I’ve been very vocal about just how far Norton has come in its comeback. I’ve loved the new design direction the brand has taken, and having personally ridden their new crop of motorcycles, I can honestly say that the TVS-backed British brand might be onto something.
It began with the Manx and the Manx R superbikes, quickly followed by the Atlas and Atlas GT middleweight adventure tourers. Now, the next step is further down the displacement class … and it comes in the form of a 450cc Naked, called the 450 Urban (which is more of a provisional name as opposed to the confirmed production model name).
And I hate to say it, but I’m not a big fan of how the thing looks. Freshly unveiled at this year’s EICMA, the new model will come in two trims when it finally arrives next year: a street tracker and a naked roadster (that’s the one you see here).
Norton
Both bikes are built around a new 454cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces 47 hp at 8,000 rpm and 33.2 lb.ft (45 Nm) of torque at 6,000 rpm. A six-speed transmission handles power delivery, with an optional quickshifter for clutch-free gear changes.
Those numbers suggest that the two bikes will produce more power than Triumph’s 400cc models (Speed 400, Tracker 400 and Thruxton 400) – which should most likely be its most direct competitors.
Norton wants the new 450 to appeal to riders looking for an accessible motorcycle without making it feel like a stripped-back beginner machine. But the bigger picture is this: rather than positioning it as an entry-level moto, the company sees it as a gateway into the Norton family, bringing the styling and attention to detail of its larger motorcycles to a more approachable package.
That styling, though, is very questionable, at least to me. I’m not entirely sure what Norton was going for here. The 450 Urban has a rather unusual face, dominated by an angular headlight assembly and sharp, almost insect-like bodywork.
Norton
The exposed frame elements, sculpted tank, and aggressively styled side panels seem to be pulling in several different directions, while the stubby tail section adds to an already busy silhouette. There’s certainly no shortage of visual drama, but whether all these design elements come together into something cohesive is another matter.
Personally, I find it difficult to warm to this motorcycle. Norton’s larger machines have a certain elegance and visual identity, but the 450 Urban seems to have traded much of that for an overdose of sharp edges, awkward proportions and styling flourishes that don’t quite know when to stop.
The roadster and the street tracker basically differ in the wheels: the roadster wears 17-inch silver cast wheels, a silver frame and road tires. The tracker meanwhile gets black cast wheels, a gray frame and swingarm, extended mudguards, handguards, fork protectors, a flyscreen and a different seat.
The 450 Urban’s design is said to draw on Norton’s back catalog, with the 1927 CS1 cited as one of its influences. Norton has also paid attention to the smaller details, keeping exposed fasteners to a minimum and concealing elements such as the fuel cap and certain engine components. Very similar to what it did with the bigger bikes.
Norton
Of course I haven’t seen the bikes in person, but from the initial images, I find them hard to find pretty. Beauty is subjective, of course, and someone out there will probably love it. But to my eyes, this is one of those motorcycles that may take a while to appeal to me. And that’s a shame, because there’s some interesting engineering underneath all that visual noise.
An aluminum frame serves as the chassis – one that Norton claims is a class-first feature. Suspension duties are handled by a 43-mm fully adjustable KYB inverted fork and a KYB rear monoshock with rebound and preload adjustment. Braking hardware comes from ByBre, comprising a 320-mm front disc and a 240-mm rear rotor, with cornering ABS providing additional assistance.
The bike is also targeting a curb weight below 397 lb (180 kg), while its 3.17-gallon (12-liter) fuel tank does give it some serious range. Both bikes get traction control, cruise control, and three ride modes, an eight-inch TFT touchscreen, smartphone connectivity, keyless ignition, heated grips, tire pressure monitoring, and a USB-C charger. That electronics package is ambitious, to say the least.
Norton
I feel the real question to be answered for these bikes will be their pricing. Nortons aren’t cheap. Nor do they try to be cheap. The 400-500cc segment is very price sensitive. So it’ll be interesting to see how the company prices these bikes to stay competitive.
Of course, we’ll have to wait until next year before pricing or any other details are revealed. What’s your take? Do you like how the 450 Urban looks?
Source: Norton Motorcycles
