Norton motorcycle breaks land-speed record
Posted on 15 Sep 2010. Edited by: Machinery Market. Read 1216 times.
A motorcycle made by Castle Donington manufacturer Norton has set a world land-speed record. The firm’s 961 Commando Special Edition clocked an average top speed of 129.191mph at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, on 30 August. The bike claimed the record for the 1,000cc production push-rod engine class at the annual BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials. It eclipsed the previous record — set last year by a Buell bike — of 126.398mph.
Veteran motorcycle-racing journalist Sir Alan Cathcart rode the Norton. To achieve the record, he had to do two runs, from which an average speed was taken.
On his first run, the speed trap clocked him at 129.003mph and on the second he recorded 129.380mph. Sir Alan said that achieving the record on the 961 Commando SE was special, because the machine was no different to a road bike. “It’s nice to put Norton back in the record books for the first time in so many years. The fact that we did it on a stock bike — exactly as delivered to any Norton customer — makes it all the sweeter.” A spokesman for the company said: “We are delighted that the Norton name is in the record books once again, adding to its long, illustrious racing heritage.”
The 961 Commando SE has proved a great success since going back into full production earlier this year. Chief executive Stuart Garner said: “Since we started making Nortons again in the UK 18 months ago, we have found that there is a lot of loyalty towards the brand.”
The Norton name was brought back to Britain from the USA in October 2008; Mr Garner bought the 112-year-old business from American businessman Ollie Curme, who acquired it in 1992. He has since invested millions of pounds in the venture and has taken on dozens of people at the factory in the past 18 months.
“The response has been amazing. We knew that the bikes would be popular, but there was no way of judging just how popular. This year, we are aiming to make a good few hundred bikes; next year, we are aiming for 2,000. We will therefore need to increase our production capacity here at Castle Donington.” Norton has plans to more than treble the size of its factory — to 30,000ft2 — over the next few years.