is an obsession with the vintage and retro manliness that stimulates the readers of this site. The “Dress and Grooming” page heavily features vintage photos of men like Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood: idols from the pre-feminist era. It is obvious that guys are still trying to mimic these men, but not so much through attitude as through style, because let’s face it: it is a lot easier to buy a vintage leather jacket than to have integrity and strong morals.

Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, James Bond and Theodore Roosevelt all have something in else in common: they all ride. Although Teddy rode a horse, the others rode iron ones. The motorcycle is an icon – a trophy – of the Rooseveltian archetype of manliness that helps men assert their masculinity. Sometimes it is even seen as a warhorse on which men can ride into battle against domesticity – female hegemony. James May, a co-host of Top Gear, a hugely popular motoring television show in the UK and the US, sold his motorcycle to pay for a new kitchen, and he loathes himself for it. May insists that the loss of his motorcycle was his emasculation. Losing one’s motorcycle is like being castrated, according to May. His message is “Men of all ages: put down this paper, rise up and buy a motorcycle. Domesticity is for fools” (May 2004). He believes that buying a bike will make you a man.

On The Art of Manliness website, motorcycle expert Chris Hunter says that “motorcycles are one of the pinnacles of manliness”. In this article, he details a suggested strategy for first time motorcycle buyers. He cites Steve McQueen as “a guy we look up to” with a collection of over 100 machines (Hunter 2009). Steve McQueen is all over this website, whether his picture is assuring young men that turtle necks are still cool, or that ripping across some dunes on a Husqvarna is still “man-tastic”.

People still believe that motorcycles are manly, even if fewer and fewer men are riding them. Men who still subscribe to the old archetypes of manliness are often drawn to motorcycles. In a video produced by a company called Wilderness Collective, young men who style themselves after their heroes from the glory days of manhood go on a motorcycle camping trip through Yosemite National Park. They are depicted as bearded, gritty, dirty dudes, smoking cigars (not cigarettes because everyone knows those will kill you) on the mountain. However, these guys are given the same gear to wear and they all use their tech-gadgets to navigate and blog and take pictures. Also, they drink gin and tonics (a gentleman’s drink, but not the stuff of lumberjacks). The men in this video are models of the middle of the transition of the biker image.

Bikers have changed from Hell’s Angels and their wannabes to weekend hobbyists and commuters. Recently, the oxford English dictionary changed its definition of the word “biker” from “A motorcyclist, especially one who is a member of a gang: a long-haired biker in dirty denims” to “A motorcyclist, especially one who is a member of a gang or group: a biker was involved in a collision with a car”. They dropped the long-haired dirty denim part because of complaints made by motorcyclists and a poll of 524 bikers that demonstrated a significant change in the “biker”. Now, 65% spend their rides alone as opposed to in a gang, fewer than 10% have long hair, and 42% are free of tattoos, piercings, facial hair, and gang markings (Oxford English Dictionary Drops Dirty Biker Definition 2013). The image of the biker is changing dramatically from the leather-clad troublemakers from the ‘60s to clean-cut middle class hobbyists.

Some fear that computer technology will take the place of motorcycles as the carnal craving satisfier, but the computer geek needs to be abandoned as a potential customer. A New York Times opinion piece from 2011 claimed that the iPhone and iPad are replacing motorcycles. They fulfill the new generation’s need for fast, sleek technology but in a different way. Their need for speed is not satisfied by the wind in their hair, but by RAM and Internet speed. But this isn’t the case for all young men (Seidel 2011). A different group, the new metrosexual men, have a craving too: a craving for retro, vintage, manly stuff.
Triumph capitalizes on the icons provided by popular culture, specifically Hollywood. Steve McQueen, one of the most glorified motorcyclists, actors, and men of all time, is one of the figureheads of Triumph Motorcycles. Steve McQueen has been venerated by motorcyclists as one of the most skilled racers ever. An article published in Cycle World Magazine in 1964 profiles McQueen’s custom Triumph Bonneville (The Selvedge Yard 2012). The Bonneville has since become an icon in and of itself. Because of Steve McQueen’s brand preference, Triumph profited tremendously.

Another famous Triumph rider is Marlon Brando. Brando, like McQueen, is also a symbol of old-school masculinity. His character in the movie “The Wild One” is arguably the reason that anyone thinks that motorcycles are a symbol of hegemonic masculinity. Johnny is a rambling drifter with a stick-it-to-the-man attitude that emanates from his leather jacket, his intimidating snarls, and most of all his Triumph Thunderbird.

Brando and McQueen, although the most popular Triumph models, are not the only ones that have helped the Triumph brand. Clint Eastwood, another hero of manliness, rode a Bonneville, as well as Bob Dylan, a folk-hero and God to many young metrosexual men of our era. Evel Knievel flew his Bonneville over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace. All of these guys cultivated an image for Triumph that the Telegraph describes eloquently: “In the Fifties and Sixties the Triumph motorcycle was the ultimate symbol of cool, outshining even Harley-Davidson as the postwar epitome of style, freedom and rebellion” (Oliver 2009). Triumph’s brand identity snowballed into a hugely successful standard, but nearly met its demise in the late 1970s.

Although the company almost failed due to “recessions, a disastrous fire and the worst industrial practices of Seventies Britain”, they were able to get back on their feet thanks to key marketing strategies that included a rebirth of the image that they so easily cultivated in the 1960s. With the investment of millionaire John Bloor, the company was totally revamped and production of bikes quickly took off. The new line of bikes could compete with precise Japanese engineering while remaining true to the Triumph brand. They came out with three bikes, The Thruxton, The Scrambler, and The Bonneville. “The Thruxton is pure Sixties cafe racer; the Scrambler, with its full-length chrome pipes, looks just like the bikes McQueen rode through the dunes; and the reborn Bonneville looks just like it did in the Seventies, but with some very modern engineering” (Oliver 2009). The designs were completely retro-focused. Triumph knew that they could be successful with a retro design because vintage is all the rage. The new wave of metrosexual men who are all about finding the coolest, vintage, manly looking stuff could find exactly what they were looking for in Triumph’s motorcycles.

A huge boost for Triumph was the adoption of a new figurehead: Tom Cruise. In 2000, Cruise chose to ride Triumph for a motorcycle duel scene in his movie Mission Impossible: 2. The year after, Triumph turned its first profit, producing 31,000 machines (Oliver 2009). By adding Cruise to the roster, Triumph had another in with the metrosexual crowd. Cruise is a clean cut, tailored suit, kind of guy– a metrosexual. By putting one of them on the same list as the gods (McQueen, Brando, Eastwood and Dylan), Triumph was able to compel them even more.

Another key strategy that Triumph has had great success with is the special edition motorcycle. Although not unique to Triumph, the company puts out limited edition anniversary bikes every 5 years for models like the Triple, Bonneville, Tiger, Thunderbird, etc. In 2012, two special edition bikes were released, The Steve McQueen edition Bonneville (complete with green khaki paint) and the 110th anniversary Bonneville (celebrating 110 years of Triumph). These bikes are very close replicas with modern engineering twists. An article in Cycle World from 2012 says “Words can’t fully describe the Matte Khaki Green paint and period-cool aura that surround this bike like a blatant attempt to cash in on a piece of authentic British Americana.” Obviously, Triumph knows exactly how to cater to the obsession with its classic models.

Triumph is also very fashion conscious. In Mark Simpson’s quote, he mentions Paul Smith, a British fashion designer. It just so happens that Paul Smith designed a whole line of clothing based on the Triumph Bonneville T100. In fact, he had so much success with this partnership that Triumph commissioned Smith to design a line of vintage looking Bonnies, which were sold as collector’s items (Paul Smith & Triumph 2007). This kind of business is exactly the kind of business that makes Triumph so successful in their niche. They know exactly why their bikes are desired and by whom. They consistently hit the bull’s eye when targeting the “commodity fetishist” metrosexual men of our era.

Triumph’s consciousness of their brand image was made completely clear in an advertisement that they placed in a special edition of Newsweek magazine. The issue was dedicated to Mad Men, a TV show about a 1950s advertising firm and the lifestyles associated with upper middle class white America at the time. The styles in Mad Men are considered vintage and retro, and the male characters are models of the style that many metrosexuals try to emulate. The ad that Triumph placed featured a Bonneville with the slogan “The bike every bad boy should own” and a large black and white portrait of Steve McQueen in a Triumph tee shirt wiping his dirty, sweaty face with a rag. The ad won a reader decided contest among several other large firms (Backus 2012). This further supports that Triumph is the image of retro, vintage, manly, and cool.

Other companies have not been so successful in this venture – namely, Harley Davidson. In 2011, the Marlon Brando Estate sued Harley for using the Brando name on a model of riding boot without permission. The Estate sought financial damages for all the profits made from the Brando Boots and settled (Barrett 2011). This supports that through securing the permissions for use of the brand endorsers’ names and images, Triumph has been most able to successfully exploit their status as figureheads of masculinity and male fashion.

Norman Reedus aboard his Hammarhead Jack Pine.

Triumph has grown into a hugely successful company, producing more bikes than they ever have before, and it is all thanks to the image that they have cultivated for 110 years. With the help of Hollywood icons and millionaire investors, their motorcycles have become the commodity that every man needs, and every metrosexual wants. In order to hang on to or imitate the superficial qualities that remain of the idols of hegemonic masculinity, the new generation looks for the pinnacle of manliness: the motorcycle. Many companies could learn from Triumph’s strategy, and benefit in a similar way. But, they need to recognize that men have changed, and that there is a huge market of them that crave the masculinity of motorcycles. My advice to motorcycle companies is this: make your motorcycles trendy as hell.

The post The Rise of the Motrosexual appeared first on RideApart.

Indian Motorcycle is back in business with a new owner, ambitious business plans for the future including news this week of a $19,000 all-new Indian Chief V-Twin heavy cruiser due for launch this summer.

But why should we care? After all we have seen this before. How many times can you apply CPR to something that is well and truly dead before accepting that it’s over, the world has moved on, and finally do the decent thing and consign Indian Motorcycles to the history books?

The problem is Indian Motorcycle is an iconic brand that despite everything that has happened to it over the years it simply refuses to die. And now with multi-national Polaris Industries at the helm could there finally be a real future for America’s oldest motorcycle company?

Created in 1902 in Springfield, Mass., Indian was in its glory days not only the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S. but also the world. It earned an enviable reputation for its engineering and quality of its motorcycles and had big successes too when it took its bikes to the race tracks between the World Wars.

Indian can also lay claim to have created a lot of the enigmatic heavy cruiser design cues for its motorcycles in the 1940’s, many of which are still can be seen on today’s modern cruisers. It also offered us sprung solo saddles, fringe tassled saddlebags, whitewall tires, art deco touches and chrome embellishments, which you could argue its long time rival Harley-Davidson eventually took over and made its own when Indian collapsed in financial ruin in 1953.

A succession of owners tried to kick start the company over the years but there was always insufficient capital, along with trademark and quality issues hampering every attempt to try and bring Indian back to where it should be as an innovative, engineering-led company that has great quality and beautifully designed motorcycles.

A 1940s era Indian motor.

As the new owner of Indian Motorcycle, Polaris Industries is recognized as the leader in the powersports industry around the globe. It has interests in electrical/hybrid powered vehicles and bikes too, is a global sales leader for snowmobiles and ATV’s, supplies the U.S. military with side-by-side vehicles and owns a Swiss company that provides engineering and technology support for Grand Prix Formula One racing.

The new “Thunder Stroke 111.”

As Indian Motorcycle’s Robert Pandya explained: “Polaris has the resources, expertise and experience in almost every area of the transportation industry and it works in almost every area except the manufacture road cars.”

That industry know-how also extends to motorcycles when in 1997 Polaris started building Victory Motorcycles that over the years has started to be taken seriously in the heavyweight cruiser class, moving into the number two sales slot in 2012 after selling more than 13,000 bikes. That’s miles behind Harley-Davidson who dominated the sector with global sales in excess of 230,000, but Victory has fought hard for its reputation with some good bikes in recent times.

The burning questions are does Polaris have the drive to resurrect the Indian Motorcycle brand and can it really bring it back as serious rival to Harley-Davidson, who by Polaris’s own admission has 85% of the market, a die-hard fan base and essentially made the cruiser market predominantly all of its own?

Unlike Indian’s owners of the past there is no doubting Polaris’s financial standing today. Last year alone with its diverse interests around the world it generated sales of $3.2 billion.

In just 18-months of ownership of Indian Motorcycle it has generated 300 new engineering jobs in the U.S. specifically to work on developing new products, doubled the size of its product development center in Wyoming, Minnesota, and introduced a new production line specifically for Indian Motorcycle alongside Victory Motorcycles at its facility in Spirit lake, Iowa, with the capacity to grow the plant when the Indian range increases.

But Polaris’s momentum has not stopped there in its attempt to get Indian Motorcycle up and running and back out there.

At the 2013 Daytona Bike Week in March, it announced the all-new Thunder Stroke 111ci, 115 ft-lbs, V-Twin engine. It has been designed in-house and is being built at Polaris’s assembly plant in Osceola, Wisconsin and will go into the all-new Indian Chief due for launch this August.

