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Norton is a name synonymous with speed. With the Isle of Man TT races. And with winning.

Our grandfathers went to sleep dreaming of a 'featherbed' frame Manx, the sweetest-handling bike of the post-war era.

Our dads dreamed of a 750 Commando, for many the definitive sports bike of the swinging sixties.

Even for those too young to have known Norton in its glory days, memories of the late Steve Hislop taking it to the Japanese manufacturers in the 1992 Senior TT remain as emotionally charged as they were 34 years ago.

Now it's back and bigger than it's been for decades.

Among a variety of new models the British marque is bringing to market under new ownership is the Manx R superbike. And we've been riding it...

Norton is back: Arguably Britain's most decorated motorcycle name, the Midlands bike maker is returning to the big time in 2026 with the unveiling of its Manx R superbike

The name Manx has been reintroduced. It's a nod to the Isle of Man, honouring Norton's legendary dominance of the gruelling Isle of Man TT races

Norton, for all its well-documented highs and lows, remains perhaps the most evocative name in motorcycling.

Established in 1898 and a manufacturer since 1902, the Birmingham-based marque possesses one of the longest and most champagne-drenched histories in motorcycling.

In the 21st century, however, the Norton brand also became known for producing unreliable and even unrideable bikes, with fed-up customers often left hung out to dry.

To the horror of Norton lovers everywhere, Stuart Garner, who bought the company in 2008, was accused and later found guilty of illegally taking money from Norton pension funds.

Norton went into administration in 2020 and one of the most enthralling stories in motorcycling seemed to be over.

Miraculously, in April that year, Indian TVS Motor Company stepped in and bought the Norton brand.

In a short space of time, and in the midst of a global pandemic, the motorcycle manufacturing giant restructured the Norton business and set about restoring the public's enduring love for the marque.

Absolutely central to that process was the creation of a high-tech £100million HQ in Solihull, near Birmingham, with an on-site factory controlled by state-of-the-art production processes and populated with highly skilled engineers.

Here, existing models were re-engineered and relaunched while all-new, high-end models were painstakingly developed behind closed doors.

Established in 1898 and a bike maker since 1902, Norton has one of the longest and most decorated histories in motorcycling. But recent years have been tough indeed...

Norton hit headlines in 2022 when former owner Stuart Garner was found guilty of illegally taking money from the company's employee pension funds. He was ordered to pay back £14m

Norton had sunk into administration in early 2020. But in April that year, Indian TVS Motor Company stepped in, bought the Norton brand and has since set up a new HQ in Solihull

And this, six years later, is the first of them.

The £38,750 Norton Manx R Signature is the most expensive variant, a 206-horsepower V4 superbike to rival the best from Italy, Germany and Japan.

That's a lot of money to be splashing on two wheels.

But it's also indicative of how the premium sportsbike market has shifted; a BMW S1000RR, for instance, can cost well over £25,000 with options, Honda's flagship CBR1000RR-R SP Fireblade is almost £24,000 and Ducati's Panigale V4 S is north of £45,000.

It's also worth noting that the Signature comes at a significant mark-up on the entry-level Manx R, which comes in at a comparatively snip-like £20,250. That's around the same price as a new Vauxhall Corsa.

It is quite a moment, not just for British motorcycling but for the whole two-wheel world.

And we flew to southern Spain to ride it on both the road and racetrack.

Road tester Adam Child has been riding the Manx R Signature, which costs £38,750. The entry-level Manx R costs just over £20k, around the same as a Vauxhall Corsa

Riding the Norton Manx R

The Manx R is handcrafted to exacting standards.

Rigorous quality control ensures a faultless finish and detailing.

Its radical tail section design and unusually smooth, fastener-free fairings make it look as visually stunning at 20 paces as it does up close. It oozes understated potency.

Unlike most superbikes on the market, Norton hasn't produced a machine to race in World Superbike and win sales through racing success.

The Manx R has, for example, no F1-style aero wings, while its weight is higher than that of the competition and peak power is lower.

Norton says this doesn't matter; it has been designed to deliver an exquisite and engaging ride on the public road and not to beat the competition on track.

That's why its 1,200cc 72-degree V4 produces 75 per cent of its torque at just 5,000rpm. No rev chasing, no drama: just open the throttle and it surges forward.

That's also why it features electronic semi-active suspension for compliance and comfort on all types of road surfaces, plus a luxuriously large eight-inch touchscreen that's more iPad than dash, and a single-sided swing-arm, which may have gone out of fashion in racing but still reeks of sporty intent on the road.

