Norton 1200 V4 CR L.E. '588' 2024 — Specifications

Certain limited series are born from marketing. This one is born from a mechanical legend that many have forgotten. The V4 CR Limited Edition '588' bears its black stripes as a tribute to the NRS 588, the Norton powered by a Wankel rotary engine that, in 1992, brought the brand back to the top of the Tourist Trophy, nineteen years after its last victory on the Isle of Man. This figure, 588, does not denote a classic displacement or a trivial race number. It identifies an extraordinary machine, born from a technology that almost no one else had the courage to exploit in competition.

The Wankel engine has always fascinated as much as it has deterred. It was fuel-hungry, difficult to homologate, and expensive to develop, but it compensated for all of this with astonishing power density and unparalleled rotational smoothness. The NRS 588 extracted between 145 and 150 horsepower from less than 600 cm3, at a time when it took a 1100 cc displacement to compete in power with a conventional engine. These RC588, RCW588 and NRS588 wrote brilliant pages on the circuits, and Norton even attempted the road adventure with the F1, even in black livery, even with a radical spirit.

The V4 CR '588' is nothing like a disguised roadster turned collector's item. It is the stripped-down V4 SV, laid bare on a trellis frame made of aluminum tubes that reveals nothing of its architecture. The 72-degree V4 1200 cc engine develops 185 horsepower at 12,000 rpm and 124.5 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm. These figures place the machine on a level with a Ducati Streetfighter V4 or a BMW M 1000 R, references in the category of the most virulent hypernakeds. The Norton weighs 204 kg full, or 190 kg dry, a reasonable figure for such a displacement, even if the Italian competition does a bit better on this point. The compression ratio of 13.6 to 1 and the 82 x 56.8 mm distributions betray a mechanical design intended to run high and strong, not for Sunday morning leisurely rides.

The technical equipment is up to the price. The Öhlins NIX30 43 mm front suspension and the Öhlins TTX-GP mono-shock at the rear ensure precise adjustment that the amateur rider may never fully exploit, but which reassures about the manufacturer's intention. The Brembo brakes do the job with the authority they are known for. The gold OZ rims stand out on the black paint and subtly recall the colors of victorious machines of yesteryear. The announced top speed of 250 km/h and a 15-liter tank complete the picture of a machine more suited to fast corners than to long crossings.

At €57,550 and 125 units produced to order, the Norton V4 CR '588' does not claim to appeal to the general public. It is aimed at a collector who knows the history of the brand, who understands why this number matters, and who wants a machine capable of going on track without being solely a display item. This is where its interesting paradox lies: 185 horsepower under a robe of legend, with everything that implies in terms of physical commitment and technical mastery. It is not a motorcycle for beginners, nor even for intermediate riders. It is a commemoration that bites.