To turn around a new motorcycle engine from scratch even in today’s fast model cycles and using advanced engineering CGI design methods is nothing short of astonishing.

Indian said it looked at a whole series of options for this first bike, even revisiting the company’s past and considering in-line four cylinder engines, before deciding on a 49-degree, air-cooled V-Twin.

“Polaris is in this for the long-run,” said Pandya. “We recognize how iconic Indian Motorcycle is and we are very serious about our role as guardians of such a well-known and well-loved American brand.

“What Polaris can offer Indian, aside from financial stability, is a huge resource in terms of design and engineering through all of the other companies within the group.

“Whilst both Victory and Indian will share the same production facility they will not share parts. You simply cannot take a Victory and put Indian tanks and parts on it. It wouldn’t be an Indian motorcycle and we will maintain this engineering integrity and not share things between the two brands.”

With the announcement this week of the Indian Chief priced at $18,999, Polaris has made it clear that this is just the first of several types of a motorcycles that it will be unveiling in the future. Whilst there are no specific details yet about the Chief or any other models, Indian has hinted it will be looking to its sporting past for inspiration and not just focusing on cruisers. Time will tell.

However there is still a lot of work to do with a national Indian dealer network. When Polaris bought the company it inherited less than 20 dealers in the U.S. Victory Motorcycles has some 450 dealers in North America alone many of whom sell other products from Polaris but Indian Motorcycles will have its own separate national dealer network and corporate identity and plans are underway now to appoint new retailers to coincide with the launch of the Chief this summer.

In its golden years Indian was a stalwart of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with a huge presence. With the company’s first demise in 1953 it wasn’t long before archrival, both on the street and racetrack, Harley-Davidson quickly made the Sturgis event its own.

In a provocative and some may say an applaudable move, Indian will be traveling to the 73rd annual Sturgis Rally on August 3-111 this year to unveil its new Indian Chief in front of a Harley-Davidson crowd.

“We looked at a whole series of ways of introducing the Chief and the absolutely best fit we felt was Sturgis. We’ll be showing our new motorcycle to a knowledgeable and passionate audience,” added Pandya.

So, back to our original question. Does actually anyone care that there is now yet another iteration of the Indian Motorcycle company?

Based on the broken promises of Indian’s past and some pretty horrendous motorcycles that were built to a price with dubious performance and build quality we’d say a resounding no.

But full marks to Polaris. It’s keen to demonstrate it understands the Indian Motorcycle brand and tells us it has spent time listening and talking to potential customers to ensure that it’s going down the right path with new motorcycles for the future.

It has huge resources within the Polaris group from a very sound financial position to a pool of technical and technology talent that seems to cover nearly every aspect for Indian to draw upon.

It’s early days to pass any comment on the new Indian Chief as nobody has seen it yet alone ridden it. Price-wise at $18,999 it’s up where we would expect a big cruiser to be but it’s going to be very interesting too to see what else is coming down the line from Indian under Polaris’s dynamic stewardship.

But in the meantime, Harley-Davidson you may want to pay attention here, Indian Motorcycle is back and as they say in the movies – this time it could be personal.

The post A $19,000 Indian appeared first on RideApart.

An MV Agusta F3 800 will join the 675cc triple in the Varese firm’s range next year, according to this teaser image uncovered by SoloMoto.

Using a more performance-oriented version of the engine that powers the Brutale 800 and Rivale, the 800cc F3 has already been well under development since the end of last year with the Italian firm aiming for a 2014 launch.

Taking on the middleweight sports bike category, that features the Ducati 848 and Suzuki GSX-R750; the machine will see the 800cc triple housed in the F3 chassis and retaining the advanced electronics that included traction control, ABS, ride-by-wire throttle and MVICS (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) technology.

Performance-wise it is expected to pump out around 150bhp with the lightweight package weighing only 175kg – almost the same as the supersport machine. The 675cc MV Agusta F3 develops 126bhp.

The post A Bigger MV Agusta F3 appeared first on RideApart.

For novice riders, a 600cc+ sport bike is simply too much. For American tastes, a 250 is often too small. Could this new Honda CBR500R be just right? We think so.

Photos: Kevin Wing

What’s New:
The CBR500R is one part of Honda’s all-new, three-bike 500 range. A steel tube frame wraps the 471cc parallel-twin engine’s perimeter, connecting the non-adjustable 41mm forks to the pre-load adjustable Pro-Link shock. There’s a single, 320mm front brake disc with a two-piston caliper and ABS is a $500 option. All that’s then wrapped in a handsome, all-encompassing fairing that’s one part 2013 Honda CBR1000R and one part pre-VTEC VFR800.

If that sounds pretty basic, that’s because it is. There’s no huge engine or fancy suspension or trick electronics or unprecedented metallurgy reducing the number of welds in the frame. That’s a good thing, because this isn’t a cutting edge tool targeted at the fractional percentage of riders who need dialed-in frame flex. It’s a practical, affordable, economical, fun bike for the everyman.

Pro-Link is also used on bikes like the CBR1000RR, CBR600RR and Gold Wing.

Continuing to look at specs only, that liquid-cooled motor develops 47bhp at its 8,500rpm redline and 32lb/ft of torque at 7,000rpm. That motivates an all-up kerb weight of 425lbs.

These new 500s sorta span categories, but other accessible sport bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Suzuki SFV650 appear to have it beat on paper. The Ninja makes 71bhp, 47lb/ft and weighs just 35lbs more. The Suzuki’s v-twin develops 66bhp and 47lb/ft and weighs 446lbs. Perhaps crucially, the Kawasaki goes for $7,599 and the Suzuki $7,999. The CBR500R? $5,999.

The cheaper Kawasaki Ninja 300 goes for just $4,799 but makes only 39bhp and 20lb/ft of torque, powering a 380lbs curb weight.

At first glance, that stacks the Honda up against some tough competition. A little more money gets you more speed, less cash gets you most of the way there.

The Ride:
Where most press launches take place on some fancy race track or an exotic mountain road — either carefully chosen to flatter specific elements of the new bike’s performance — Wednesday morning we just picked the bike up at Honda’s American HQ in a Los Angeles suburb, then tooled around local roads for the day.

A mix of congested city streets, stop sign-ridden suburban neighborhoods, flowing back roads, tight, bumpy corners and even a stretch of highway made up the day. In short, the exact environments in which this bike is going to have to perform.

Initial impressions are that the 500 feels like a more adult-sized Honda CBR250R. Its additional 70lbs don’t translate to the experience of shifting the bike back and forth between your legs and the additional half inch of seat height doesn’t make the 500 any less friendly.

