Any other "normal" company would have sent an email at the very least to all deposit holders against "forthcoming" machines saying "don't worry all is well, we've not forgotten about you etc..." I suspect the next time I see my £2K will be on a watch round someone's wrist at the Norton stand in November...if they make it that long
Or being thrashed around the nw200 later this week (a bunch of twatter posts over the last couple of days)
so is the V4 that's at the northwest this year got the Aprilia engine in it? Did they have to refit it to pass regs for it being 1000cc? I'm watching to see with interest if the superlight is a massive flop or If it works well as that's a very public test for a new platform. I can see McGuinness falling out with him and ending up on another bike at the TT
Yes its using the Aprilia engine, as stated further up this thread. I agree seeing how the Superlight performs will be good. Maybe it will bring in a few more orders so my bike finally gets built
Aprilia 1000cc, yep. For regs, yep. Superlight is apparently not pulling in 5/6 gear and John looked really flat about it yesterday. He said he'd waited two years for this and was disappointed. Also mentioned his disappointment at not being on a supersport bike for the first time in XX years. He didn't look happy, and I think from some of his comments and facial expressions at his talking gig the other week he's not under any illusion about Norton or Garner... IMO he'd have been great on a Paton in the lightweight class. I'd prefer to see him on an MD Racing supersport and a BMW superstock / superbike, again in MD Racing colours or his own team. I don't want this Norton debacle to be his swansong, and he is looking old among the present crop of Hickman / Harrison / Johnston / Todd et all. Even McWilliams makes him look like an unlikely contender.
Or the opposite... look at the provisional qualifying times from practice yesterday. You'd be better off getting a Kawasaki commuter bike and having Farquar fettle it, or paying about the same for a Paton and having something properly special.
I wonder what the rules are regarding engine size at the TT, as i thought they'd planed to use the Norton engine? Any potential V4 owners been tempted by any of the latest Superbikes --Aprilia Tuono ,RSV41100 or the new BMW ect, and if there was a group test with all the latest crop of machines where do you think the Norton V4 would come?
When I have money I buy a bike (not a Honda, not a Norton and not a Harley) never any money here, well apart from 1 bikes worth from time to time
Gee Jay, I'm not buying the Norton expecting it to be the best, just different. Whether that difference becomes (more) painful time will tell. I may not complete on the deal, will make my mind up nearer the time. I have no idea where it would come in a head to head comparison,and this is part of the issue for me,just not enough info being posted to draw a conclusion. I did look at the BMW, good performance but does nothing for me. Tuono looks nice (really nice) but tales of woe on spare parts and warranty from dealer put me off (they actually talked me out of buying it). Was sorely tempted by a panigale R but talked myself out of that one too. Sports nike wise, Once again I decided to keep my 08 R1 which still puts a smile on my face, and on the road is just as quick as any of the others. A new multi enduro has become my daily rider for now.
Oh bum,that's not what I wanted to hear fire... I wonder if it's gearing or engine performance. So lots of show but no go Yeah I feel for John, sounds like he has become a test pilot, not a serious contender.
John W, it still baffles me as to why there is no owner feedback anywhere on the V4? I myself am always tempted to change up to the latest & greatest superbike but i never do ,i guess i'm to attached to my current bike, but i see the Norton as being something a bit special and would love to have one! I've had a couple of Aprilia bikes in the past and never had any major problems with them.Have you seen Micheal Neeves online review on the new Tuono?
The only thing I could say ref the superlight not pulling in top gear, which is crap, it's clearly over-geared based on a power figure they 'think' it makes is that John isn't the lightest chap these days, I must admit I thought he was on about getting down to somewhere near the weight he was when he was winning TT's but doesn't seem to have done. I know it doesn't change the fact he is a legend but I wonder where his heads at these days. I honestly think he will be on Dunlops spare Supersport bike at the TT, and maybe even doing some deal in the background to jump on a Tyco BMW or something and ditch Norton at the last min. For the record, I still want the Norton Superlight to be a success, it's the sort of bike I would want to own, I don't want big capacity stuff really.
My 848 would pull top gear to the red line. I’m considerably heavier than mcpint. And that had considerably less power. It’s the bike not the rider that’s the problem.
I'd like that, a change of team and a bit of keto would be nice... I worry though about his head. We don't want him to ride to his previous levels of fitness and over-do it. Update - Superlight engine appears to have gone pop.
double bugger. Interestingly nothing on twatter from Norton this morning, or any info on the NW200 feed. My first thought was over-geared, but I would hope they actually tested the bike pulls through the revs in all gears, if not on the road then on a set of rollers. Fire, if it has gone pop then that gives John the out he needed to go seek an alternate mount.
