Norton is one of the most prestigious names in the history of motorcycling, but one that’s also been through more than its fair share of troubles. What to make of Norton’s latest manifestation, the result of five years and £200 million of investment from one of the world’s biggest bike manufacturers? Having spoken to key figures behind the relaunch, looked round Norton’s factory in Solihull and prodded a pre-production Manx R, you’ll find everything we know in the January issue of Bike.
This month we’ve also compared three of the fastest road-legal superbikes you can buy, then pinched a few laps on Toprak’s WSB title-winning M1000RR to put them into context. At the other end of the speed spectrum we’ve ridden the new BSA Bantam to Small Heath, where the firm’s story began. And somewhere in between we’ve discovered a secret beach race in Bali, taken BMW’s R1300RT for a lap of the Peak District, and chatted to Carl Fogarty about everything from his most hated rivals to dealing with mental health struggles.