Pull away and you’re again treated to a similar experience to that single-cylinder CBR250R. Low-speed balance is perfect and the controls intuitively precise, smooth and predictable. You feel at one with the CBR500R after the first five feet.

It’s not until you’re out on the road that the 500 begins to demonstrate the advantage of its greater displacement, moving through traffic with both more authority and ease.

The flexibility of the engine is actually the biggest surprise. It won’t bog or disappoint no matter where you are in the rev range. After switching bikes with another journalist during a photoshoot, I accidentally pulled away in third gear. Didn’t notice until I had to come to a stop and try and find neutral. Most other small to mid-capacity bikes would have simply stalled had I tried something similar.

That power continues in a completely linear fashion right up to the 8,500rpm redline. 4,000rpm is about half the total power, 6k is most of it and you can toodle around at 2 or 3k if you really want to. You get exactly what you expect out of the 471cc engine.

What’s more surprising is the handling. The CBR500R steers extremely rapidly (thank the narrow 160-section rear tire for that), but is also very stable. Again, the overall impression is of an intuitive man/machine connection. The Honda simply does what you ask of it.

Picking up the pace on the only three real corners within 20 miles of Honda’s headquarters, some limitations in the basic spec do become apparent. I’d hoped to show off by dragging knee for the photos, but through these bumpy corners at least, the relatively soft damping had the bike squirming around as we leaned far enough over to scrape peg.

The ergonomic triangle is open enough to make possible all-day comfort, without undue weight on the wrists or cramped legs, but also canted forward just enough to give you real control over the bike. Some other time, we are going to come away with knee down photos on this thing, it’s just going to need some smoother pavement.

The biggest difference to the CBR250R is on the highway, where the CBR500R’s performance is more than enough to command your relationship with other traffic. Top speed is 115mph-ish and it accelerates up to about 100mph with real speed.

After a while, the novel experience of riding a comparatively slow motorcycle wears off and you begin to appreciate what a cohesive package the CBR500R actually is. Sure, some bikes are faster. Others are cheaper. None simply gets on with the business of being a motorcycle as well as this little Honda.

What’s Good:
The fuel economy. 71mpg is better than the Honda NC700X’s fancy car-based engine and pretty much on par with the 74mpg CBR250R, while making 20bhp more. Combined with the 4.1-gallon tank and figuring $3.60 for a gallon of 87 octane, a $14.75 fill-up will carry you just under 300 miles.

And you can use that tank range on the CBR500R too, because it’s hugely comfortable. The seat leaves plenty of room to move front to back and side to side, while still facilitating body position for sport riding. The pegs are low enough to leaver your legs uncramped, but again just tall enough to allow you to easily shift your body weight. Same with the bars. Just perfect ergonomics.

Wind protection from the fairing and relatively low screen is also excellent. Again, contributing to both comfort an fuel economy.

The engine is willing and able to give you more than you’ll need anywhere. While I did find myself at full throttle a few times today, it was only when I was really trying to go fast. And, unlike on faster bikes, you’ll actually reach full throttle here and there, meaning you’re actually using your motorcycle.

We’ve repeated this word a few times here: intuitive. Everything about the CBR500R just feels right, working with you to make your riding better rather than getting in the way. The brakes bite when you expect them to, delivering the amount of stopping power you expect. The clutch lever engages when it should. The steering does what you expect it to. All that just adds up to a bike that will make you a better rider every time you ride it.

The quality is also astonishing. The paint, the panel fit, the movement of the controls; this feels like a $10k+ motorcycle, not a budget commuter. Check out the brushed aluminum belly pan on the right side. Nice.

What’s Bad:
The suspension is under damped for truly fast riding. Having said that, this is not intended to be a smaller CBR600RR-style race replica that’s only good for canyon carving. It’s an everyday fun, pretty quick bike that the vast majority of riders will actually be able to ride quickly thanks to its accessible nature.

Ground clearance is also somewhat lacking if you’re really pressing on. The payoff is the kind of comfort more focused bikes can only dream of.

The Price:
$5,999 for the base bike, $6,499 for one with ABS. That’s a sweet spot in the market, sitting comfortably between the $4,200 CBR250R and $7,500 Honda NC700X. It’s also just over half the price of the $11,490 CBR600RR, making it an excellent entry to the sport market. Put $1,000 down, and you’ll be able to finance a CBR500R for about the same price as your iPhone costs you every month.

It’s also usefully cheaper than the larger, 650cc competition while feeling like a more complete, cohesive, modern product. That, while delivering the kind of real world performance that smaller, cheaper bikes simply lack.

This is a real motorcycle that can really do everything, and make it fun, for just $6k.

What Others Say:
“…it’s easy to get on with and novice friendly, a doddle to ride, the power delivery will never catch anybody out – it’s brisk rather than fast but the pleasing surprise is that if you want to give it a good fistful of revs it’s truly engaging and fun…” — MCN

“With [its] unintimidating but torquey and responsive engines, strong ABS brakes and planted feel, [the CBR500R is] designed to reduce the number of opportunities for new riders to induce errors, and to do [its] best to forgive them when they do occur.” — Visordown

The Verdict:
Want to get into the sport of motorcycling? Start here. Seriously, don’t argue, just go buy a CBR500R and start developing your skills. You won’t find a more forgiving, intuitive, easy package anywhere else, regardless or price or capacity and you’ll be rewarded with a surprisingly fun, imminently practical package too.

Don’t buy an R6, that’ll just make you slow and dangerous. Don’t buy some janky old bike, it’ll just break down and cost you a fortune when it does. Sell your car, buy a CBR500R and ride it everywhere, you’ll have a blast and you’ll never look back.

RideApart Rating: 10/10 (the buyer’s guide will update with the new information shortly)

Gear:
Helmet: Schuberth S2 ($700)
Suit: Aerostich Roadcrafter Tactical ($897 before custom work)
Gloves: Racer Sicuro ($240)
Boots: Dainese Cafe ($260)

The post RideApart Review: 2013 Honda CBR500R appeared first on RideApart.

Last August, Norton’s future looked dark. Reports of long delayed orders and un-returned deposits came to light, at the same time as public funding by the UK government was called into question. Now, the author of that original report, Nick Berkeley, has had the chance to sit down with the company’s CEO, Stuart Garner, for a response. — Ed.

The following is a transcription of a taped interview with Stuart Garner on April 5th 2013. It took place at Norton’s Donington Park HQ. In addition to Stuart Garner (SG) and myself (NB) Kay Johnson, Stuart’s long term PA was present throughout. The piece has been edited only to remove pauses, repeats, obfuscation, hesitations – the inevitable consequences of in depth conversations – most of which originated on my part.

