Norton has unveiled the Manx R, a new superbike range starting at £20,250, marking the British motorcycle maker's return to the market under new ownership. Road tester Adam Child rode the top-of-the-range £38,750 Signature model on both road and track in southern Spain.
The name Manx has been reintroduced as a nod to the Isle of Man, honouring Norton's dominance of the Isle of Man TT races. The marque, established in 1898 and a bike manufacturer since 1902, is based in the Midlands and has one of the longest histories in motorcycling, including the late Steve Hislop's win over the Japanese manufacturers at the 1992 Senior TT.
History behind the comeback
In the 21st century, Norton became known for producing unreliable and even unrideable bikes, leaving customers frustrated. Stuart Garner, who bought the company in 2008, was later found guilty of illegally taking money from Norton's pension funds and was ordered to pay back £14 million. Norton went into administration in 2020.
In April 2020, Indian manufacturer TVS Motor Company bought the Norton brand and restructured the business during the pandemic. Central to that process was a new £100 million headquarters in Solihull, near Birmingham, with an on-site factory and highly skilled engineers who re-engineered existing models and developed new ones behind closed doors. The Manx R is the first of those new models to reach the market, six years later.
Four versions and pricing
The Manx R Signature, at £38,750, is a 206-horsepower V4 superbike built to rival the best from Italy, Germany and Japan. For comparison, a BMW S1000RR with options can cost well over £25,000, Honda's CBR1000RR-R SP Fireblade is almost £24,000, and Ducati's Panigale V4 S is north of £45,000.
The Signature features lightweight carbon bodywork and Rotobox Bullet Pro carbon wheels. The Apex edition, priced at £24,740, has standard bodywork and forged wheels but shares the same electronic Marzocchi suspension. The base-model Manx R uses conventional, manually adjustable suspension and costs £20,250, about the same as a new Vauxhall Corsa. The price of the top-of-the-range First Edition has not yet been revealed.
Riding the Manx R on the road
The Manx R is handcrafted, with a radical tail section and fastener-free fairings. Unlike most superbikes, Norton has not built it to race in World Superbike; it lacks F1-style aero wings, weighs more than its rivals and produces less peak power. Norton says the bike was designed to deliver an engaging ride on public roads rather than to beat the competition on track.
Its 1,200cc, 72-degree V4 produces 75 per cent of its torque at just 5,000rpm, and it comes with electronic semi-active suspension, an eight-inch touchscreen dash and a single-sided swing-arm. Keyless ignition brings the dash to life, and the V4 has a slightly unusual firing order that gives it its own character. There are three road riding modes, Road, Rain and Sport, plus two dedicated track modes, and Child found Road mode offered the best balance between urgency and smooth throttle response.
At slow speeds the gearbox is light and the quickshifter slick, though a noticeable amount of heat from the rear cylinders reaches the legs in traffic. Norton took testers on roads in the hills above Seville, some closed to the public. Peak torque arrives at 9,000rpm, compared with 11,250rpm on the track-focused Ducati Panigale V4, and Child found the Norton's real strength lies in the mid-range, between 4,000rpm and 8,000rpm. The handling favours flowing through corners over sharper, racier responses, with excellent feedback from the front end.
Taking the Manx R on track
Rather than fitting slick tyres for the track test, Norton kept the bike on standard Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP road tyres, with the mirrors and number plate left in place, reinforcing that the Manx R is built as a road bike that can also perform on track. On track it proved rapid without being razor sharp, with predictability and stability that Child said would suit road riders and build confidence.
The Brembo Hypure brakes were strong and consistent, and the handling stayed composed as the pace increased. Ground clearance and the connection between tyres and rider remained strong even at high lean angles. Child concluded the Manx R is not a race bike but is very easy to ride fast, suited to riding to a track day under its own power rather than arriving in a van.
Verdict and specs
At around £20,000 for the base model, the Manx R is expensive but still cheaper than many established rivals, according to Child. He said the bike sounds as good as it looks, produces plenty of useful mid-range torque, and rides in a more compliant, relaxed way than its superbike competitors, while still being very quick. He also noted uncertainty over how many miles the bike's small 14.5-litre fuel tank would allow.
The Manx R is powered by a 1,200cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 72-degree V4 with four valves per cylinder, producing a claimed 206bhp at 11,500rpm and 130Nm of torque at 9,000rpm, with an estimated top speed of 186mph and fuel consumption of 44mpg. It uses a di-cast aluminium frame, Marzocchi front and rear suspension, 17-inch wheels and Brembo Hypure brakes. The bike weighs 203kg wet without fuel, with a seat height of 840mm. It comes with a 36-month, unlimited-mileage warranty covering up to 30,000 miles or 50,000km.
