VOL. 53 ISSUE 24 JUNE 21, 2016 P89
a position using the Cosworth
software from last year that we
couldn't get the correct throttle
calibration to make the engine
calm enough for the guys to be
able to use it properly on the
TT Course. The bike was too
reactive until now, it was just too
aggressive, so we had a discus-
sion with Aprilia about that, and
it seems they had similar issues
on their own superbikes with
this same engine. It delivers 230
horsepower, so this output gives
you problems when you're in
the bottom three gears trying to
get hard on the gas. It's super
aggressive and some of the
electronic packages out there
don't let you calibrate the bike
in a way that the rider can use
to control his throttle response,
but that's been a big issue that
we've now cracked with the help
since you first began negotiat-
ing to acquire Norton. Are you
where you hoped you'd be?
I think we're behind in some
ways, and ahead in others.
We're behind in terms of where
we thought we'd be with actual
volume, and the physical num-
ber of bikes being built, but
we're miles ahead in terms of the
strength of the brand, and how
we've established such a great
infrastructure here at Donington
THE 961 COMMANDO ISN'T GOING
ANYWHERE; THAT MODEL PLATFORM
WILL REMAIN IN PRODUCTION
PRACTICALLY INDEFINITELY.
of Aprilia, and Davo's great per-
formance on this year's Norton
has underlined that.
Presumably the acquired
knowledge that you've
achieved in liaising with
Aprilia on the TT racer is
going to help with producing
the forthcoming Norton V4
road bikes?
One hundred percent cor-
rect. The only way to justify the
budget we spend going racing
in the Island is that it's helping
us develop the 1200cc V4 road
bike that's morphing out of the
Norton TT racer.
Norton doing well in the
Isle of Man TT is a very signif-
icant step forward in bringing
the brand back to the global
stage. It's been eight years
Hall. So I think if seven and a
half years ago you'd offered
me the chance for Norton to
be where it is today, I'd have
grabbed it with both hands.
Because we've not got where
we wanted to go in quite the
same manner, but the net result
is that the Norton brand is very
much back in business in a very
strong, healthy way. We've man-
aged to avoid all the inevitable
banana skins in navigating from
a startup company into an estab-
lished motorcycle manufacturer
with good export sales, and an
exciting range of future platforms
coming to market, which also,
may I add, are bought and paid
for. The business has minimal
debt precisely because we've
taken our time and gone one
