[Jeff Higgins]

I watched John McGuinness ride the new "Norton" at the Isle of Man TT last year. Best sounding bike out there by far. He couldn't complete a lap, though, it was always something. I was very, very disappointed to learn that the wonderful V4 sound was actually coming from an Aprillia motor in that beautiful Norton platform. Interestingly, he announced last week that he had left Norton and had signed with a Kawasaki team for next year. I doubt he really knew anything, other than Norton had told him they were not going to run the TT this year.

I hope somebody picked them up. We had a dealership about 20 miles from my house, and I did take the opportunity to check them out on a number of occasions. Beautiful bikes, but essentially a $25,000 Bonneville. They offered nothing in the way of performance that one couldn't get for half, or a third, of the price from a number of manufacturers of big twin cylinder, kinda retro bikes. BMW, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Triumph, and probably one or two I'm missing all offer competing bikes for far less money. Far better supported, too. Oh well, maybe like Ducati, they will pick up a rich benefactor and rise from the ashes. Time will tell.