Norton Manx R (2026) – Technical Review

2026 Norton Manx R

Even the most fanatic of Norton lovers could have been forgiven for tiring of the company’s tribulations over the decades – with a host of false starts (Nemesis, anyone?) followed by the Stuart Garner-owned era that promised much but turned sour. Would we ever see a truly new Norton worthy of the name? Hopefully that’s what we have now in the form of the Manx R – the first truly new bike to emerge since Indian giant TVS snapped up the remains of Norton from the rubble of the Garner era and embarked on a years-long process of investing and rebuilding the brand. That brand rebuild has, at this stage, culminated in a new logo, this Manx R model plus three others - Manx, Atlas, and Atlas GT - though it's this, the Manx R superbike that is nearest to being a full production model with high end performance to match its high end appearance stuffed full of high end components.

Pros & Cons

2026 Norton Manx R - Price & PCP Deals

Norton has yet to reveal the pricing for the Manx R, which is the first of six new models due to arrive in the coming months, but as the highest-performance flagship machine it’s also sure to be the most expensive in the range.

We can get some clues from the V4SV that came before it. Heavily re-engineered from the V4 that was developed under Garner, the SV led the first iteration of the TVS-owned Norton range as it geared up to launch the Manx R, and there are clear technical similarities between the V4SV and Norton’s new superbike, suggesting it could carry a price tag close to the V4SV’s £44,000.

Unlike the SV, though, the Manx R is expected to be fully type-approved, allowing sales in Europe and the USA as well as the UK, opening the door to vastly increased production and with it, perhaps, some economies of scale. TVS has invested more than £200 million in Norton’s new manufacturing facilities in Solihull and plans more than 200 dealerships across the UK, USA, India and Europe, and since the new plant can turn out 8000 bikes per year, there will be many more Manx Rs than the previous V4SVs.

Details of the 2026 Norton Manx R

2026 Norton Manx R - Engine & Performance

Norton calls the Manx R’s 1200cc V4 engine ‘all-new’ which reflects the reengineering that the company has undertaken on the motor since buying Norton five years ago. It’s clear that the basics of the motor are carried over from the V4SV, and in turn from the V4RR and V4SS superbikes that were launched back in 2016 – including the capacity, the 72-degree V-angle, and the general layout. Bolt patterns and the design and positioning of components like the water pump show that the new bike carries the DNA of the old one.

But all that redesign work means two things. First, the Manx R’s V4 should be reliable, and second, it has a power figure that’s finally competitive with rival superbikes, hitting 206hp at 11,500rpm. The old SV managed ‘only’ 185hp, and while the Garner-era V4SS and RR claimed 200hp, the fact those bikes never underwent emissions homologation testing – during which the power would have to be proved and certified – means there will always be questions hanging over whether they could really achieve that figure.

Details confirmed about the new engine in the Manx R include ride-by-wire throttles that work independently on the front and rear cylinder banks to give better response and control, plus five riding modes – Road, Rain, Sport and two customisable Track presets.

Norton says it analysed 18,500 miles-worth of telemetry taken during real-world riding to settle on the way the engine’s power delivery was tuned, opting to concentrate on boosting performance in the 5000rpm-10,000rpm region where the bikes spent most of their time rather than chasing stratospheric revs purely in pursuit of a headline-grabbing peak power number.

With 1200cc to call upon, more than the 1103cc of Ducati’s Panigale V4 or the 1099cc of Aprilia’s RSV4 1100, the Norton should have the edge on its rivals when it comes to torque, and promises a peak of 95.9 lb-ft at 9,000rpm. That’s a big edge to have over the class-leading Panigale V4, which peaks at 89.2 lb-ft and needs to scream to 11,250rpm to reach that figure. Similarly, the Norton’s power – while 10hp down on the Panigale’s 216hp maximum – is reached 2000rpm lower in the rev range so you should be able to access more of the performance, more of the time.

With so much power, it’s good to see Norton isn’t skimping on the rider assist technologies. There’s cornering traction control with a six-axis inertial measurement unit, for example, as well as wheelie control and slide control, launch control and hill-start assist. The six-speed transmission, powered via a wet, multiplate clutch, is equipped with a bidirectional quickshifter, and the electronic throttles mean the engine auto-blips on downshifts to match the engine revs to the road speed. Due to the engine’s focus on midrange torque, the final drive gearing is also longer than most comparable bikes at 2.41:1, and Norton promises an ‘Optimal Gear Shift Suggestion’ system to prompt riders when it’s the ideal time to change ratios.

