Since taking over in 2020, Indian giant TVS has invested more than £100 million in Norton, including a completely new factory south of Birmingham. For the development of a completely new model line, the Indians have poached none other than Brian Gillen as the new CTO at MV Agusta.
If you still think that things will never get better at Norton Motorcycles, after the mess that Stuart Garner has made and left behind, since the takeover of the TVS Motor Company in 2020, the famous British brand has been slowly climbing out of the valley .
At the end of 2022, a completely revised version of the Commando 961 was unveiled, which was now marketed in two different versions – the 961 CR café racer and the 961 SP roadster. Now the parent company has taken a very important step in the development of new models, the first of which are expected in 2026.
On February 6, 2024, the parent company announced that Norton Motorcycles had named Brian Gillen as its new Chief Technology Officer. If that name doesn’t mean anything to you: Gillen can be seen as the MV guru, who as R&D director at MV Agusta has been responsible for almost everything that has been developed since its resurrection, from F4 1000 to Dragster and from Superveloce to LXP. With such achievements under his belt, it is clear that Gillen has a challenging task ahead as Norton Motorcycles enters its expansion phase.
For the updated business plan, Norton will follow a three-step approach: restore, build and grow. The first step is to solve problems with the brand’s current range, followed by expanding the dealer network. In total, the initiative was estimated to take between 24 and 40 months to complete, as outlined by Norton CEO Dr. Robert Hentschel. It is clear that Brian Gillen plays a crucial role in this process, as his job includes the development of the brand’s next generation of models, which will most likely include both electric and combustion models.
In addition to expanding the existing model range, Norton Motorcycles also has an eye for global expansion. This means that the models must comply with the various regulations and safety standards that apply in multiple markets – a responsibility that seems to fit with Brian Gillen’s new job description.
With all this in mind, Dr. Hentschel has full confidence in Gillen’s skills. “Brian comes with very rich experience and expertise in engine and vehicle design, emerging technologies and connectivity,” he stated.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.