Catching the industry by surprise, Norton announced they are considering building a high-end V4 that will go up against well-known superbikes like the Ducati 1299 Panigale. A Norton board official said they have wanted to put together a V4 superbike for several years. However, they had previously been concentrating on the re-launch of the Norton brand in 2008, and only recently had the time and resources to dedicate to new projects.
The new Norton superbike is expected to be a 1200cc V4 that is fuel-injected and liquid-cooled. The frame will be constructed of aerospace aluminum and will be built and finished at the Norton facility. The wheels and body will be constructed out of carbon fiber. Other details include:
– Body work made from full carbon.
– Wheels made from carbon.
– LED headlamps.
– GP specification electronics array with traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS).
– Ohlins gas forks.
– Fuel tank located under seat.
– TTX rear shocks.
– Mono-block brakes by Brembo.
– Full color dash display.
– Hand-finished billet yokes.
– GP style packages.
– Underslung silencer with headers made from titanium.
The early design profiles look somewhat close to the company’s incredibly loud Isle of Man TT ‘SG’ line. Norton as a company is relatively stable now after the re-launch. They recently took in investment capital totaling more than £7 million from George Osborne’s AMSCI and other sources.
Company officials said the V4 is a product they have had on the planning boards for many years. The new V4 will join the firm’s family of air-cooled and oil-cooled lines which are developed on top of the 961cc Commando model. The company is also looking at the possibility of a 650cc version with parallel twin configuration as well as an electric bike.