Kenny Dreer's eight-year attempt to bring the Norton Commando back to life is at a crossroads. The $10 million needed to fund production was not raised and in mid-April the company suspended operations, furloughed its employees, reorganized the board of directors and declined to renew the lease on its Gladstone, Oregon, headquarters.
Road Test Editor Canet getting down to business on the 961. “Very nice chassis feel,” he reported. “Suspension is firm, yet active; steering is light and neutral and there's an overall sense of excellent stability. The front tire feels well-planted, seems to carry a lot of weight—tire grip wasn't an issue." |
The latter was expected as the company was in the midst of locating a property more suitable for production, but the news is not good for fans of the redesigned 961 Commando, a pre-production version of which got a very favorable review in the May issue of Cycle World.
Executive Editor Mark Hoyer had previously ridden a rough-and-ready Commando test mule and came away from his ride on the pre-prod bike impressed with the development made.
“This thing is so 'Kenny Dreer' it is ridiculous! The exhaust-note growl on over-run really speaks to the hot-rod ethic that infiltrates everything he does,” Hoyer said. “They have made a lot of progress with this engine from the last time I rode it a year and a half ago. It is much more free-revving and lively. Most importantly, this motorcycle feels like a package, a system. A few minor refinements and a bit of polishing and the Norton 961 will be a genuine alternative to an air-cooled Ducati Monster.”
Or at least that was the plan before the money ran out.
It may say “Norton” on the sides of the gas tank but the fact that the new Commando got so close to production is due to the tireless efforts of Kenny Dreer. |
“It's not as bad as it seems; we're not shutting down the company,” said Bruce Murdock, former Norton CEO now retained as a consultant and spokesman. “We're cutting expenses to the bone and looking for investors, strategic partners or the right buyer who can accelerate our vision of getting the bike into production.”
Some positive news: At Dreer's insistence, the 100 or so people who put deposits down on new “Signature Series” Nortons will be given their money back, along with the option of retaining their place on the waiting list should operations resume. The total amount of the deposits ran well into six figures.
Dreer remains a member of the Norton board and is still hopeful that the company can find a way out of this latest dilemma.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my most sincere thank-you's to everyone who has followed this story,” he said. “The Norton 961 Commando featured in the May issue is the result of a dream that started more than 10 years ago when my wife Lanie and I started Vintage Rebuilds in the barn behind our house. Little did anyone know at that point where it would all lead. While the current situation is not easy, I believe in my heart that a new Norton is still a realizable dream.”
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