Back to 2016 Norton Motorcycle Model Review Page

Click photos to enlarge. Our big, clean bike pics make great desktop wallpaper.

2016 Norton Dominator SS

2016 Norton Dominator SS

2016 Norton Dominator SS

2016 Norton Dominator SS

2016 Norton Dominator SS Review

2016 Norton Dominator SS on www.Totalmotorcycle.com

One small step for man, one giant leap for Norton…

The 2016 Norton Dominator SS marks a significant step for Norton as it expands it’s model range beyond the successful Commando 961 platform.

All Dominator SS models are hand built here at the Norton factory within the grounds of Donington Hall. They feature the famous ‘featherbed’ styled chassis and the wonderfully hand crafted aluminium fuel tank. These components are all hand made on site by our skilled fabricators. Just a few of the components that make the Dominator SS a very special motorcycle indeed.

The proper English Roadster

NORTON

1902, the first Norton motorcycle, the ‘Engerette’, rolled out of the original Birmingham England factory. It was the birth of a marque that shapes the motorcycle scene to this day – Norton – a name synonymous with British sport motorcycling and the Cafe Racer culture. The Norton Commando, Dominator, Fastback and Manx, all enduring names in the sport motorcycle lexicon, with equal fame garnered on the race-track as Norton proved to be a dominate force in world road racing for much of the 20th century.

Norton is a premium priced motorcycle with an emphasis on the quality of materials and attention to detail; designed and engineered for superior road manners and exceptional road holding. Proudly British, each Norton is wholly crafted by British hands in Great Britain. More than 80% of a Norton’s individual parts are ‘Made in England’, and combine with some of the best components that Europe and the USA have to offer. The Norton Commando line-up includes two models, the 961 Café Racer and its stable mate the 961 Sport, both of which are available as a single or dual seat in four distinct Norton colours.

Today we embrace the passion and pride of Norton’s heritage, with our eyes firmly fixed on the future. It is fitting that the new Norton factory is based at the spiritual centre of British motorsport, the famous Donington Park racing circuit, so near the traditional heart of the British motorcycle industry in Birmingham. Our mission – design, engineer and build motorcycles that reflect the best of this iconic brand, and deliver modern sport performance in a proper British Roadster.

Proudly Made in Great Britain by British hands.

 

 

 

2016 Norton Dominator SS www.Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features

Norton launch all new Dominator SS

All new Dominator SS. A fully homologated road going bike developed out of the hugely successful Domiracer. The Dominator SS will be privately previewed at an exclusive evening to be held at Donington Hall at the end of January 2015.

Initially only 50 Dominator SS bikes are to be launched in the UK in 2015. The Dominator will be an ongoing model for Norton and launched with the SS limited edition. The Dominator SS will be launched throughout the world later in 2015.

 

 

2016 Norton Dominator SS www.Totalmotorcycle.com Features and Benefits

Norton heritage

Norton returns, the name synonymous with the British sport motorcycling culture, and a brand that added so many enduring names to the motorcycle lexicon – Commando, Dominator, and of course Norton Manx whose fame was gained while dominating world Gran Prix road racing for decades. When the first Norton motorcycle, the ‘Engerette’, rolled out of the original Birmingham England factory in 1902, it was the birth of a lineage of motorcycles that shapes the motorcycle scene to this day. It is fitting that the new factory and world headquarters of Norton are based at the spiritual centre of British motorsport, the famous Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, so near the traditional heart of the British motorcycle industry in Birmingham. We embrace the passion and pride of Norton’s heritage, with our eyes firmly fixed on the future. We proudly continue the legacy and assume the mission of designing, engineering and building motorcycles that reflect the best of this iconic brand.

Norton Motorcycle Company is a British motorcycle marque, originally from Birmingham, founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of “fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade”. By 1902, they had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908, a Norton-built engine was added to the range. This began a long series of production of single and eventually twin-cylinder motorcycles, and a long history of racing involvement.

Norton racing heritage

The original company was formed by James Lansdowne Norton at 320, Bradford Street, Birmingham in 1898. In 1902, Norton began building motorcycles with French and Swiss engines. In 1907, a Norton ridden by Rem Fowler won the twin-cylinder class in the first Isle of Man TT race, beginning a sporting tradition that went on until the 1960s. The Isle of Man Senior TT, the most prestigious of events, was won by Nortons’ ten times between the wars and then every year from 1947 to 1954. The first Norton engines were made in 1908, beginning a line of side-valve single-cylinder engines which continued with few changes until the late 1950s .

The first Norton logo was a fairly simple, art nouveau design, with the name spelled in capitals. However, a new logo appeared on the front of the catalogue for 1914, which was a joint effort by James Lansdowne Norton and his daughter Ethel. It became known as the “curly N” logo, with only the initial letter as a capital, and was used by the company thereafter, first appearing on actual motorcycles in 1915. Ethel Norton also did some testing of her father’s motorcycles. In 1913 the business declined. R.T. Shelley & Co., the main creditors, intervened and saved it. Norton Motors Ltd was formed shortly afterwards under joint directorship of James Norton and Bob Shelley. J.L. Norton died in 1925 aged only 56, but he saw his motorcycles win the Senior and sidecar TTs in 1924, specifically with the 500cc Model 18, Norton’s first overhead valve single.

Designed by Walter Moore, the Norton CS1 engine appeared in 1927, based closely on the ES2 pushrod engine and using many of its parts. After Moores departure in 1930, Arthur Carroll designed an entirely new OHC engine destined to become the basis for all later OHC and DOHC Norton singles. The Norton racing legend began in the Thirties: Of the nine Isle of Man Senior TTs (500 cc) between 1931 and 1939, Norton won seven.

Until 1934, Norton bought Sturmey-Archer gearboxes and clutches. When Sturmey discontinued production Norton bought the design rights and had them made by Burman, a manufacturer of proprietary gearboxes.

Nortons’ also appealed to ordinary motorcyclists who enjoyed the reliability and performance offered by single-cylinder engines with separate gearboxes.

 

War Time effort

Between 1937 and 1945 nearly a quarter (over 100,000) of all British military motorcycles were Nortons, basically the WD 16H (solo) and WD Big Four outfit with driven sidecar wheel.

 

Post war

After the Second World War, Norton reverted to civilian motorcycle production, gradually increasing its range. A major addition in 1949 was the twin cylinder Model 7, known as the Norton Dominator, a pushrod 500 cc twin-cylinder machine designed by Bert Hopwood. Its chassis was derived from the ES2 single, with telescopic front and plunger rear suspension, and an updated version of the gearbox known as the “lay-down” box. More shapely mudguards and tanks completed the more modern styling to Nortons’ new premium model twin.

?Post war, Norton struggled to reclaim its pre-WWII racing dominance as the single-cylinder machine faced fierce competition from the multi-cylinder Italian machines and AJS from the UK. In the 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, the first year of the world championship, Norton made only fifth place and AJS won. That was before the Featherbed frame appeared, developed for Norton by the McCandless brothers of Belfast in January 1950, used in the legendary Manx Norton and raced by riders including Geoff Duke, John Surtees and Derek Minter. Very quickly the featherbed frame, a design that allowed the construction of a motorcycle with good mass-stiffness distribution, became a benchmark by which all other frames were judged.

Norton also experimented with engine placement, and discovered that moving the engine slightly up/down, forward/back, or even right/left, could deliver a “sweet spot” in terms of handling. Motorcycle designers still use this method to fine-tune motorcycle handling.

In 1951, the Norton Dominator was made available to export markets as the Model 88 with the Featherbed frame. Later, as production of this frame increased, it became a regular production model, and was made in variants for other models, including the OHV single-cylinder machines.

