Now That Norton Motorcycles Are Coming — Is It Worth The Hype?

Norton is a British brand which has been making motorcycles right from the early 1900s. They've supplied motorcycles for both World Wars, participated in many races and have got a huge cult following. They are also pioneers of V4 and Wankel engines.

For India, Norton will be bringing the Commando and the Dominator (Above) through the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route initially. Towards the end of 2018, local-assembly will start at Kinetic MotoRoyale's plant in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.

Both bikes will come with a 961cc air/oil-cooled parallel-twin engine, giving out 79bhp at 6500rpm and 90Nm at 5200rpm, and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Braking and suspension duties are performed by Brembo and Ohlins respectively.

All the models share the same twin 320mm 4-piston discs at thefront and a 220mm 2-piston disc at the rear. The Commando will be available in two variants - Cafe Racer (Above) and Sport (Below). On the other hand, the Dominator comes only in one.

India-bound colours and accessories will be confirmed later. The Commando models come with rear twin shocks while the Dominator has a rear mono shock.

Norton is currently developing new models. They have shared all the technical know-how for making future Nortons, to Kinetic as well. Nortons, in general, come equipped with carbon-fibre body-parts, performance accessories and an aerodynamic seating position.

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There aren't any official reports about the pricing yet but expect it to be on the premium side. To give a ballpark figure, the Commando series could cost above Rs 13 lakh, while the Dominator could be nothing less than Rs 18 lakh, excluding import taxes.

DriveSpark Thinks!

Nortons have been famous among motorcycle enthusiasts and collectors, and India has got a few of them, loved and looked-after in some garages. Premium motorcycle sales in India have seen a rapid growth recently, but honestly, most of them are bought just for the brand image and the public image that follows. We are not saying that Norton isn't as great as something like a Ducati or a Triumph, but they are just not popular among non-enthusiasts.

Hence, the sales figures could be low, and maybe that could be exactly the thing Kinetic Norton wants - Exclusivity!