You’ve seen the prototype, but here’s the real thing, the Norton V4CR. Closely related to the V4SV, the V4CR strips off the sportsbike’s fairings and takes a café racing approach to high-power riding. And there’s plenty of that power available. 185bhp to be precise.
The V4CR is hand-built at Norton’s Solihull headquarters, and is the first brand-new motorcycle produced by TVS-owned Norton, following on from the re-engineered V4SV and new-generation Norton Commando 961 launched last year. With a brand-new model out, the new management is hoping to draw a line under the difficult Garner years of Norton, and concentrate on the future, not the past.
Powering the V4CR is Norton’s own liquid-cooled 1200cc, 72-degree V4 engine, lifted from the V4SV but optimised for the café racer. It produces 185bhp at 12,000rpm and 125Nm of torque at 9,000rpm.
The components are all high-quality items from the handmade aluminium frame and titanium exhaust system to carbon-fibre bodywork. And as you would expect, the suspension and brakes are top spec items too with adjustable Öhlins front and rear suspension keeping the wheels glued to the ground, and Brembo brakes doing the job of slowing down.
A quickshifter and auto-blipper system makes gearchanges fast, and the under-seat carbon fibre fuel tank holds 15-litres.
Rider aids include lean-angle sensitive traction-control, ABS, wheelie control and three engine modes (wet, road and sport). There’s also a single round headlamp fitted with an LED unit, keyless ignition and a full-colour six-inch TFT display.
The V4CR comes in two colour schemes, Carbon or Manx Platinum. The Manx Platinum option features platinum-coloured bodywork complemented by carbon panels, an orange seat and forged aluminium OZ racing wheels. The second option, the V4CR Carbon, features exposed carbon fibre bodywork, with a black seat and carbon fibre BST wheels.
Dr. Robert Hentschel, CEO of Norton Motorcycles, said: “The Norton V4CR is a raw expression of impeccable design and intoxicating performance. We’ve taken the engineering of the V4SV and stripped back the outer shell to ensure the rider gets a truly uninhibited motorcycling experience.
“The V4CR is the first completely new model we’ve built. Our engineering and design teams have been meticulous in their approach, from initial sketches to concept production, through to the final finishing touches. The bike is the culmination of all our learnings and investment over the last three years and we’re delighted that we can now share this taste of Norton’s future.”
Talking of Norton’s future plans, Jordan Gibbons, Norton’s Communications Manager said: “TVS has invested £74m in the past three years and are committed to Norton’s future. Along with the V4CR which we’re super excited to launch here at The Bike Shed Show, we’re working on new models, not all of which will be powered by an internal combustion engine, with the next model arriving at the end of 2024. Along with new model development, we’re focused on growing our UK dealer network from eight dealers currently. But we know that trust is key, so we are offering a test ride at home service, removing the barrier to experience Norton if they don’t have a dealer close to them right now.”
With a price tag of £41,999 and with just 200 set to be made, it’s safe to say that you won’t be seeing many V4CRs at your local bike meet. This is a seriously premium motorcycle.