Manx Nortons also played a significant role in the development of post war car racing. At the end of 1950, the English national 500 cc regulations were adopted as the new Formula 3. The JAP Speedway engine had dominated the category initially but the Manx was capable of producing significantly more power and became the engine of choice. Many complete motorcycles were bought in order to strip the engine for 500 cc car racing, as Norton would not sell separate engines.

The racing successes were transferred to the street through cafe racers, some of whom would use the featherbed frame with an engine from another manufacturer to make a hybrid machine with the best of both worlds. The most famous of these were Tritons – Triumph twin engines in a Norton featherbed frame.

Today, the Norton racing tradition continues, with the renowed Mick Grant managing the Norton Race Team, and the legendary Cameron Donald riding for Norton during their entries at the 2014 and 2015 Isle of Man Senior TT.

 

Chassis and running gear

The Norton reputation for superior road-holding is legendary, and continues by building a chassis of the finest materials with real world geometry and settings. Norton frames are crafted in-house at our Castle Donington factory from cold drawn 1 inch diameter, .08″ wall thickness European steel. The frame also acts as the oil reservoir for the dry sump engine. Road manners are further enhanced by employing confidence inspiring and fully adjustable Ohlins suspension both front and rear, while braking tasks are handled by premier Brembo calipers, discs and master cylinders.

 

 

 

---

 

2016 Norton Dominator SS – www.Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $ See dealer for pricing in USD

Engine

Engine type: In house developed parallel twin with dry sump lubrication. Black with polished covers. Compression ratio: 10.1:1
Displacement: 961cc Power: 80PS at 6500RPM
Cooling system: Air/Oil Torque: 90Nm at 5200RPM
Valve actuation: Push rod, hydraulic roller lifter, 2 valves per cylinder Exhaust: Stainless steel
Bore x Stroke: 88mm x 79mm Ignition: Crank fired electronic fuel injection & 2 way catalytic converters. Euro 3 compliant.

Transmission

Gear box: 5-Speed, Constant Mesh
Final drive: 525 O-ring chain
Clutch: Wet multi-plate

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1450mm (55.9″) Front tyre: 120/70 x 17″
Rake: 24.0° Rear tyre: 180/55 x 17″
Trail: 99mm (3.9″) Front wheel travel: 115mm (4.53″)
Front wheel: 36 spoke 3.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Rear wheel travel: 100mm (3.94″)
Rear wheel: 40 spoke 5.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Seat height: 813mm (23″)

Suspension

Front suspension: 43mm Black-line Ohlins USD – adjustable preload, compression & rebound damping
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX 36 mono shock with remote reservoir – adjustable ride height, preload and compression

Brakes

Front Brakes: Full Brembo system, twin Brembo 320mm fully-floating high carbon stainless steel discs & Brembo 4 piston “Mono bloc” radially mounted calipers. Brembo radial front brake master cylinder with remote reservoir.
Rear Brakes: Full Brembo system, single Brembo 220mm disc & Brembo 2 piston calliper. Brembo rear brake master cylinder
Clutch: Brembo radial hydraulic clutch master cylinder with remote reservoir and Brembo slave cylinder

Performance

Power: 80PS @ 6500rpm
Torque: 90Nm @ 5200rpm

Electronics & Controls

Charging system: 300 watt hi-output charging system
Instrumentation: Norton electronic analogue speedo and tachometer
Starting system: Electric push button start

Colour Options

Titanium Grey with Black Pinstripe

 

---

 

2016 Norton Dominator SS – www.Totalmotorcycle.com Canadian Specifications/Technical Details
Canada MSRP Price: $ See dealer for pricing in CDN

Engine

Engine type: In house developed parallel twin with dry sump lubrication. Black with polished covers. Compression ratio: 10.1:1
Displacement: 961cc Power: 80PS at 6500RPM
Cooling system: Air/Oil Torque: 90Nm at 5200RPM
Valve actuation: Push rod, hydraulic roller lifter, 2 valves per cylinder Exhaust: Stainless steel
Bore x Stroke: 88mm x 79mm Ignition: Crank fired electronic fuel injection & 2 way catalytic converters. Euro 3 compliant.

