Motorcycle specifications Norton1200 V4 SV 2023 A luxury superbike

After its enforced hiatus, Norton is quietly getting back to work. Rather than embarking on a host of projects that are now lost in the shuffle(650 Superlight, Atlas Nomad & Ranger, etc.), the emphasis has been placed on very sporty, very high-end products. The brand's finest flagship is relaunched with a serious technical update. Solihull's big sports bike has become the 1200 V4SV.

Norton' s design department has apparently not yet reopened its doors. In terms of form, there are no changes between the V4 and this SV. The same face, the same elegant curves, the same fatal beauty, the same skin-deep dynamism: it's an exciting car, and the fact that it has retained its pencil strokes has done it no harm.

The British staff preferred to concentrate their efforts on internal design, in order to eradicate any problems the bike may have encountered since its creation. Here too, the job is not noticeable, but in use, owners will be very happy with the increased level of serenity.
That's once the "upgrade" pill has been swallowed. Because there's a catch, not a technical one, but a symbolic one. The new version pays the price of its "redesign" with a less favorable power-to-weight ratio.

With its big V4, the Norton promises to be as much a racing beast as a racing machine. The previous model made a name for itself in some editions of the Tourist Trophy. However, the engine develops less horsepower than before. The Euro5 standard may be to blame, but it's also possible that the general overhaul of the engine has cut a few watts in exchange for an assurance of reliability. The British engine now spits out 185 horsepower at 12,500 rpm, and boasts 12.7 mkg of torque. While this is a nice amount of power, it's not enough to put it in the hypersports class (between 200 and 217 bhp). The loss of power (-15 bhp and -1/2 mkg) will be forgiven by its noble appearance, top-of-the-range equipment and artisanal strike force.

You don't buy a Norton V4SV to ride like a pig on a racetrack. WSBK-type missiles are far more effective for that. The British model is aimed at a more aesthetic audience, with almost identical seductive potential. It chooses carbon to dress itself up, using it for its fairing, Kevlar-reinforced fuel tank, mudguards and wheels in its "Carbon" livery. The aluminum frame is preserved, as are the high-quality Öhlins suspensions. The attractive NIX 30 inverted fork and TTXGP monoshock are adjustable in all directions. Those with a penchant for fine-tuned geometry will also be able to adjust the steering column angle and swingarm pivot point.

there 's plenty to feast the eyes on, with the magnificent monobar, the stitched seat, the superb open-work fork crown, the racing exhaust (for photos - on the road, the exhaust will be less megaphone-like) and the bead-blasted aluminum parts. Braking is equally convincing, with Brembo M50 calipers on 330 mm tracks.
A fine piece of equipment, which unfortunately cannot offset the Norton V4's weight gain. It now weighs 193 kilos dry. Some fifteen kilos more than before.

The electronic layout provides the V4 with everything it needs in terms of on-board assistance and technology. It comes with 8 injectors to feed the mill, a keyless start system, a shifter, three riding modes (Sport - Road - Rain), a 6-inch color TFT screen with rear view camera, a 6-axis inertial unit, traction control, anti-wheeling, ABS cornering and launch control.

The pure pistarde is no longer in Her Majesty's graces. In England, the sport is roadster or gentleman-rider. To a lesser extent, the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR bears witness to this. In a more upscale register, the Norton 1200 V4-SV aims to represent distinguished nobility on the racetrack or in fine company.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos