New launch of Norton V4

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New launch of Norton V4

A special kind of superbike

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Norton has now presented a spectacular superbike with the V4. Developed on the Isle of Man and with its own V4 engine, it should only serve one purpose: to stir up the established brands and enchant exclusive customers.

Stepping quietly is not in Stuart Garner’s style. The Norton owner therefore has great expectations of the first Norton series super bike, which is to be brought to athlete fans from early summer. A quick look back: The 47-year-old British self-made millionaire bought the traditional company in 2008 and launched the first series bike under his Egide in 2010 with the bare, retro-tinged Norton 961 Commando SE. The British based in Donington supposedly build and sell 1,000 Nortons per year. However, despite efforts from Commando, we have not received a test bike to this day.
D.he chances of riding the new Superbike V4 RR or the more exclusive SS version are also not good, because the 200 planned Norton V4 SS have already been completely sold and only a few of the first 250 copies of the Norton V4 RR are still to have . In 2017 we will see how serious this information really is, because then production and delivery should start fully.

New launch of Norton V4

A special kind of superbike

Four-cylinder V-engine has 1,200 cm³

The fact that Garner’s heart beats for real racing motorcycles has to be taken from him, because with the chassis of the now presented V4 and an Aprilia V4 engine, the Australian Dave Johnson stormed to a terrific seventh place in the TT last year in the superbike race. Norton engineers developed the superbike at the TT for five years, and now the Norton V4 has even had its own engine. The four-cylinder V-engine has 1,200 cc and a cylinder angle of 72 degrees (compared to the 65 degrees of the Aprilia RSV4). Norton built and developed this drive with the British engine manufacturer Ricardo, who has a lot of development experience with drives, including from work for customers from Ferrari to VW. On their side, Triumph’s former head of engine development, Neil Wright, headed the Norton V4 project.

The performance data of the V4 is remarkable

The performance data of the V4, whose development began less than two years ago, is remarkable. Over 200 hp at 12,500 rpm, a speed limit of 13,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 130 Nm would be enormous. The engine has a few nice details such as the titanium intake valves. The cylinder head, which is compact due to the cylinder angle and the camshaft construction, allows, according to Norton Head of Design Simon Skinner, a more compact arrangement of the injection unit and a larger airbox for more power. In the chassis, the engine, which Skinner says is more compact than Aprilia’s, is tilted further forward compared to the competition. There were also technical solutions such as relocating the balance shaft from the front to the engine lubrication area or the oil filter and starter to the left front side, so that the exhaust could be relocated to save space. A cassette gearbox and the anti-hopping clutch underline the racing attitude of the V4, which is housed as a supporting element in the chassis.

TT chassis for customers

The chassis itself largely corresponds to that of the TT racing motorcycle and makes the difference in its manufacture between the Norton V4 SS and the Norton V4 RR. The chassis of the exclusive SS model consists of tubular steel and CNC-milled aluminum. The single-sided swing arm, which weighs only 3.1 kilos, is milled out of a 70 kilo aluminum block. In the somewhat cheaper RR version, cast aluminum parts on the frame, rear frame and swing arm replace the particularly light CNC parts with exactly the same geometry. The damper elements come completely from Ohlins. Both bikes have the variable fork offset and swing arm pivot point in common.

"Norton is Great Britain and Quality"

In terms of electronics, the RR offers the same features as the SS. Equipped with the Bosch IMU (six-axis sensor), the Norton has the driver assistance functions of current superbikes such as traction control, launch and wheelie control as well as an automatic gearshift with high and low speed Downshift function. The ABS also comes from Bosch. A special feature sets the V4 models apart from the competition from Japan and Europe. The Norton superbike has no rearview mirror at all. Instead, a camera transmits what is happening behind on the TFT display. The 200 pieces of the SS version with a striking chrome finish went for a whopping 53,000 euros. The Norton V4 RR should cost just under 33,500 euros. “Norton stands for Great Britain and quality,” Garner says of the V4 plans. “I don’t want to build cheap fucking bikes. But we’re going to expand our portfolio and one reason is that the V4 engine looks damn good without the disguise. ”Modesty is not part of Garner’s style.

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