Norton V4 Superbike Unveiled

After making Norton enthusiasts wait with baited breath for a long time, the first superbike from the British bikemaker has been officially unveiled. Norton removed the wraps off the new V4 and we are delighted to report that the bike looks pretty close to the concept sketches which were showcased few years back. The new Norton V4 superbike will be offered in two variants – RR and the top-spec SS. The bike has been designed and built at Norton's factory in Derby, and the Norton V4 features a hand-built aluminium frame which the firms says was developed based on the feedback they received from the SG5 TT race bike's chassis. 

The Norton V4 is, technologically, the most advanced motorcycle to be ever manufactured in Britain. The biggest challenge for the bikemaker was to make a capable machine which can take on the best litre-class bikes in the business. Now, Norton doesn’t have the same multi-million dollar budget, innumerable resources or development time its rivals like Ducati, Honda and Yamaha have. Despite that, for it to come up with capable bike like the V4 is remarkable. 

The 72-degree liquid-cooled, 1200cc V4 motor has been developed by Norton. It delivers more than 200PS of power and 130Nm of peak torque arrives at 10,000rpm. And lest we forget, the new mill is also Euro emission norm compliant. The chassis is a twin-tube “shotgun” frame, while the Norton V4 sports a single-sided swingarm with a fully adjustable pivot point. To keep the weight low, the body is made from carbon fibre and so are the fuel tank and wheels (on the V4 SS). 

Norton has made sure that the new V4 gets equipped with the latest electronic wizardry that was developed by the British bikemaker themselves. It features a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), traction control, wheelie control, launch control and cruise control, quick-shifter with down-shift auto-blipper, riding modes, and an on-board data logging system. The bike also features a 7-inch TFT screen that includes a rear-facing camera. 

The Norton V4 SS gets top drawer cycle parts like Ohlins NIX30 forks and an Ohlins TTXGP rear shock. Buyers also have the option of selecting full titanium racing exhaust in the V4 SS that reduces the weight by 8kg while power output also rises by 10PS. The stock Norton V4 SS tips the scale at just 179kg (dry weight). The bike can be had in raw carbon fibre finish or chrome, like the TT race bike which will be popular in the US market. 

Now if you are impressed with the Norton V4 SS like us and do have enough money in your account to afford one (not like us), you can’t buy one though! All the 200 units of the Norton V4 SS are priced at Rs 37.15 lakh without any taxes added to it. Don’t be too disappointed as the Norton V4 RR is still up for grabs at a more affordable Rs 23.64 lakh; production for which will be limited to just 250 units.