Shop: Falcon Motorcycles

The converted industrial warehouse that houses Falcon Motorcycles is tucked away at the dead end of a gritty street just off the I-10 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. There are no signs, the exterior is bland and the surrounding buildings are still home to heavy industry and manufacturing. Inside, the large live/work space is brightly lit by massive skylights, where Ian Barry and his crew meticulously build Falcon’s homages to English motorcycling of a bygone era. But I didn’t shoot during daylight, during regular production hours. I photographed at night while Ian quietly toiled away on new designs from his lofted open office above the transformed dark and cavernous machine shop. Was he politely guarding an attic full of secret projects? Naturally. Click below for the feature.

Grant Ray. December 14th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (26)

10 reasons why this Norton is the ultimate vertical twin

According to Webb’s of New Zealand, which will auction the motorcycle you see here on October 19th for something between $24,000 and $28,000, this Norton Commando production racer can be considered the “ultimate British vertical twin” for these 10 reasons. Take that, Triumph. :continue:

Wes Siler. October 13th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (11)

Pierre Terblanche quits Norton

Just six months after joining the company, Pierre Terblanche has exclusively confirmed to Hell For Leather that he has quit the new Norton. “Norton, with the right finance and management, could do very well,” the designer told us this morning as he packed up his apartment. Acquiring Terblanche — designer of the Ducati Supermono, 999 and many other iconic motorcycles — from mega-manufacturer Piaggio was quite the coup for Norton, the reborn brand has only been operating since 2008. :continue:

Wes Siler. June 10th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (35)

‘About 100′ Camarillo’s hidden motorcycle collection

The motorcycle community in Southern California is a small world. Everyone rides Angeles Crest and Malibu, we buy parts from the same shops, and we know all the guys that have a lot of really cool bikes. Or, at least I thought I did.

Then my dad, who’s never owned a motorcycle in his life, called me up convinced there was a friend of a friend with a collection I needed to see. He tells me that the guy who owns these bikes has a son who was a racer, that a lot of the bikes are race bikes and, most importantly, that he’s not a pirate. I wasn’t expecting much, but I brought my camera anyway. :continue:

Sean Smith. April 29th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (26)

Custom: Manx Norton Moderne

If you wanted to capture the spirit of the original Manx Norton in a modern bike, which would you choose? Sebastien Beaupere picked the Buell XB because of its powerful air-cooled motor. Originally intending to stick that engine in a featherbed-style frame, he became convinced he couldn’t best the stock Buell item. He did swap in an original Manx seat, hand-formed aluminum bodywork and air-intakes and a leather headlight containing 60 LEDs arranged to form Norton’s old Isle of Man race number — 1.

The Manx Norton Moderne is being unveiled exclusively on HFL.

:continue:

Wes Siler. March 15th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (33)

Pierre Terblanche and Dan Van Epps on the new Norton

Despite an ailing economy, nose-diving new bike sales and naysayers insisting it simply cannot be done, looks like the new Norton’s comeback is on track. Two recent big-name hires certainly have increased the start-up company’s chances of success. First it was announced that American Dan Van Epps was coming onboard as head of Norton’s U.S. operations. Van Epps was formerly CEO of Ducati North America before transferring to Bologna to lead the company’s overseas sales and product marketing. More recently he was in charge of sales strategy at Bimota. Bigger news was that designer Pierre Terblanche, best known for the many Ducati models he has penned, was moving to the British Midlands to become Norton Motorcycles Ltd.’s new full-time chief of design.

Hell For Leather talked exclusively with Terblanche, who had been in his new office at Norton’s Donington Park headquarters for just two weeks. :continue:

David Edwards. February 4th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (33)

Video: the Norton Hogslayer

The Hogslayer’s big innovation wasn’t packing first two, then three engines into a single drag racer, but doubling the width of the average rear tire to 8 inches and exploiting that added traction with a homemade clutch made from earthmover brakes. That enabled TC Christenson of Kenosha, Wisconsin to add 10mph to the world record for a quarter mile trap speed, achieving 180mph. It could reach that speed in seven seconds. Now, the legendary drag racer is the subject of a new documentary. :continue:

Wes Siler. January 31st, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (6)

Pierre Terblanche joins Norton

He of the Ducati Supermono, Pierre Terblanche, has signed on with the reborn Norton Motorcycles. To say the move is shocking is a bit of an understatement. Pierre had been working with Miguel Galuzzi on reviving the Moto Guzzi brand and Piaggio is a gigantic company. Norton…well, Norton makes a single bike in three different flavors and has only been around, in its current form, since 2009 and will only be entering the US market for the first time this year. What’s Pierre have to say for himself? :continue:

Wes Siler. January 12th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (12)

Phantom EG: a Norton from the great beyond

Gawd, I hate it when I whiff on a call. Last year when pics of this Phantom Norton crossed my desk, I dismissed it as an inconsequential bit of British fluff. As if, in an economy nosediving like a suicidal Stuka, this silly thing stood a chance. One and done, I thought, hope the poor dumb bloke hasn’t sunk his life savings into this folly. Well, blow me down if the Phantom Manufacturing Company hasn’t built and delivered four Phantom EGs, the last dispatched right here to the Colonies. :continue:

David Edwards. December 2nd, 2010 - Permalink - Comments (9)

Norton returns to USA

Beginning in May, 2011, Norton Motorcycles will again be on-sale in America. Similar in both style and mechanical arrangement to the much-loved Commando of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, three versions of the new bikes will be offered — the basic Norton Commando 961 Sport, the up-styled 961 Cafe Racer and the high-spec 961 SE. All three are powered by a sophisticated 961cc parallel-twin and equipped with modern running gear. In the case of the SE that even means USD Ohlins and radial Brembos. Classic looks, classic experience and modern performance? Yes, please. :continue:

Wes Siler. November 24th, 2010 - Permalink - Comments (15)

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