TVR boss buys a bike company
Smolenski's latest toy is Benelli from Italy
Will TVR's boss stay focused on TVR?
Details are still scarce -- it's not even clear if the acquisition was made by Smolenski or TVR -- but the price is yet unknown.
Sources close to the factory said that it was very much a personal project of Nikolai Smolenski, owner of TVR. "Nick was very excited by it, and it's why areas of the factory were cleared -- to make Benelli bits", said PistonHeads' source. The source also suggested that the reliability questions that continue to swirl round TVR are very similar to those that that surround Benelli.
The bike company was started in 1911, but its modern reputation was built on machines made in the 1970s. As a company, Benelli appears to have had a rollercoaster ride again similar to TVR's with interruptions to production over the years resulting from financial crises.
It remains to be seen if Smolenski's focus on TVR will be as tight as it has recently been following his latest acquisition, and that issue has already been raised by some TVR owners.
Benelli fans are enthusiastic though. One Benelli biker said in a forum: "That's the best news I've heard for a long time. It looks like the future of Benelli could well be assured in the hands of him if TVR is anything to go by. I don't think us Benelli owners could have hoped for a better result. Well done Nikolai!!!"
apache said:
There are a couple of nice bike-derived V8's at the moment, imagine a V8 2 litre bike with 300+ bhp ! Sounds like the bike that TVR would build if they had a chance, leapfrog the Hayabusa and gixxers in one easy step.
didn't our man Mellings design one for Norton?
I believe he drew a few pictures and thought of a horsepower figure for them... Allegedly.
That seems like an awful lot of money to pay for such a small company. Still, I'm sure he knows what he's doing...
see the shape of that petrol tank, I wouldnt like to have a front end shunt riding that
It's far easier to make a successful bike company. They're far more popular and Triumph have evolved nicely, Ducati have reinvented themselves, BMW have their own niche and that other Italian company whose name eludes me is riding high on the success of their 1000cc V-twin.
Now we need to bring back Moto Morini, Laverda and Moto Guzzi (if they're not still going srong somewhere). I suspect that BMW will probably rush out and buy Norton now and produce a sharp-handling bloated cartoon copy of the Commando.
ahonen said:
apache said:
busa_rush said:
There are a couple of nice bike-derived V8's at the moment, imagine a V8 2 litre bike with 300+ bhp ! Sounds like the bike that TVR would build if they had a chance, leapfrog the Hayabusa and gixxers in one easy step.
didn't our man Mellings design one for Norton?
I believe he drew a few pictures and thought of a horsepower figure for them... Allegedly.
That seems like an awful lot of money to pay for such a small company. Still, I'm sure he knows what he's doing...
Al Melling did indeed design the 1.5 ltr V8 for the Norton Nemisis which got as far as a prototype. Then there was all the Norton goings on etc.
I beleive at least one person put their name down for a Nemesis (not me, mores the pity), and if there were any way that that project could be revitalised it would be fantastic
........what GSXR/Busa
........nnnneeeeeooooowwwwwwww ! 
>> Edited by Vitesse39 on Thursday 4th August 14:01
>> Edited by Vitesse39 on Thursday 4th August 14:12
LuS1fer said:
Now we need to bring back Moto Morini, Laverda and Moto Guzzi (if they're not still going srong somewhere). I suspect that BMW will probably rush out and buy Norton now and produce a sharp-handling bloated cartoon copy of the Commando.
Guzzi are still about, they are knocking out some nice looking bikes. Some of them are supposedly reliable too
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