Norton V4 SS and RR: PH2

Norton unveils the most technologically advanced British motorcycle ever built

There were many that questioned what on earth Norton was doing competing at the TT in recent years, especially as it was doing so with an Aprilia engine. Most assumed it was a publicity stunt, and that Norton was there simply to make up the numbers.

Well here is the real answer - the brand new Norton V4 SS. And no, it doesn't have an Aprilia motor, it has a 1,200cc V4 designed and built by Norton (with a little help from Ricardo) that boasts cutting edge electronics and is housed in a TT-proven chassis. Interested now? Thought so. Oh yes, and it's about the size of a supersport bike!

More than 200hp and a TT-proven chassis you say?

"We wanted to create a bike that's not a lesser spec than the competition, with a V4 is at least where the cream of the market is at today - and then go past that," says Norton CEO Stuart Garner. "We're confident we can go past it with some performance and we can go past it with some handling and the electronics too. But then you get the exclusivity of a British Norton, a V4 that delivers everything with a little bit more swagger than the mass market superbikes out there today, with a hand built finish and exclusive numbers." And by exclusive he means the highest specification model, the SS, will be limited to 200 units and costs £44,000 while the lower(ish) spec RR is limited to 250 and costs £28,000. The bad news is that all SS bikes have already sold out; in fact, they did so before the machine was even officially announced. If you are interested in an RR you had better move fast...

So what's the deal with the V4? The engine has been designed by Norton's Head of Design Simon Skinner (he used to work at Triumph, the 675 triple among his achievements) with help from Ricardo. Yes, that Ricardo. It is a 72-degree 1,200cc V4 (the Aprilia is 65-degree) that makes, according to Norton, over 200hp and 95lb ft of torque, which is more than the RSV4 RF. The inlet valves are titanium and it has a neat idler gear system that turns the cams to keep the engine very compact, which again is different to Aprilia's system. Add to this a full ride-by-wire throttle system and that gives you access to the latest cutting edge technology such as traction control, launch control, cruise control, variable length intakes, wheelie-control and variable fuel modes. And this is all thanks to the SG TT-racer.

SS is sold out, so move quick for an RR

Norton has been quite clever and because it knew a V4 was being developed, it has been using the race bike as a rolling development chassis. The reason it had an Aprilia engine boiled down to the fact it was a match for the format they were designing and was reliable - the more miles covered, the better the chassis data gathered. Last year the TT bike lapped at a very impressive 130.8mph average speed and finished seventh overall in the Superbike TT with Dave Johnson riding; now all this data is in the new road bike chassis.

The V4 SS's chassis is a combination of aluminium tubing and CNC machined parts from aerospace grade billet aluminium that are hand welded together in the factory. According to Norton, it has a similar geometry to the TT racer and uses the V4 as a stressed member, however the road bike's frame is actually 3kg lighter than the racer's. The SS comes with an adjustable headstock and swing arm pivot point and its frame is hand polished to a mirror finish. Matched to this frame is a single sided swing arm that is also CNC machined (from a 70kg block of billet) and weighs just 3.1kg. To keep costs down, the V4 RR will use cast instead of CNC machined parts in its chassis, subframe and swing arm, however it has the same basic geometry as the SS. Add to this Ohlins suspension, carbon wheels and Brembo brakes and it all adds to a pretty impressive first stab at a sports bike! And the choice of pure carbon or the silver TT-rep paint finish is also inspired and really splits opinion.

Norton's back!

So now the crunch question: when will we see the final production bike in the flesh? Norton is starting production of the SS in mid-2017 and the RR will follow soon after. While the first run of 200 SS models has sold out, there are still some of the 250 RR bikes left to be snapped up. Will this be the end of production? Norton is keen on keeping the bike exclusive, but it has not said it will limit production. As Norton's CEO Stuart Garner sums up, "For Norton the V4 is an incredibly exciting bike and opens another chapter in Norton's future..." We can't wait to see what else this chapter holds in store.

The Norton is on show at Motorcycle Live (or the NEC Bike Show as everyone still calls it), which opens this weekend and runs until November 27 at the NEC in Birmingham.