Norton Motorcycles has got a great record in manufacturing some of the purest motorcycles that we have seen. It has been in the industry for years and now has got two of its new boys unleashed. These two new motorcycles will fall under the Norton Atlas name and will feature a 650cc engine. Norton unveiled them at the 2018 Motorcycle Live Show in the UK.
The names of the two new bikes are Norton Atlas Nomad and Norton Atlas Ranger. Both of them are powered by a 650cc, parallel-twin engine that churns out 84 hp at 11k revs and generates a peak torque of 64Nm. Apart from the engine, both the bikes also share the same chassis and many other parts like the 15-litre fuel tank, seat, and switchgear.
Out of the two bikes, the Nomad is more road-oriented. It has got spoke wheels with an 18-inch wheel at the front and a 17-inch one at the rear. The Avon Trailrider tires on this bike are of size 110/80 R18 for the front wheel and the rear wheel gets 180/55 R17 size. The suspension setup on the bike comes from Norton’s own brand called “Norton Roadholder”. The USD forks at the front are fully adjustable whereas the rear mono-shock comes with preload adjustability. The seat height of the Norton Atlas Nomad is 824mm.
On the other hand, the Norton Atlas Ranger has been designed to be more off-road friendly. It carries the same set of spoke wheels that we see on its road-oriented sibling, but the size of the front wheel is up to 19-inch. Also, we get to see Avon Trekrider tires on this motorcycle for added grip in different kinds of terrain, especially where there is no tarmac. The suspension is also the same but has got a longer travel, again for off-road purposes. Other specs of the Ranger that differs from that of the Nomad include a higher ground clearance, stronger and more sturdy handlebar, bash plate, small windscreen, small front fender, and an increased saddle height of 875mm.
As far as looks are concerned, both the new Norton Atlas bikes are quite similar. I like the chiselled fuel tank with the brand’s name on it. Also, the spoke wheels give the bikes a very raw appearance which is further enhanced by the visible engine and exhaust system.
Norton has said that it is going to make only 250 units of the Nomad and Ranger each. Initially, the bikes will be available in the UK from 2019 May, followed by the US and Australia. As of now, there is no word whether they will be launched in the Middle East or not.