Transmission

Gear box: 5-Speed, Constant Mesh
Final drive: 525 O-ring chain
Clutch: Wet multi-plate

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1450mm (55.9″) Front tyre: 120/70 x 17″
Rake: 24.0° Rear tyre: 180/55 x 17″
Trail: 99mm (3.9″) Front wheel travel: 115mm (4.53″)
Front wheel: 36 spoke 3.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Rear wheel travel: 100mm (3.94″)
Rear wheel: 40 spoke 5.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Seat height: 813mm (23″)

Suspension

Front suspension: 43mm Black-line Ohlins USD – adjustable preload, compression & rebound damping
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX 36 mono shock with remote reservoir – adjustable ride height, preload and compression

Brakes

Front Brakes: Full Brembo system, twin Brembo 320mm fully-floating high carbon stainless steel discs & Brembo 4 piston “Mono bloc” radially mounted calipers. Brembo radial front brake master cylinder with remote reservoir.
Rear Brakes: Full Brembo system, single Brembo 220mm disc & Brembo 2 piston calliper. Brembo rear brake master cylinder
Clutch: Brembo radial hydraulic clutch master cylinder with remote reservoir and Brembo slave cylinder

Performance

Power: 80PS @ 6500rpm
Torque: 90Nm @ 5200rpm

Electronics & Controls

Charging system: 300 watt hi-output charging system
Instrumentation: Norton electronic analogue speedo and tachometer
Starting system: Electric push button start

Colour Options

Titanium Grey with Black Pinstripe

---

 

2016 Norton Dominator SS – www.Totalmotorcycle.com European Specifications/Technical Details
Europe/UK MSRP Price: £19950 GBP (On The Road inc 20% Vat)

Engine

Engine type: In house developed parallel twin with dry sump lubrication. Black with polished covers. Compression ratio: 10.1:1
Displacement: 961cc Power: 80PS at 6500RPM
Cooling system: Air/Oil Torque: 90Nm at 5200RPM
Valve actuation: Push rod, hydraulic roller lifter, 2 valves per cylinder Exhaust: Stainless steel
Bore x Stroke: 88mm x 79mm Ignition: Crank fired electronic fuel injection & 2 way catalytic converters. Euro 3 compliant.

Transmission

Gear box: 5-Speed, Constant Mesh
Final drive: 525 O-ring chain
Clutch: Wet multi-plate

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1450mm (55.9″) Front tyre: 120/70 x 17″
Rake: 24.0° Rear tyre: 180/55 x 17″
Trail: 99mm (3.9″) Front wheel travel: 115mm (4.53″)
Front wheel: 36 spoke 3.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Rear wheel travel: 100mm (3.94″)
Rear wheel: 40 spoke 5.5″ x 17″ Black Rim Seat height: 813mm (23″)

Suspension

Front suspension: 43mm Black-line Ohlins USD – adjustable preload, compression & rebound damping
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX 36 mono shock with remote reservoir – adjustable ride height, preload and compression

Brakes

Front Brakes: Full Brembo system, twin Brembo 320mm fully-floating high carbon stainless steel discs & Brembo 4 piston “Mono bloc” radially mounted calipers. Brembo radial front brake master cylinder with remote reservoir.
Rear Brakes: Full Brembo system, single Brembo 220mm disc & Brembo 2 piston calliper. Brembo rear brake master cylinder
Clutch: Brembo radial hydraulic clutch master cylinder with remote reservoir and Brembo slave cylinder

Performance

Power: 80PS @ 6500rpm
Torque: 90Nm @ 5200rpm

Electronics & Controls

Charging system: 300 watt hi-output charging system
Instrumentation: Norton electronic analogue speedo and tachometer
Starting system: Electric push button start

Colour Options

Titanium Grey with Black Pinstripe

Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).