2026 Norton Manx R - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

The old V4SV used a hand-welded aluminium tube chassis that looked a lot like the polished Spondon aftermarket frames that were briefly popular in the 90s – understandably, since Spondon designed it after being bought by Norton in 2013 – the new Manx R get a much more modern-looking cast aluminium design that promises more consistent tolerances and should streamline the production process considerably.

At the back, the single-sided swingarm has echoes of the previous bike’s design in its shape, with bracing hanging below rather than above the main arm, and provides a mount for the number plate, allowing the single-seat tail bodywork to be short without breaching Euro rules that demand bodywork must extend beyond the back edge of the rear tyre. To make the most of it, Norton has packaged the bike’s entire exhaust into the belly, so there’s no silencer blocking the view of the swingarm and the rear wheel.

The suspension itself is a semi-active Marzocchi system, electronically adjustable and able to tweak compression and rebound damping automatically in real time response to the road conditions and your riding style, reacting to brake and throttle inputs as well as the bike’s pitch and roll as determined by the inertial measurement unit.

The riding modes used for the engine’s power delivery also tweak the suspension’s presets, letting you switch between them at the touch of a button. The brakes, meanwhile, use Brembo’s new Hypure calipers, on larger-than-typical 330mm front discs, allied to lean-sensitive cornering ABS.

The wheels are another highlight, as despite those thin-looking spokes they’re entirely carbon fibre. Made by BST, they should help reduce inertial and gyroscopic forces to help the bike accelerate faster and turn quicker. Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V4SP rubber is standard, with the usual 120/70-17 front and 200/55-17 rear sizes.

When it comes to weight, Norton says the Manx R comes in at 204kg but hasn’t specified whether that’s including fuel or not. For comparison, a Panigale V4 S is 187kg without fuel, but would be around 200kg with a full 17 litres of fuel in its tank.

2026 Norton Manx R - Comfort & Economy

Economy isn’t likely to be a high priority for Manx R customers, and at the moment the company hasn’t released details of the bike’s fuel consumption or even the tank’s capacity – leaving us in the dark when it comes to the range between refills.

Comfort-wise, the riding position is clearly that of a superbike: high seat, high pegs, and low bars. You know what to expect.

There’s no provision to torture a passenger, either. Riding pillion on superbikes generally ranks somewhere close to root canal work on a one-to-ten scale of comfort, and since customers for the Manx R are likely to have multiple bikes in their collections there’s no need to compromise it by trying to add a passenger pad.

2026 Norton Manx R - Equipment

Tech is a high priority in this part of the market and the Norton doesn’t disappoint. The rider is faced with a TFT dash that’s larger than most – 8-inches diagonally – and what’s more it’s a touchscreen, so you’re not tied to a joystick or thumbpad to work your way through menus when the bike is stationary. On the move, the touch capability turns off, as it’s probably sensible to hold both bars when there’s more than 200hp on tap.

There’s Bluetooth, of course, for all the usual navigation, calls and music control functions, but less commonly the dash also has smartwatch synchronization to send data and notifications to your wrist.

Other elements include keyless ignition that also gives access to the fuel tank and seat release, plus a tracking function that lets you locate the bike and allows you to remotely immobilize it, as well as giving theft alerts if it’s tampered with.

2026 Norton Manx R - Rivals

Ducati Panigale V4 S | Price: £30,695

Read more

Power/Torque

216bhp/89.2lb-ft

Weight

187kg (without fuel)

BMW M1000RR | Price: £32,850

Read more

Power/Torque

218bhp/83.3lb-ft

Weight

183kg (without fuel), 194kg (wet)

Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 | Price: £23,850

Read more

Power/Torque

220bhp/93.7lb-ft

Weight

204kg (including fuel)

2026 Norton Manx R - Verdict

Based on the styling and the specs, you’re going to be the envy of every bike meet on a Manx R. Whether it’s at the very top of the superbike tree or not is a question that’s going to have to wait until we’ve back-to-backed it against its rivals. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

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2026 Norton Manx R - Technical Specification

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