Norton V4 sports bike test
British marque Norton wants to make a big statement in this year's Isle of Man TT, the beginning of a 3-year projectAs Norton gears up for its tilt at the 2012 Isle of Man TT beginning on the 26th of May, high speed stability testing of its 195hp V4 race bike is well underway, and initial reports from the factory are positive.
Ian Mackman was among a select group of individuals to have ridden the go-fast Norton, which is powered by an Aprilia RSV4 engine -- and he reckons the early signs are good.
"The first time [we rode the bike] was just a few weeks ago…the bike feels quite small like a 600 sports bike. We pushed the bike up to 165mph [256km/h] - everything seems right with the stability. The engine feels great in terms of the way it delivers the power, really strong."
Though Norton has only just started testing the bike, which is part of a three-year plan of attack on the road racing scene, the British bike maker has been focusing on high speed stability ahead of the perilous Senior TT race, a 364km endurance race where top speeds regularly enter the 'scary' zone.
According to the company's press statement, the initial shakedown was positive and the 165mph "no hands" test went well.
"Being there for the first high-speed test was interesting and we were all a bit nervous because we needed to know the bike was stable. Our rider Ian Mackman did some high-speed runs, hard braking and lots of track laps - he was really happy," said Stuart Garner, Norton CEO.
Braking and suspension tests on the Brembo and Ohlins components have been ongoing and Norton has enlisted AT Power to ensure the fueling (throttle bodies, fuel injection, ignition mapping) is up to the rigours of the Isle of Man TT.
Norton claims the bike will weigh just 190kg with a full tank of fuel, and Simon Skinner, chief of design at Norton says there are still a handful of tweaks to be made to the bike before it hits the 60km Snaefell Mountain Course.
"We’ve gone for a bike we hope will be rock solid…The biggest stuff in terms of the design and engineering are all now done and the list of things to do is much smaller, but no less important. Some of these are going to take a lot of work to get right but we have a good team and determination."
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