This is not only a momentous time for Norton but also for the entire motorcycle community, as the “new” Norton, now owned by TVS Motor, jumps back into the fray with the all-new V4 Norton Manx R. Why so momentous? Because Norton, for all its well-documented highs and lows, remains perhaps the most evocative marque of them all. Established in 1898 and a motorcycle manufacturer since 1902, it possesses one of the longest running stories in motorcycling, particularly in racing. Be it the glory days of the 1950s and 1960s, when Norton dominated international racing, or even as recently as 1992, when Steve Hislop rode the White Charger rotary-engine superbike to victory in the Senior race at the Isle of Man TT, the Birmingham-based manufacturer has a history like no other. Even when the company was most recently in dire financial straits, Aussie Josh Brookes lapped The TT Mountain Course at an incredible 131.75 mph on the SG6 V4 back in 2018.That story seemed to be over for good when Norton fell into administration in early 2020 but, before the year was out, Indian giant TVS Motor grabbed the opportunity to buy the brand and, six years and £200 million ($270 million) of investment later, with a state-of-the-art HQ and factory fully established in Solihull, Birmingham, we have this, the Norton Manx R superbike. The first all-new “new” Norton.“Nothing is transferred over from the old bike to this bike,” Norton Chief Technology Officer Brian Gillen says. “Yes, the 72-degree [engine angle] is the same, but there are no parts that can be transferred over,”

In the flesh, the 1200cc V-4 is a stunning machine. Norton describes it as a “premium” superbike and, aside from its jaw-dropping looks, what makes it different is its deliberate detachment from the racetrack. Unlike most superbikes on the market, Norton hasn’t chased lap times or produced a machine with the intention to race in World Superbike. There are, for example, no aero-wings, while its weight is higher than that of the competition and peak power is lower. Norton says this doesn’t matter. The Manx R has been designed for the public road—and not to beat the competition on track.

Norton conducted a huge amount of research on the subject of road versus track. They discovered that everyday road riders rarely ride above 8000 rpm; that the key characteristic of a sporting engine is a strong mid-range, not peak power at the top end of the tacho, which is why the 72-degree V-4 produces 75% of its torque at just 5000 rpm. Both engine and chassis have been engineered around a rider who will use the Manx R primarily on the public highway and occasionally on track, which is why it features semi-active suspension from Marzocchi, a luxuriously large eight-inch touchscreen dash, and a single-sided swingarm, which may have gone out of fashion in racing but still looks mighty good on the street.

We flew to southern Spain to ride the new Manx R on the road and track. For the latter there were no tire warmers, no slick tires, nor stop watches. That’s because a Norton Manx R is supposed to be ridden to the track, not arrive in the back of a van. And as someone who rode the old V4 road bike just before the old Stuart Garner-owned Norton fell into administration, I couldn’t wait to experience this next chapter of one of motorcycling’s most enduring stories. Four Version of Manx RThere will be four versions of the Manx R. US prices aren’t set, but the bike we rode, the Signature, is priced in the UK at £38,750 (about $52,000) and arrives with carbon bodywork and Rotobox Bullet Pro Carbon wheels. The Apex edition is more on a par with the Italian competition, is priced at £24,740 ($33,000) and features standard bodywork and forged lightweight wheels but shares the same electronic Marzocchi suspension. The base Manx R runs conventional, manually adjustable Marzocchi suspension and is priced at a seriously competitive £20,250 ($27,000).Theprice of the top of the range First Edition has not yet been revealed. UK prices generally run slightly higher than a straight conversion to US dollars might suggest, at least by other European makers’ standards. Ducatis in the US, for example, are a few thousand dollars cheaper that a straight UK currency exchange, but Norton is new to the market so we will wait and see.

The Road RideIn the flesh, the Manx R’s complete absence of wings, side ducts or any other aero bits, plus the lack of an air intake “snorkel,” lends a classy, smooth-skin finish. From a few yards, it looks very different from anything on the market, with an instantly recognizable single-sided swingarm, and is now the only current superbike to run this configuration. From the three-quarter rear angle especially, it looks as purposeful as it does beautiful. That shortened rear end and eye-catching rear light are guaranteed head-turners. “We wanted a super-compact bike,” Gillen says. “From day one, we wanted really clean surfaces and a very tight package. The challenge was fitting everything into the available volume— all the electronics, all the systems, all the design requirements. There’s just a huge amount of stuff to fit into a very small space.”

