It’s the end of the week and that means I take a look at all the motorcycle news stories I wrote over at Web Bike World, and I do a news roundup here on Wind Burned Eyes.
This week, Norton and Honda feature in the news as well as some guidelines around the industry in general in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. I usually try not to report on COVID-19 stuff here, but this is actually good news.
Powersports Employees Are Now Essential Workers
The government revised some guidelines around essential workers during the COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. Now powersports employees are essential workers. This means some service centers and dealerships will be opening back up. Good news for many.
TVS Motors Will Keep Norton Manufacturing in Britain
Norton Motorcycles essentially went bankrupt, opening the doors for TVS Motors to swoop in and buy the British company. TVS now says it won’t move production out of the UK. It will also keep Norton a low-volume, luxury motorcycle manufacturer, and keep the same employees.
Not reported in the article linked below is the fact that TVS recently said that open orders for Norton bikes will be fulfilled. So, not only is TVS going to do right by the company, it has taken the first steps to rebuilding the brand. Good on TVS. Long live Norton.
Honda Design for Even Smaller Mini Bike
I love a good mini bike. Honda is making a new one. The little bike is smaller than the current Monkey and looks downright adorable and hilarious. The bike appears to have a little CVT and a single-cylinder engine, though not much is known about it at this time. Kudos to Honda for keeping things weird and silly.
