Genesis of the Nemesis
Genesis of the Nemesis
The “new” Norton says V-Eight sportbikes will be in dealerships this summer
THE “NEW” NORTON’S OUTRAGEOUS Nemesis V-Eight could be roaring on the road before June.
The Anglo-American firm admits it is coming under “enormous pressure” to produce bikes for sale after originally announcing that the first Nemesis would be delivered at the beginning of this year. Problems with suppliers are partly to blame for the wait.
To satisfy demand, Norton is likely to start hand-building one bike a week at its Rochdale, England, headquarters before full production begins later this year. Even in full production, the bikes will still be hand-built, and it is unlikely more than three a week will be made.
The Nemesis will be one of the most exclusive bikes on the planet, with stunning looks, a 230-horsepower motor and a top speed claimed to exceed 220 mph. Designer Al Meiling said, “We are under pressure from people who’ve placed orders, and the Norton board in America, to get some bikes in action.”
Meiling fired up the mighty V-Eight on the test bed as we watched-revealing
the brutal nature of the most sophisticated power unit ever to be fitted to a motorcycle. We saw a brief moment of it hitting more than 10,000 rpm when the engine was blipped, producing a roar more like a Formula One racing car than a motorcycle. Norton technicians are still finalizing the engine-management maps, but have already seen 170 bhp at 10,000 rpm. Now, the load on the engine will be steadily increased by the dyno.
“I’m confident the engine will rev to 13,000 rpm, and that it will give 230 bhp,” said Meiling.
All the tooling needed to build the Nemesis is now complete and ready to roll at the subcontracting factories where Norton sources its components. Production will start as soon as the Nemesis has been thoroughly tested.
According to Meiling, there are already 24 firm orders for Nemesis models-enough for six months’ production. Even at a massive $40,000, it will be a loss-maker. Only if production rises to three each week will Norton start to make money on it-and even then only after 18 months at that
level of sales! The bike’s main purpose is to show what the firm can do and raise its international profile. Most of the potential buyers are from the U.S., which will by far outstrip Europe as Norton’s biggest market.
Technically, the V-Eight is a doubledup 750cc Four. It shares identical geardriven cams, cylinder heads and many internal parts with the upcoming 750 Manx, which cuts production costs. The Nemesis will have a huge cast-alloy frame and swingarm and unique fork sliders with integral four-piston calipers.
Smooth, side-mounted radiators are the latest innovation on the V-Eight. They fit flush with the bodywork, but Meiling insists there will be sufficient airflow to stop the bike from overheating. It will even dispense with mirrors in favor of a rear-mounted camera and a screen between the digital instruments!
Even if the power of the Nemesis comes only close to target, it will be a serious challenger to Suzuki’s GSX1300R Flayabusa as the fastest production bike in the world.
Terry Snelling/Motor Cycle News