Up close, the positives continue. The switchgear has a distinct and slightly retro design. The dash is pleasing to use yet highly functional. And can you spot any fairing fasteners? What a challenge it must have been for the engineers to produce a bike this clean and sleek, with no visible bolt heads. But when you are chasing a premium design brief, it’s the details that matter. Of course, if it appeals to you it can be classy and as stunning as you like, but it also has to work. Keyless ignition—which some love and some hate—brings that TFT dash to life, although doing so takes a few seconds longer than expected. A dab of the starter button and the Norton V-4 barks into life. It sounds meaty but not overloud, and I for one can’t wait to hear it back-to-back with an Aprilia RSV (65-degree V-4) or Ducati Panigale (90-degree V-4). With a slightly unusually phased firing order the British bike certainly has its own character.

There are three riding modes for the road to choose from (Road, Rain and Sport) and two dedicated track modes. The modes are factory set but if you want to configure your own (perhaps remove the wheelie control and keep the TC), you can create it in one of the track modes. Once you have done this, it’s saved even when the ignition is switched off. Both the Signature and Apex models have semi-active suspension from Marzocchi, therefore the modes also change the character of the suspension.

As we headed for the hills above Seville, I noticed that the cable clutch is much lighter than the old 2022 model, which I last rode on track in the UK. The mirrors are still not the best (once upon a time, the Norton road bike had a rear view camera and no mirrors), but the dash is clear and easy to navigate. At slow speeds, the gearbox is light, the quick-shifter works smoothly and, as I expected, there is noticeable heat from the rear cylinders. A rear-cylinder deactivation system does activate at a stand still but not at low rpm while moving like some Ducati models. Okay, you certainly look good around town on a Manx R, but it was never designed as a commuter.

Luckily, Norton treated us to some spectacular roads with some stretches even closed to the public, which allowed us to have some fun. Immediately, I found myself holding onto the revs and upshifting near the redline simply because the V-4 sounds so intoxicating. The gearbox is slick, the V-4 is happy to oblige. But this is not the optimal way to ride the new Manx R. It took me a while to calm down and work it out. Peak torque is at just 9000 rpm compared to 11,250 rpm on the Ducati V4 Panigale and 10,800 rpm on the Aprilia RSV4. This puts the Norton’s real strength is in the midrange, between 4000 rpm and 8000 rpm. So short-shift, let it flow, and ride the wave. Riding this way doesn’t feel blisteringly quick like a BMW M1000RR or V4 Panigale. Instead, it’s much more relaxed, not as fraught and, with the wheelie control removed, not an animal that wants to loop over backward on a whiff of the throttle. But don’t be fooled. You are moving.

Experimenting with the riding modes, I found the fueling too urgent for the road in the track modes, especially in the lower gears when opening the throttle from the closed position. Sport mode was easier but for a pacy ride across country, I preferred Road mode.

On the road, the handling is very much like the engine in terms of its real-world focus. Initially, I selected one of the track modes, turned off the wheelie control and hit the closed Spanish roads like I was qualifying for the TT. Again, I quickly discovered this was the wrong approach as the Marzocchi semi-active suspension was too harsh. In Sport or Road mode, however, the setup was much more forgiving, with more feedback through the chassis and comfort greatly increased.Changing the modes is easy, and I found myself regularly alternating between the standard Road and Sports setup to suit the variable road conditions. Without the need to be competitive in superbike racing, Norton engineered plenty of flex into the chassis, which gives a great feel during normal riding. Instead of relying on electrical control, you ride on an old-school mechanical grip, and the Pirelli Supercorsa SP-V4 rubber gives confidence-building feedback and bite once warm.At first, the steering seemed a little slow for a superbike. As the miles slipped by and the tires generated more heat, the Manx R began to turn with more urgency, but it certainly steers with less of the snap of the racier competition. Front-end feeling is excellent, and I found myself entering corners with knee-down confidence, and once the bike is on its side, the feedback is as good as any.Riding toward the racetrack for the afternoon session after a spirited road ride, my overall impression of the new Norton Manx R was extremely positive. As a sportbike, it’s easy to ride fast, but at no point feels too much or too hectic. It steers a little slower than some of the competition. It doesn’t have the free-revving aggression of some of the competition. But it does have that big fat midrange, road relevant rider aids and a brilliant dash (which becomes a touchscreen when stationary). The throttle response is a little bit sharp in Track and Sport modes, the mirrors are not overly informative, and I’m unsure how far 3.8 gallons of fuel will take it on the road. Onto the trackThe current trend among manufacturers during a sportbike track test is to fit racing slicks, use tire warmers and paddock stands, and generally look after the riders like they are World Superbike heroes.