Although the interview relates to the original Bikerglory piece and covers matters arising, it also affords everyone the chance to get an idea of SG’s views on the industry in general and gives a unique insight into the reality of producing motorcycles in the UK in 2013. SG has been interviewed many times, but interviews are worthless without the right questions…..

I’ve notated the interview in order to provide key context, some of which will be familair to readers; the remainder covers new ground and deals with matters which have transpired in the intervening period. Any germane issues not covered in the interview / notes are dealt with in the Matters Arising section at the bottom of the piece.

Norton CEO Stuart Garner.

NB It seemed to me that there was insufficient margin in the bikes from the word go to sustain the operation. How does that work?

SG You have to understand economy of scale. We always knew that as production scaled up we would bringing manufacturing in house and streamlining the supply chain… thus the margin increases.

It’s different if you’re dealing with much larger volumes. You could then approach a factory in China say, and get the entire output of the factory producing for your company, to your spec and satisfying your level of quality control. That is far more efficient than setting up a considerable in-house manufacturing operation with all the overheads and liabilities. We are manageable enough to fabricate here.

NB The China thing is interesting because you were there early doors….

SG Over twenty years ago. What’s interesting is that we started by buying from China, and now we can sell to them. That’s economics. That’s the significance of brand.

There was this perception that Chinese product was tacky, cheap and nasty. That was simply because people were asking them to produce parts on the cheap. They will give you what you want. The are very capable of producing ultra high quality components, but you get what you pay for. It’s that simple. The Chinese weren’t producing rubbish per se. They were producing on the cheap at the behest of the company making the order in the first place.

Nick’s reviewed the Commando 961 on Biker Glory.

NB You mentioned the MV model as a kind of template. Could you expand on that?

SG MV have a knock down operation in Brazil. You source you suite of parts from wherever. You ship them to Sao Paulo, to your Brazilian factory for assembly. You send your bikes off to markets around the globe, including the home market. That process avoids import duty and maximises margins. All major manufacturers are doing it.

NB Did it surprise you that Triumph took so long to get the Thai operation going? I remember writing about the importance of Asia as a massive untapped market and potential production base a couple of years before the penny dropped, and I wasn’t alone in holding that view. It had seemed so obvious for so long – including production of smaller capacity machines to help break open the territory. KTM sussed that bit, but again it all seemed very reactive…..

SG Ask John Bloor that question and stand well back….. It’s a long, long journey, not simply a question of going there with money and setting it up. Everything starts from scratch, drawings, CAD, the works.

NB So a theoretical question. How long would it take to start producing Nortons in Mumbai, say?

SG Well we do have a head start. We have a complete 961 motorcycle. It exists. We are getting compliant with international emissions regulations. If in theory it made financial sense to bolt the bike together in Asia, say, then we could do that relatively quickly. But starting from scratch…. it doesn’t surprise me that it took Triumph a number of years to bring Thailand online. At the moment the Brit aspect of Norton is key to the brand, but in theory it could be done.

NB On the subject of emissions and export. When the Santander loan¹ was green lit, that must have been incredibly helpful because it’s aimed at exports, right?

SG Sure, it gives confidence. It started to take us from being an equity funded – ie me – operation, to being bankable. It was the start of external financing. There was massive due diligence…

NB As one would hope….

SG Of course. It was only a 12 month facility, remember. It wasn’t rolling over indefinitely from the off – it rolled for 30 to 60 days. Our business model is cash intensive, built strictly to order. If you go down the dealer route accessing trade finance for the sales everything is more exposed. Our model limits the operation in the beginning, but retains financial credibility, because exposure is limited.

NB The bike I rode had carbon wheels and USDs. The buyer can customise, right?

SG Absolutely. We encourage that. It’s one of the advantages of building to order: flexibility. It would be easier to build a row of generic bikes. But the beauty of Norton is that the customer can spec it to a high degree from the factory.

NB On the subject of funding, the money made available to you from the Meeson business. ² You previously told me that the funding had gone into an Escrow account and was therefore effectively untouchable. Can you just confirm that?

SG As per witness statement. I’ve covered it. It’s a legal matter, we were at the end of something we had no control over.

NB The thing I’ve got off you today is your very considerable business acumen. And yet there was no warning for you that there was a problem with this source?

SG None at all.

NB Not even a sniff?

SG You wouldn’t have gone near it if there had been. It’s all about protecting the brand.

NB Wasn’t there a scheme, a fund, for Norton owners or potential owners to invest into, which ran from here? ³

SG No. Plus we took the view from day one that multiple small individual investors in the brand itself would simply complicate what needed to be kept simple. A thousand small stakeholders was not a credible way to fund the business.

NB Is Norton the main focus for you business wise these days?

SG Well, they are all private businesses so I’ve no need to comment. What I would say is that Norton still has to emerge from those difficult early years where so many founder, and if it were to hit problems in the meantime I would be gone without my other companies.

NB There’s no law against owning a motorcycle company and having other business interests.

SG Never seen one. Mr.Bloor’s other interests were key to Triumph’s success.

NB Do you think any individual could ever do anything on that scale today and end up with a concern the size of Triumph?

SG Things have changed. Everything is corporate, commercial. There are so many boxes to be ticked. It’s very difficult for individuals to have a go themselves these days. The system is massively against you.

NB We had various allegations made about frames being re-stamped.⁴ Could you clear that up?

SG OK. Say we’ve stamped a frame for Mr.Smith. By the time we go to build Mr.Smith has cancelled because he’s read Bikerglory and wants his money back…..

NB Touche….

SG ….. so now I’ve got a chassis which has Mr.Smith’s allocated number. Suppose Mr.Smith’s bike was an SE and the next 6 orders are for Cafe Racers. The SE carries an SE VIN. Now if there are 5 frames waiting, we would need to re-use the SE frame.

NB So during the period the allegations relate to, you weren’t making frames here, and given the build to order philosophy you might have been caught out without enough frames to go?

SG … or because of supply problems, which were endemic: that was why we started making out own. So suddenly I’m short. As a manufacturer I can take the SE chassis back in, rework the VIN and it’s perfectly legitimate.

NB The recent acquisition of Donington Hall⁵ and associated properties. It seems that the purchase must be to primarily service business interests other than Norton. I’m thinking leisure industry and so on. It must have been a considerable investment.

SG When the time comes you can do a land registry search and check out the purchase details, in the meanwhile I’m contractually obliged not to disclose. What I can tell you is that Hastings House, the other property involved, is some 45k sq ft. That is the building for Norton.

