![]() Norton says it’s revised 1200cc V4 is good for 185bhp, which is 15hp down on the ‘200hp’ claims made for the previous iteration. ![]() One can register their interest in the V4SV at this website. Other than the finish, the only other difference are the wheels – Carbon fibre BST on the Carbon bike while the Manx Silver version comes on Oz forged aluminium wheels. Two colourway options are on offer: Carbon and Manx Silver. Each is hand-made and pieced together in the clinically clean new HQ in Solihull which we visited last November. In fact, as I type, Norton isn’t even accepting deposits. So even if you fancied a new V4SV for your garage, it might be a little while before you get your hands on it. Norton is of course honouring those who’d paid out for the ill-fated SS and RR models of the brand’s previous incarnation, as well as those who had their deposits down. How much is the 2022 Norton V4SV? It starts at £44,000 though once you’ve picked your jaw off the floor, that’s not the end of it. The Öhlins rear needed a little tweak to calm the rebound down but what an ostentatious piece of kit the V4 SV is – it really has a sense of grandeur and I certainly had that in the back of my mind when cranked over around the long and fast first corner. The big Brembo brakes were just about coping with the overall weight of bike, fuel, and rider on track, which was also affecting the side-to-side transitions at speed. The engine’s torque is strong yet linear, more so in Sport mode than Road, there’s no lag when you crack the throttle open in Sport. I’m glad Mallory is so short because I got to hear it blasting by pitlane at full chat every 50-seconds or so. The glorious, deep, raucous, and raspy bellow from the V4’s road-trim exhaust with baffle is divine. Just three riding modes, each with its own power and TC settings. There’s little else to test or confuse – no electronically adjustable suspension, wheelie control, engine braking, slide control, even tractions control. Three riding modes and a quick shifter are about all you’ve got from a rider aids perspective. It’d be like Prince William doing his shopping at Asda. Not really conducive to a premium level £44k bike launch. For those who aren’t familiar with Mallory Park, it’s short and home to the tightest hairpin and chicane combination of any full-sized circuit that I’ve ridden. And a one-hour, open pit-lane format was all that was needed to get a taste of the bike’s set-up, agility and performance, sort of. Norton’s crew explained that this opportunity was merely a riding preview to understand how it operated in an environment with no potholes or oncoming traffic. These machines ought to be hung on a wall, not handed over to three greasy oiks. A plush and hand-stitched seat is coupled with an immaculate finish throughout, from gleaming paintwork adorning the carbon fibre bodywork to a polished billet top yoke and foot pegs. Hopping on board, and the luxury weeps from every crevice. Eh?Ī new-Norton-deigned 1200cc V4 is its heartbeat with the bottom half of the unit from the existing SS, though every element has been addressed, modified, improved. And BikeSocial’s Michael Mann was among the first on board at a ‘Riding Preview’ held at… wait for it… Mallory Park. A new, first-class production facility has emerged in the West Midlands and the first machine off the conveyor belt is this – the Norton V4 SV. Not to worry because the since TVS has been in charge (April 2020) the company has been through its own overhaul. A reengineered version of the previous incarnation was always on the cards since the SS and RR from the firm’s previous owner were found to be riddled with ‘safety critical’ parts. ![]() Norton’s heavily revised V4 superbike is the first ‘new’ model in the TVS era. Norton Domiracer Review: It lives! World First Test. ![]()
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