The Kinetic Norton JV plans to launch the Norton Dominator and the Norton Commando to India
Kinetic Engineering, the Indian two-wheeler manufacturer known for the erstwhile ‘Kinetic Honda’ automatic scooter, has got into a joint venture with Norton Motorcycle Company. With this, the Indian company gets the rights for selling Norton motorcycles in our country. This announcement was recently made at the EICMA 2017. A formal announcement of the Kinetic Norton Motorcycles joint venture will be made to media at an official event in New Delhi on November 15.
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The Notrton Motorcycle Company is a much revered British motorcycle brand that was founded by James Lansdowne Norton in 1898. The first-ever Norton motorcycle went on sale soon after the beginning of last century. Initially, Norton used Swiss and French engines for its two-wheelers. In 1908, the company came up with the first motorcycle with an ingeniously-developed engine. Kinetic Engineering will soon become responsible for bringing the Norton Dominator and the Norton Commando to India. These motorcycles will be initially brought to our shores via CBU route. CKD assemble should commence at a later stage.
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Both the upcoming Kinetic Norton motorcycles were recently put on display at the EICMA 2017 in Milan. Both these motorcycles are retro-styled offerings with care racer bodywork. Of the two, the Dominator offers more features and is a more premium offering. On the other hand, the Commando is more affordable but doesn’t offer as many features. Both the upcoming Norton motorcycles in India have are liter-class offerings.
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Kinetic Norton Motorcycles India – Specifications
Powering both the upcoming Kinetic Norton motorcycles is a 961cc air-cooled parallel twin engine that benefits from fuel injection technology. The engine outputs a maximum power of 79 bhp along with a peak torque of 90 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission which sends power to the rear wheel via an O-ring chain. The Commander gets 43mm Black-line Ohlins USD forks up front and Ohlins twin shock-absorbers with a remote reservoir at the rear. The Dominator gets 43mm Black-line Ohlins USD forks up front and Ohlins TTX 36 mono shock with a remote reservoir at the rear.
Both the Kinetic Norton Motorcycles get twin Brembo 320 mm fully-floating high-carbon stainless steel disc brakes at the front. The front disc brakes get Brembo 4-piston “Monobloc” radially mounted calipers. The two models get a Brembo 220mm disc & Brembo 2 piston calliper setup at the rear.