NB Hang on a minute….. how many square feet where we are now?

SG About 8k, meaning that Hastings House is nearly six times bigger.

NB But how on earth does that expansion work with a tightly run, build to order philosophy?

SG It wouldn’t be appropriate now, but it will be in the future as the company grows. To be honest the opportunity came along a bit early, but the potential is enormous. We were buying at the bottom of the market, so purely as an investment the deal makes sense – before you even start looking at the leisure opportunities of the Hall or the potential benefit to Norton.

NB Has the relative collapse of Japanese sales in Europe surprised you – I think the writing was on the wall for a long time and the big four had become complacent – but the speed of European penetration of its home market has been staggering. How do you view that?

SG In the housing market, what sector goes under first when the going gets tough?

NB The bottom of the market?

SG The sector with the most debt, which is normally a couple of levels above base. The old Japanese model of selling bikes via the importer and solus dealers left the dealer with potential negative equity issues, to a point where they crashed and burned when the market contracted. The multi franchise operators suffered too, although they should have been less exposed.

NB Plus the Japanese were horrendously slow to pick up on the way the market was changing: the appetite for street and adventure bikes which weren’t overweight, ie real world and fun, is a concept they still barely get….

SG Your new Japanese sportsbike was therefore vulnerable. They went overnight, and dealers were left holding the baby. The Japanese had thirty golden years, but partly because of that there is no real depth to the motorcycle market. Therefore if your sportsbikes are suddenly negative equity, a massive chunk of the brand is wiped out. That takes out dealers first.

Compare the bike market with the car market. You want a new Ferrari California, you put down ten grand and you wait eighteen months. Your Cali buyer takes that. Would you like to put ten per cent down on a Norton and wait a year? Because the bike market lacks depth, people don’t get that approach – despite the fact that re-sale prices demonstrate that the 961 is actually an investment. The real problem is that we all got used to the Japanese sales model, stack em up high and sell em cheap – that was the original premise – and ride it home, don’t worry about the depreciation. What do you think of when I say the word superbike?

NB Top of my head – a litre sportsbike.

SG Exactly. The Japanese made the sportsbike THE defining motorcycle. We don’t have a superbike industry anymore, not in terms of volume. We have a superbike homologated FIM class. When you think of a supercar you don’t think of a homologated race bred machine. That is another reason why motorcycle sales went into meltdown, there was a massive gap between what was on offer and what the market found itself requiring.

NB Partly because the constituency is ageing?

SG Sure. But then when we say we will build to order on a deposit, people throw their hands up in the air. Morgan have done it for 100 years. So have other marques. But your Norton will be worth more when you pick it up than when you put your deposit down and unlike some bespoke car marques, you wont find yourself looking at a non fixed final price when your deposit goes down.

NB When people buy a 961, they are buying into a brand experience because of a brand perception, they aren’t necessarily buying because of the intrinsic quality of the machine….

SG Which is why we licence with quality merchandise providers like Belstaff. Especially outside the UK, it’s the brand as much as the bikes which people get. They are interested in the merchandise.

NB So brand is like a global passport for Norton.

SG Exactly. We launch at the British Embassy in Tokyo next week because we’re Norton, not Garner motorcycles.

NB How will that work – you’ll deal with a Japanese distributor?

SG We have a contract with Norton Japan, they supply the Japanese dealers. We have pre-sold 400 bikes⁶, without having had a bike in the showroom. There are different ways of selling bikes in foreign territories. In some cases, the factory will own the distributor. Triumph have been buying their distributors back.

NB Which sounds ultimately more profitable….

SG The majority of our volume is UK and America, and so I decided we should own the distribution in those territories. Norton America is us. We have twenty dealers with a similar size order book to Japan. We start building the American bikes in two weeks time. It’s not just the bikes, it’s the information. There needs to be a dealer manual. You need handbooks for the owner. There needs to be a technical drawing of every part. The dealer manual took one guy a year to put together. And on top of that there’s emissions regs. We’re nearly there, we’re still waiting for California.

NB Assuming that some of of the original allegations were baseless, why do you think the sources were so negative about Norton? Why this animus against you personally? Remember, a lot of stuff didn’t go into the original article that people chose to make available to me.

SG Let me explain. From the age of 19, I’ve paddled my own canoe. That means I’ve seen some incredible sights along the river. Everyone else looking on has an opinion, and maybe they’ve never had to contend with the reality of skippering the boat. The only opinions you (Nick) are going to get are from people with vested interests, people who maybe haven’t had the same experience.

NB The danger of any investigative reporting is that people use you to further their own agenda. I’m well aware of that, but you have to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to sources. Is there anything you’d like to say about the future of Norton?

SG We’re emerging from the critical stage I referred to earlier. We’re shipping. We’re profitable.⁷

NB How many staff these days?

SG Around 40.

NB That still strikes me as being intensive given the build to order ethos….

SG We’ve gone down from 120.⁸ Some people didn’t fit, they were more suited to a corporate culture where you go home at 5, sneeze, and have a week off because you’ve got a cold…. there are some aggrieved people who just couldn’t handle it. That’s life.

NOTES

1. Santander.

This refers to the government brokered EXEFG deal which encouraged bank lending to exporters, underwritten by the taxpayer, c/o Vince Cable, the Business Secretary. Norton were beneficiaries of the scheme to the tune of £625,000. Criticism of the scheme in general and the way it was administered obviously can not be laid at Norton’s door. The main problem is that the Department views questions about due diligence and repayments as a matter for the bank in question, who naturally cite client confidentiality as the main reason for not answering questions, leaving the tax payer with precious little information as to his potential liability. All we can say for certain in regard to the Norton loan is that Santander were listed as having a charge against Norton Racing – itself listed as recently as April 4th 2013 (the day before the interview) as having a proposal to be struck off. This action was discontinued on April 18th. John Fields, a director of sister company Norton Holdings prior to the Santander deal, was previously employed by Santander’s Group Pension Scheme. Pensions and pensions schemes crop up regularly in this story – see below – but the main point regarding the Santander deal is that it illustrates SG’s financial and business acumen: Norton were the first company to benefit from the scheme. This was a major result in terms of gaining the company financial credibility.

2. The Meeson Case.

Other funding besides the Santander loan headed Norton’s way. On March 5th this year, Andrew Meeson and his associate Peter Bradley were given custodial sentences for defrauding HMRC of £5m via their company Tudor Capital Management. They were claiming a tax refund on £20m of fictitious pension scheme contributions. Large sums of money were distributed from TCM based schemes to various individuals and enterprises, including approximately £1m to Norton. The prosecution alleged that this was ‘dressed up’ as a loan, thus implying that it was a direct investment – basically a conduit for the proceeds of TCM activity. Acceptance of this funding did not of course imply that Norton / SG had any idea of its true source, SG’s obvious suss and business acumen notwithstanding. There were circumstantial connections between SG and more than one of the defendants, but again this does not prove anything.

