Two legendary brands form strategic partnership

Fuchs Lubricants, the company behind the legendary Silkolene brand have signed a partnership agreement with Norton Motorcycles.

The partnership between the two prominent brands will involve the exclusive use and recommendation of all Silkolene products in all Norton products for first fill and servicing.

Fuchs Silkolene will also support the Norton race team with the supply of lubrication and maintenance products from there comprehensive range.

The Norton Motorcycle race team will exclusively use Silkolene products throughout the season and will promote the Silkolene brand through logo promotion on all bikes, race team wear and race transport.

Richard Barrett – Marketing Manager – Fuchs Lubricants, commented, “We are extremely excited to be working closely with such a prestigious and well respected brand as Norton. Our in-house R&D team will work closely with the Norton design team ensuring cutting edge development of both motorcycle and lubricant”

Stuart Garner – Managing Director – Norton Motorcycles, commented, “We are delighted to be working with Fuchs-Silkolene.  It is great to be in partnership with a UK lubricant company and we are looking forward to the development of lubricants for the whole range of Norton bikes”

Instrumentation Contract

Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd signs up for VDO Viewline instrumentation to be installed on their new Commando 961SE bike the first model to be built in the UK in the last ten years.

Birmingham, United Kingdom, 15th May 2009.

Continental Automotive Trading UK Ltd are delighted to have recently won the contract to supply the new instrumentation to Norton a true iconic British brand.

Norton are producing a new bike The Commando 961SE which has been engineered by a team of experienced design engineers at their site located at the Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit in Castle Donington. The bike has been updated to deliver a high performance top of the range machine delivering the ultimate in ride ability and reliability.

Rick Ruffles the OEM Account Manager at VDO commented; “To have the opportunity to work alongside the exceptional team at Norton has been a dream come true as a bike enthusiast myself. Norton is an iconic British brand and VDO are delighted to be chosen as the instrument supplier. Our state of the art instrumentation range enhances the bike whilst retaining the classic look and feel”.

About the Viewline Instrumentation Product Range;

Viewline is the latest VDO analogue instrument platform. With modular solutions in three housing variations, VDO supply more functionality, flexible installations and improved design options as well as space-saving combi instruments which is unique in this sector.

With sales exceeding 24 billion € in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. The corporation currently employs approximately 133,000 at nearly 190 locations in 35 countries.

The Automotive Group of Continental AG is one of the leading global automotive suppliers. With its three Divisions – Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior – it achieved sales of approximately 15 billion € in 2008. The Automotive Group employs more than 80,000 people in more than 130 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive industry, the Automotive Group develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which a car accommodates individual mobility and driving pleasure to driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.

The Chassis & Safety Division (5.1 billion €, 27,000 employees) develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, air bag control systems, occupant classification systems, washer systems as well as electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into the safety concept ContiGuard®. The Powertrain Division (4 billion €, 25,000 employees) integrates innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains. These systems increase performance and driving comfort while at the same time lowering consumption and emissions. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division (5.9 billion €, 30,000 employees). The range of products includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. Additional products and services for commercial and special vehicles and spare parts for the independent aftermarket as well as original equipment services for a phased-out series production perfectly round off the portfolio.

www.vdo.com/uk

www.dtco.co.uk

Lightweight Carbon Fibre wheels from BST offer a combination of supreme performance and stunning looks, BST wheels are fully TUV approved which means they undergo an exhaustive testing programme to ensure durability and strength. BST (BlackStoneTek) are world renowned for their high quality carbon fibre components, which include main frames and swing arms.

The Carbon Wheels offer significant performance advantages over cast and forged aluminium wheels, reducing both inertia and gyroscopic forces as well as weight.

The reduced inertia of the wheel over even the best forged aluminium wheels is felt in significantly improved acceleration and braking as well as improved ride quality while the reduced gyroscopic effects massively improve turn in and overall steering control.

These wheels combined with some of the best suspension in the business ensures the Commando has modern levels of handling and chassis control while maintaining the classic lines of the Commando.

Following the great news of the MCT Norton engine production last week please see announcement from Norton Motorcycles Head of Design, Simon Skinner.

“The Commando 961 SE has been thoroughly engineered by a team of experienced motorcycle design engineers at Norton’s new facility at the Donington Park Grand prix circuit. It was felt that to bring the Commando up to date and deliver a good value product a ‘ground up’ engineering exercise was necessary, this work started in 2008 and has now progressed to completion.

The biggest challenge for the UK design team was the full integration of the fuel injection and engine management systems, this needed to be done without compromising styling and the classic look of the Commando. The fuel injection system is necessary to pass modern worldwide emissions legislation but also offers other benefits such as improved drivability and reliability.

The engine in the Norton Commando has been engineered to bring the 961cc parallel twin engine up to date with modern expectations of refinement and durability as well as complying with the latest emissions and noise legislation, all this needed to be achieved whilst maintaining the classic lines and character of the Commando.

Menard Competition Technologies (MCT) who have an enviable reputation for engineering race and production engines at their impressive facility deep within ‘Motorsport Valley’ in Oxfordshire were ideally qualified to undertake this challenge. MCT have full design, manufacturing and validation capability as well as huge experience, this combination of skills was vital to the success of Norton Motorcycles.

The frame and swing arm have been designed to meet strict fatigue and stiffness targets through the comprehensive use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and proved off on the gruelling Pave test circuit. The use of FEA has enabled the UK design team to create a frame that follows the classic styling of the Commando but has the durability of a modern motorcycle.

Norton UK has continued the ethos of using world class suppliers throughout the motorcycle, this is no more obvious than in the choice of cycle parts with suspension supplied by Ohlins, brakes and hydraulics exclusively Brembo and carbon fibre wheels by BST.

The SE version of the Commando will also have a ‘Carbon Pack’ consisting of carbon fibre wheels, front mudguard, headlight mounts, number plate hanger, rear hugger and chain guard.

The Commando represents a delicious mix of classic styling, modern processes and materials, this combined with solid British engineering ensures the all new Commando becomes a classic and remains a classic.”