Anyone love their Raleigh so much that they want to buy the company

[ASC1951]

Who in their right mind would buy a 78bhp £12.5k bike if it didn't have an iconic name/image like "Norton" on/with it?

Norton sold for millions and it really was just the name, "Raleigh", that business is worth a fortune.

I think you're wrong. Norton went bust at least twice since the 70s; and each time, the name was passed on for what it was worth i.e. a nominal amount and a bucketful of debt.
The Raleigh business is most certainly not worth a fortune. It is losing money and has minimal tangible assets. Just because a brand name has a long history and recognition doesn't meant that the name has any value - look at Woolworths.

 

[rollinstok]

My brother-in-law recently mail ordered a bike. "Its a bargain and must be alright because its a Raleigh" he enthused.
A couple of days later his " Reebok" arrived.. shoot bike, frame 2 sizes too big for him and weighed a ton
He rode it on a sunny afternoon for a couple of miles and its been in the shed since.
The biggest problem for Raleigh is its this type of customer base they have exploited for decades now and its extremely hard for them to compete against the other manufacturers who also exploit the same market.

 

[MarkF]

I think you're wrong. Norton went bust at least twice since the 70s; and each time, the name was passed on for what it was worth i.e. a nominal amount and a bucketful of debt.
The Raleigh business is most certainly not worth a fortune. It is losing money and has minimal tangible assets. Just because a brand name has a long history and recognition doesn't meant that the name has any value - look at Woolworths.

I think I am right. Norton was sold to a UK businessman in 2008, he paid millions for the name, the rights to which were held by US businessmen. Since, he has refused all offers of investment, preferring to retain 100% ownership, why? Because it's potentially worth many times more than he paid for it.

Woolworths business was a yesterday business, Raleigh manufactures cycles, everybody knows that, the name "Raleigh" is worth a lot of money.

 

[Crackle]

This was there last good bike

That's the MK1 isn't it, easily the best.

 

[Turnpike]

Don't forget Phillips - one of Britain's top 2(?) volume manufacturers before Raleigh absorbed them in the early 50s. The Phillips name is still going strong in China, making electric mopeds, check out the Phillips sign in this link - still using the old Phillips headbadge! http://china-phillips.gmc.globalmarket.com/