Norton has just unveiled the V4SV — its flagship supersport that will replace the V4SS. Despite the British manufacturer’s rich racing heritage, the latter turned out to be a rather disappointing machine. It was mighty impressive on paper but suffered from a slew of issues; a large recall to address 35 defects — 20 of which were safety-critical — meant the V4SS didn’t really live up to expectations. The new V4SV is the company’s attempt to redeem itself, and, again, this bike boasts of some impressive figures.
Powering the V4SV is a reengineered iteration of the 1,200cc V4 engine from the V4SS. Peak output figures have seen a dip with power down from 200hp at 12,500rpm to 185hp at the same point in the rev range. Peak torque, meanwhile, is down from 95.8lb-ft to 92.5 lb-ft but comes in 1,000rpm earlier in the rev band. This may not be on par with some of the other liter-class (and above) supersports in our market, but the V4SV has been built for those looking for a high-end, track-ready bike.
This is evident from the construction of the bike. The bodywork, and even the fuel tank, are made of carbon fiber — there’s the option of a ‘Carbon’ variant that will also get you carbon-fiber wheels. According to MCN, Components like the gorgeous mirror-finished aluminum tube frame, single-sided billet swingarm, and fully adjustable Ohlins NIX30 fork and Ohlins TTXGP monoshock have been carried over from its predecessor.
Norton has not revealed pricing details for the V4SV, but considering the V4SV wore a heavy £44,000, we’re pretty confident this will be one expensive motorcycle.