But that wasn’t the case with Norton. There were no tire warmers in sight, the bike ran on standard Pirelli Supercorsa SP rubber, and we even kept the mirrors and licence plate in place—the message being that the Manx R is engineered as a road bike that can also perform on track, not the other way around. So we rode it straight from the road and onto the circuit like we were rolling up for a road bike-only track day. The only changes we made were electronic: a quick switch into Track mode before heading out onto the impressive Circuito de Monteblanco.I’ve ridden here numerous times, so I couldn’t wait to unleash the new Norton. The straight is seriously long at well over one kilometer, and I knew it would be the perfect test of the Manx’s 320mm diameter discs and top-line Brembo HyPure brake calipers. I fully expected the ABS to feel slightly intrusive, even in Track mode, but I was wrong. The brakes were strong, and so was the bike’s stability despite its short wheelbase and lack of aerodynamic aids, which supposedly help with stability and braking from high speed.

After the heavy stop into Turn One, the rest of the infield is a sequence of direction changes, mostly in second and third gear. Again, the Norton steered without the razor-response of its track-sharp Italian rivals, but it remained predictable and composed. Once the bike was settled into the corner and fully loaded on its side, cornering clearance and the rider/tire connection were superb. Drive out of turns was strong, especially in second and third gear, with all that midrange torque shovelling the bike toward the next braking point. The gearbox was smooth, the quick-shifter faultless and unnoticed, and the whole package delivered genuine speed and excitement.

The biggest limitation, however, was the intervention from the rider aids in the lower gears, particularly first and second. Whenever I aggressively requested torque and drive while carrying lean angle, the electronics often felt like they were holding the bike back, giving perhaps 40% torque when I requested 80%. That’s because the rider aids have been calibrated more for fast road riders and typical track day users more than ex-racers chasing lap times, so for those really trying to push, the systems can feel a little too restrictive. As an experiment and following a brief chat with the engineers, I decided to remove the majority of the rider aids, while leaving the ABS and suspension in Track settings. Now, when I asked for 80% throttle, the bike delivered 80% torque. It jumped out of the slower first- and second-gear corners, giving more drive and noticeably more speed along the straight.At that point, I was relying much more on mechanical grip and rider feel, but thankfully both are excellent and the chassis communicated extremely well. The Supercorsas were beginning to overheat, which introduced some gentle, progressive slides, yet the Norton still oozed with positive feedback. The overall character of the bike suddenly felt amplified. Like it genuinely wanted to party. It was more alive, more engaging, and far more exciting to push hard.

Again, the brakes were brutally strong at the end of the long straight. Stability remained absolute and there was no hint of fade. But whereas before I felt wrapped in a sophisticated electronic safety blanket, now I was allowed to properly enjoy the V-4 experience. I know my lap times here would still be slower than on some rival machinery but, with the rider aids dialled down, the sheer enjoyment of riding the Manx R fast was much improved How Do You Compare the Norton Manx R To Others in the Superbike Class?The new Norton Manx R is a difficult bike to assess, primarily because there is no direct predecessor against which to compare it. Usually, a new model is simply 10% faster, carries a few extra horsepower, or shaves a little time off a lap. But this Brit-built bike is different.

Compared with the current crop of superbikes in this class, the Norton is down on outright power. And if you fitted slicks, grabbed a stopwatch, and chased lap times, then it would be slower than most of the competition. Exactly how much slower is hard to say, especially because that gap may shrink considerably with an average rider rather than, say, a former racer.What can be said with confidence, though, is that Norton’s Manx R absolutely delivers as a complete experience. Visually, it is stunning in the flesh. To my eye, it may even be the best-looking bike in the modern superbike class. If I opened my garage and saw this bike waiting for me every morning, I’d be a very happy man.

At around £20,000 for the base model, it’s certainly expensive but competitive with many class alternatives and cheaper than some. As a road bike, it makes a lot of sense. It sounds every bit as good as it looks, produces a thick spread of midrange torque, and combines an informative dashboard with straightforward usability. It’s also reasonably comfortable, although we still need more road miles to properly assess long-distance comfort, as well as how fuel range plays out with its small 3.8-gallon tank.On track, the bike delivers exactly what it promises. It’s fun, engaging, fast, and full of character. The engine has strong power and torque, the brakes are phenomenal, and the chassis provides a high level of sporty feedbackThe electronics, however, are not quite as sophisticated as those fitted to some rival superbikes. To unlock the bike’s full ability on circuit, experienced riders will probably want to reduce or remove many of the rider aids. But for the occasional track day enthusiast the Norton strikes an appealing balance. It sounds fantastic, looks spectacular, and delivers a genuinely enjoyable riding experience.There are still unanswered questions. We still want to spend more time riding the bike on the road and, at the other end of the riding spectrum; we still want to fit slicks and really push for outright lap times. But as Norton’s first serious superbike effort since the company’s rise from the ashes, it’s a surprising achievement.

2026 Norton Manx R Tech Specs