The Norton superbike lacks the advanced aero packaging that rival models in the segment offer - though the British manufacturer says this is a purposeful move...

Norton is adamant that the Manx R has been developed to deliver an exquisite and engaging ride on the public road – and not to beat the competition on track

Electronic, semi-active suspension provides compliance and comfort on all types of road surfaces, Adam says

There will be four versions of the Manx R.

The Signature we've ridden is priced at £38,750 and features lightweight carbon bodywork and Rotobox Bullet Pro carbon wheels.

The Apex edition is priced at £24,740 and features standard bodywork and forged wheels but shares the same electronic Marzocchi suspension.

The base-model Manx R runs conventional, manually adjustable suspension and is priced at a seriously competitive £20,250, while the price of the top-of-the-range First Edition has not yet been revealed.

Keyless ignition brings that TFT dash to life.

A dab of the starter button and the Norton V4 barks into life too.

It sounds throaty but not overly loud and, with a slightly unusual firing order, the British bike certainly has its own character.

Electronic rider aids, such as those that are a vital component of any premium bike these days, feature three selectable riding modes for the road: Road, Rain and Sport, plus two dedicated track modes for when you fancy an afternoon letting rip at Silverstone or Brands Hatch.

The modes are tailored to match engine performance and electronic suspension settings to different riding environments and, for our test, I found Road mode provided the best balance between urgency and smooth throttle response.

The mirrors aren't great but the dash is clear and easy to navigate.

The Norton has a large, high-definition TFT digital dash and keyless ignition - it's like a premium car

There are various adaptable riding modes - Road, Rain and Sport for the road as well as two dedicated track settings. They all modulate the power differently and tweak the ride comfort

At slow speeds, the gearbox is light and the quickshifter is slick, although a noticeable amount of heat from the rear cylinders reaches your legs in traffic.

Town is not this bike's natural habitat, of course, and Norton treated us to some spectacular roads in the hills above Seville, with some stretches even closed to the public.

Immediately, I found myself holding onto the revs and upshifting near the redline simply because the V4 sounds so intoxicating.

But that's not the best way to ride this road-focused superbike.

With peak torque arriving at just 9,000rpm (compared with 11,250rpm on the track-orientated Ducati Panigale V4), the Norton's real strength is in the mid-range, between 4,000rpm and 8,000rpm.

Far better to change up early and let the V4's grunt do the work.

Do this and it drives hard without feeling fraught, flowing naturally through corners as it surfs along on its addictive wave of torque.

The handling is very much like the engine in terms of its real-world focus.

It wants to flow, not scratch, while the feeling from the front end is excellent. It steers with less of the snap of the racier competition, too.

Sportsbikes are a declining segment, with today's models so compact in dimension that they're not comfortable for long journeys. Most superbikes are taken on track

On track, it is rapid without being razor sharp. Predictability and stability, characteristics that will suit road riders, instil loads of confidence

Onto the track

The current trend among manufacturers launching a new model on a racetrack is to fit racing slick tyres, but that wasn't the case with Norton.

The bike ran on standard Pirelli Supercorsa SP road rubber, and we even kept the mirrors and number plate in place, the message once again being that the Manx R is engineered as a road bike that can also perform on track, not the other way round.

On track, it is rapid without being razor sharp.

Predictability and stability, characteristics that will suit road riders, instil loads of confidence.

The exotic Brembo Hypure brakes are strong and consistent, while the handling remains composed even when the pace heats up.

In fact, ground clearance and the connection between the tyres and rider are superb even at high lean angles.

The Manx R is no race bike, but it is very easy to ride fast.

And that's exactly what you want from a bike designed to travel to a track day under its own steam and not in the back of a van.

Adam says the Norton can be deceiving. While it's incredibly comfortable and compliant by superbike standards, it's still more than quick enough to pull your arms off

The Cars & Motoring verdict

At around £20,000 for the base model, the Manx R is certainly expensive but still noticeably cheaper than many of the established alternatives.

As a road bike, it makes a lot of sense (although I'm not sure how many miles will be possible on its small 14.5-litre fuel tank).

It sounds every bit as good as it looks and produces masses of useful mid-range torque.

Overall, the ride is more compliant and relaxed than its superbike rivals, but don't be fooled by its understated approach: it's very quick.

A word of warning, though: turn up to a breakfast bike meet on a Manx R and you'll still be talking Nortons with its many admirers when the sun goes down.