3. Norton and Pensions Schemes.

A verified source (identity confirmed and known to us) told us that the company fielded telephone calls from individuals seeking investment advice. This appears to contradict SG’s flat denial in the interview, but it isn’t as simple as that. One issue is whether or not people contacted Norton on spec seeking to purchase shares in the motorcycle business, or whether there was a separate investment opportunity available. Even if there was, SG is entitled to carry on whatever business he chooses to conduct alongside Norton.

4. Frames and VIN numbers.

Everyone agrees that on occasion frames were re-stamped.. Where there is disparity is in the account of the reason for it taking place. SG has provided us with an explanation (above). This differs from the explanation given to us by more than one verified source. Suffice to say their account alleges that re-stamping took place when frames (and parts) were in short supply, to facilitate presentation of a near ready machine to viewing customers awaiting completion of their bike.

Whatever or whoever one chooses to believe, manufacturers are free to re-stamp and current in-house fabrication of frames obviates the need to do so.

5. Donington Hall

This property and associated land and buildings were purchased earlier this year by a company or consortium headed by SG. There is no more extant detail – unfortunately the Land Registry has not been updated, and Norton associated accounts available publicly give very little away. There is still no evidence of substantial assets which could include and therefore give a clue to the value of the new property. Arguably then, bearing in mind the references made in the interview, this purchase currently has more to do with SG’s other interests than Norton per se.

6. Motorcycles Produced: the numbers.

It’s at this point that anyone looking into Norton as a business starts wondering about credibility, because establishing exactly how many bikes have actually been sold is no simple task. As a supplementary question to this interview I emailed SG in order to try and shed some definitive light on the subject.

Q Have you got any figures for total UK sales over the last couple of years (to 1/4/13)?

A. I think total sales since we began are now approaching £10m, in year one they were of course zero, next year we are on target to do over £10m for the 12 months.

Consider the maths regarding next year’s projected figure. Let’s assume we’re talking total, global sales projections. 961 prices vary to spec, but a figure of £15,500 represents the middle of the ball park including VAT. That means an ex VAT price of around £12,400 per unit. £10m of sales at that price equates to 806 machines – or over 67 bikes per month, or 17 a week – assuming that we’re seriously talking £10m in twelve months. It may become possible, but the transition from a history of delay and interruption into fully fledged production of the kind needed to clear over £10m worth of sales per annum will be massive. It is hard to believe that those kinds of figures are imminently achievable. UK sales alone are hard to get a handle on. One way of trying to quantify home sales is to look at registration figures, although it is not a foolproof method. In 2011, a total of 14 machines were registered over the 961 range. In 2012 the figure increased to 33, or 47 over the two year period. It is impossible to extrapolate from this data in any accurate way, but if Norton claim £10m worth of sales to the beginning of the current year, clearly very few of them were ending up registered in the UK.

7. Profitability

Company searches relating to the Norton group of companies are a poor indicator of the reality. Since SG is involved in a variety of private enterprises, some of which are based abroad, it is beyond the scope of Bikerglory to try and unpick whose money has gone where (in an attempt to try and evaluate just how much Norton Motorcycles has actually cost). Most accounts are overdue to report, and none of them show any startling evidence of profitability or indebtedness. For example, relating to Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd., we have:

Cash at bank: £828
Net Worth: £-711,896
Total Current Assets: £1,311,317
Total Current Liabilities: £3,882,103

The combined cash at bank value for all of SG’s current businesses is £1,133, with a combined assets value of £6,655,258 and liabilities of £5,126,183.

Forget those figures and concentrate on the big picture. Norton is one piece in the jigsaw, and although consistent profitability may be achieved, it feels like SG’s pragmatic insistence on building to order imposes a ceiling – without which the whole structure could come crashing down. Staying small could be the defining characteristic which allows Norton to survive, but a very tightly run ship is required (see below).

8. Staffing levels

Talking of tightly run ships… How the operation started with 120 people on the books defies belief. The compliment is down to 40, but that still seems on the high side given the nebulous production figures. However, SG is too astute to carry a surplus stock of staff and the running total may change again. One thing that has characterised the company is a relatively high turn over of staff, which isn’t always the ideal platform for guiding a motorcycle production facility through those critical early years. Nevertheless, Norton are still very much with us.

OTHER MATTERS ARISING FROM THE ORIGINAL PIECE
The scenario which kicked off the Bikerglory investigation into Norton – long delayed orders, difficulty recovering deposits without recourse to legal action – was put into perspective by SG before recording, but it is only fair to present his take.

CUSTOMERS AND ORDERS
Stuart pointed out that no individual had lost money: everyone either ended up with a bike or their money back. He added that while some bespoke auto builders request major deposits without guranteeing a fixed and final price, Norton took 10% deposits and never presented owners with additional price increases on delivery. Delay was regrettable, but five years ago delay had seemed permanent, since effectively Norton had ceased to exist. Thus the finished product – new Nortons in the showroom – justified the means by which they ended up there. This kind of ‘big picture’ argument was alluded to by SG on a number of occasions during our conversation.

My personal view is that concentrating on the big picture can engender a fast and loose culture when it comes to details and transparency, but at the end of it all two facts remain. Some customers did suffer from serious delays to their order, but no one actually lost money. Whether or not this is seen as acceptable will depend entirely on one’s point of view. One thing is certain: making promises which can not ultimately be kept makes isn’t great from a PR perspective – even if depositors are ultimately refunded.

SPARES
The supply chain was another issue which cropped up. On the one hand it should be obvious that any machine utilising as many parts as a 961 is going to have issues sourcing at some point and this may well involve acrimony. I have no doubts at all that Norton’s relationship with suppliers has been chequered, but that is par for the course: Triumph, for example, will also have experienced their fair share of problems. On the other hand, I am inclined to believe the testimony of someone like Nigel Gibson, whose reputation has remained intact throughout the meltdown years of the UK manufacturing industry: Gibson was particularly critical of the way Norton handled their dealings with his company, Fabriweld. Whilst I don’t believe that SG was consistently the injured and frustrated party in disputes with suppliers – which was broadly his own take – again, one can not ignore the fact we’re talking about a complex operation involving a large number of suppliers. Indeed, it is largely as a result of the chaotic supply chain that SG made the decision to do as much in-house manufacturing as possible. One advantage of this is that it increases the percentage of Brit in the bike; on the other hand what really matters is quality control and financial viability. If ex UK outsourcing of parts means a more viable and reliable product, as a consumer I would be happy with that, even if it diluted the Brit percentage. The product is the key to Norton. Stuart would say it was the brand. It’s an interesting distinction, possibly providing insight into the way the company has been run – and one which leads to the one area on which we definitely disagreed: the Isle of Man.

