Coming Soon | New Norton Manx and Atlas

We’ve already reported on Norton’s rebirth under the ownership of TVS Motor and with collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover’s design boss on the all-new range of bikes taking the brand global.
Four of those bikes have now been revealed to the world at Milan’s EICMA motorcycle show, ahead of which we got the scoop on their design, construction and features. Read on for the full details!

Norton Manx R and Manx

The revival of a classic Norton name and its associations with success in Isle of Man road racing is about the only nod to the past with the new Manx R sports bike and Manx super naked. But the chosen name informs much about how both have been engineered. With a 1,200cc V4 motor, carbon bodywork and a premium billing it’s easy to assume these are just further evolutions of the previous V4SV and V4CR. In fact, the Manx R and Manx are completely fresh bikes, the engine claimed to be all-new while the previous welded aluminium frame has been replaced with a more modern cast design. From semi-active suspension to configurable rider modes and a connected TFT display tech has also moved on leaps and bounds. The TT-inspired name and road-racing heritage have been core to the development philosophy of the Manx, with performance and riding style geared as much to the road as the track to mark a clear difference with race rep rivals like the Ducati Panigale V4. To those ends Norton analysed rider telemetry to figure out how people actually use their bikes. Hence the new V4 is tuned for flexibility and torque, with 206 horsepower at 11,000rpm and 130Nm at 9,000rpm. Right where you can actually use it, says Norton. Electronically controlled Marzocchi suspension meanwhile adapts to the road surface while selectable rider modes help set the parameters according to your tastes or the riding conditions. That road bias is obvious in the clean look of the Manx models, with a notable absence of wings, aero and similar track-inspired styling features. There’s nothing retro about either, the smooth lines designed with help from Jaguar Land Rover’s Gerry McGovern giving the Nortons a very distinctive and modern look. Carbon bodywork adds to the exotic vibe, and helps nail the promise of more than one horsepower per kilogram of all-up weight. We’ll have to wait and see what that adds up to in cost terms, mind.

Norton Atlas and Atlas GT

If the Manx R and Manx put a modern twist on Norton’s sporting heritage the Atlas and Atlas GT do the same with its history of tough, no-nonsense off-road machines. This for the fact adventure bikes remain the go-to for a lot of modern riders, and Norton couldn’t afford to ignore them with its relaunch. Available in two distinct versions, the Atlas runs wire wheels for a more off-road inspired look while the Atlas GT is more adventure tourer with its more road-optimised cast wheels. Both have a very distinctive and modern style about them, again informed by the input of JLR’s Gerry McGovern. Who, given the success he’s had with cars like the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Evoque, knows a thing or two about combining off-road heritage with contemporary design. Which is a good thing, given many modern adventure bikes look the same. Not so the Atlas, which stands out as something a bit different. Power comes from a 585cc parallel twin with, we’re told, around 70 horsepower, the Atlas built around a concealed tubular steel frame while the KYB suspension and budget ByBre brakes suggest it’ll be pitched competitively price-wise. An 8.0-inch touch-screen and full suite of rider aids and tech is also promised. More info on pricing and availability when we have it!