Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/314586
VOL. 51 ISSUE 20 MAY 20, 2014 P71 actually makes four horsepower more power than in Commando guise, says Skinner, not only be- cause of the open megaphones, but also thanks to the 1.5-liter big- ger airbox and the throttle bodies' 20mm shorter velocity stacks. But it's the meaty grunt peaking with 66 foot pounds available at 5 200 rpm that really dictates how you ride this bike, short-shifting around 5000 rpm. But it doesn't run out of breath up high, it just keeps on pulling almost to redline. However, because of that mus- cular acceleration, there's really no point in revving the Domiracer out to its 8000-rpm limiter. Okay, maybe Skinner was right – it's not a totally retro racer-with-lights, so at least you'll have a chance of surviving a ride with all your teeth fillings intact, which wasn't al- ways the case with some classic Norton parallel twins. Mind you, another reason to short-shift is the way the intensity of the blare from the exhausts gets greater and greater the higher you rev the Domiracer, which announces its imminent arrival with a resound- ing bellow that can be heard in the next county. The born-again Domiracer is indeed a thrilling blend of old and new, a mixture of in-yer-face at- titude combined with modern civility - like brakes that work bril- liantly, tires that warm up fast and grip well on a cool spring day, and suspension that while tautly set up as you'd expect a genu- ine sportbike's like this to be, also irons out bumps. It's a confi- dence-inspiring bike to ride hard. But it's completely uncom- promising in its road manners, with that aggressive punch in the gears, low down fuelling is good, as when you're just crawl- ing along in a line of traffic, es- pecially in towns where the blast of the exhaust note echoing off walls and buildings will make you ultra-miserly with the throttle openings, for fear of causing of- fence. But then spot a gap and gas it up hard, and the Norton roars out loud as it catapults you forward in a totally addictive way. It pulls hard from barely off idle, then strongly from 2000 rpm upwards – this is an ultra- usable motor, with 4000 rpm the gateway to more serious urge, and from there to where you can feel the engine peak out at 6500 rpm, is the happy zone. Its five-speed transmission certainly doesn't need a sixth gear, because there's such a wide spread of torque and power that you can change gear when you feel like it, not because you must. And the Norton's shift ac- tion is now flawless – infinitely better than the early Comman- dos. Handling has always been a strong point of any Norton (ever since the debut of the Feath- erbed frame back in 1950) and the new Domiracer lives up to the expectations of the brand. It steers faultlessly, tipping easily and controllably into a turn on the radial brakes, as the Öhlins fork absorbs the weight transfer and settles the bike before you peel into the apex. Plus, the way the raised rear end has effectively tightened up the steering geometry makes it turn in really well, without being unstable on the brakes, and you can use a surprising amount of the considerable engine braking on offer without getting the rear wheel hopping. Weighing 33 pounds less than its Commando cousin, the 381-pound Norton feels light and agile, yet stable and forgiving. The rear Öhlins monoshock may have taut damping settings dialed in, but with 5.5 inches of travel available it just shrugs off