THE IOM VENTURE
Stuart justifies the adventure by pointing out that the brand is the key, and the brand is largely associated with the IoM. It is widely known that the IoM TT authorities subsidise selected participants, and Norton are a case in point. Some would argue that concentrating on 961 production, and continuing to develop that bike is far more important for the current incarnation of Norton as a manufacturer than running a butchered Aprilia V4 around the Island. This uncharitable view is supported by the fact that in the recent hagiographic coverage of the latest venture in this week’s MCN (8/5/13), engine modifications are not revealed, weight and weight distribution are not alluded to, and the key issue of what precisely will take the place of Aprilia’s own, highly praised and updated APRC / ABS control system and ECU remains unanswered. Ditching the box of tricks and cutting and rejigging one of the most highly praised frames out there with concomitant changes to key areas like the headstock seems like a massive risk: it would be interesting to compare the times of a 2013 RSV4 Factory from the shop to the Norton Aprilia. Perhaps the IOM authorities subsidise the coverage as well; it is genuinely hard to understand how this kind of non reporting makes it to the front page and beyond. That, of course, is not a criticism of Stuart Garner: that the press have bent over backwards to accommodate Norton is testimony to his considerable PR skills and charm.

In the final analysis SG has re-incarnated one of the most glorious brands in the motorcycling pantheon and kept it alive for five years. Within the context of the British motorcycle industry, that is no mean achievement – and one that has obviously been gained at considerable personal cost. I constantly had the feeling that Norton is a relatively insignificant part of his portfolio: not exactly a front for something else, and far more than a corporate vanity project – but definitely a consuming distraction from other interests. Some of his fiercest critics acknowledge that with a little development, the 961 would move from being an attractive investment to a really serious contender in the retro / heritage market on the road. These are the people likely to be frustrated by the v4 project. But perhaps branding and investment potential alone are enough to keep the Nortons selling. Whether the end justifies the somewhat tortuous means remains to be seen, but it was always going to be a bumpy ride. The history of the name guarantees it.

Special thanks to Stuart Garner, Kay Johnson and everyone at Norton for their generosity with time, tea and a 961 to ride.

This article was originally published by Biker Glory and is reprinted here with permission.

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“London’s Calling” is not only a great punk anthem but it’s a call to arms as The Bike Shed motorcycle collective put together their first show celebrating the greasy subculture of café racers, bobbers, scramblers and everything in between.

There will be bikes on display from best builders out of the UK and from around Europe, including Spirit of the Seventies, Deus Ex Machina et al showcasing their hardware, alongside rolling artwork from Death Spray Custom and Ornamental Conifer and some scene catching photographs on exhibit. You can also get some fresh ink and a flash haircut.

The free event takes place this coming weekend on 18 -19th May at the Shoreditch Studios in London. Full details in the flyer and on Facebook.

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Premiering June 9 on SPEED, Neale Bayly Rides tales the story of a group of travelers crossing Peru to bring aid to a remote orphanage. Here’s the trailer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Neale Bayly Rides, the trailer appeared first on RideApart.

Back in England, “Grom” is slang for an unruly kid. The 2014 Honda Grom, known in other markets as the MSX125, is essentially a 21st century take on the monkey bike. For just $2,999, you get a fun little bike that returns, wait for it…130mpg.

“The fuel-injected 125cc engine delivers lots of torque,” describes Honda. “The 4-speed manual transmission works just like any other full-sized bike, the maneuverability and handling make it a joy to ride, and there’s even room for a passenger.”

Equipped with the same fuel-injected, 125cc, four-stroke engine and four-speed gearbox as Honda’s insanely popular Wave scooter, the Grom adds strong styling, a new frame and surprisingly nice components like upside-down forks and a projector beam headlight.

That 125cc single-cylinder makes 9bhp, good for a top speed of nearly 65mph.

Leaving the Wave behind, the MSX125 uses an all-new, steel backbone frame. The engine is exposed as in a naked bike, but there’s heavy emphasis on the stylized plastic bodywork, which lends the bike a purposeful, bold stance. The long single seat does make room for a passenger and there are passenger pegs.

The Grom goes on-sale in the US in August.

Don’t let the perceived size in this first press photo of the Grom fool you. Those wheels are 12 inches in diameter, this thing is tiny!

The post Honda Grom makes economical transportation fun appeared first on RideApart.

Loading a motorcycle into the back of a pickup truck can be surprisingly tricky. This basic guide to the process should help you through it.

Supplies You’ll Need:
- Motorcycle Tie-Down Straps
- Motorcycle Ramp
- An able-bodied buddy.

Steps:
1. Park on a firm, level surface and clear your truck’s bed of any flotsam or jetsam that could cause you to slip.
2. Unfold the ramp and place the rubber edge on top of the tailgate’s lip.
3. Secure the ramp using a tie-down connected to it and the truck.
4. Place the bike in neutral and it up with the ramp.
5. While you hold the bike’s handlebars from the left side, have your friend push from the rear, applying pressure to a part of the bike that can take the weight.
6. Get the bike as high as you’re comfortable with, apply the front brake, then have your friend climb into the bed and pull the bike the rest of the way in.
7. Attach the straps above (very important) the suspension and to tie-down points on each side of the front wheel. Brace the front wheel on the front of the bed.
8. take the slack out of the tie-downs as the bike is completely upright.
9. Bounce the suspension as your friend pulls the tie downs equally tight, the bike should remain securely upright when you’re done, but should have some of its suspension travel remaining to absorb bumps during the trip.
10. Consider securing the rear wheel with another tie-down if it seems as if it might shift during the trip.
11. Check on the bike periodically or when you stop for gas to make sure it remains secure.

Notes:
1. Do not lower the side stand once the bike is loaded.
2. Compressing the suspension fully could damage your bike.
3. If the bike shifts during travel, don’t panic. Find a safe place to pull over and re-secure it, maybe a a little tighter or more evenly this time.
4. The tailgates on some trucks can’t handle the weight of large or multiple bikes. Consult your owner’s manual to figure out how much they can hold.
5. It can be a good idea to securely chain your motorcycle to your truck when parked to prevent it from being stolen.

Do you have any tips or tricks you can add? Tell us in comments below.

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