Not long ago, Norton ambitiously announced that it would revive previously discontinued models, such as Atlas, Commando, V4 RR and SS, as well as the eye-catching Superlight SS. Recently, the Superlight was revealed ?SS patent drawing.
The carbon fiber-structured Superlight SS was Norton’s highlight at the 2019 Milan Motor Show, but Norton’s financial problems put the project in trouble a few months later. Now, after TVS India took over and injected funds, Norton has strong backing support to turn some of its previous plans into reality for the first time. Fortunately, this means that the Superlight SS project will be back on track in the near future.
Superlight?SS is not only an enhanced version of the previously released Superlight, Superton?SS has been on the right track under the management of Norton's new owner TVS. The scheme debuted in 2018, using Norton's new 650cc parallel-twin engine with 105bhp, a claimed dry weight of 158kg and an initial promised price of ￡19,950. In comparison, the original price of the Superlight SS is twice as high. The reason why the supercharged version of the car is expensive is because Norton claims that it can output an astonishing 175hp, and it uses a carbon fiber chassis and a carbon fiber single-sided rear swing arm. and carbon fiber wheels, with a dry weight of an astonishing 153kg.
Norton also promises high-end kit, including Ohlins suspension (NIX30 fork, TTX-GP shock), Brembo? M50 brakes, up/down quickshifter and IMU assist electronics, so Its price is high.
Now, we've seen Norton's patent application, allowing more details of the supercharged motorcycle to emerge. Most notably, the patent application shows how airflow works on motorcycles. It reveals two nose air intakes (one next to each headlight) each with different tasks. The left hand feeds air from the high-pressure area of ??the motorcycle's nose into the supercharger itself, a Rotrex unit located behind the engine that compresses the intake air to 17psi before it's released.
Anyone who has used a pump knows that compressed air generates heat. This is always a problem with turbocharged or supercharged engines because the intake air has less heat density and is more likely to cause an explosion. The solution is an intercooler, which cools the charge air before it reaches the engine intake. Norton installed an air-to-air intercooler between the supercharger and the intake plenum, which does its job right next to the right headlight to feed air to that intercooler.
Norton's design not only uses the ram air effect of the front air intake to push fresh air into the intercooler, but also uses the low-pressure areas under the front and rear seat units of the motorcycle to draw cooling air into it. To do this, a duct starting on the right-hand side of the cowling first leads to the intercooler and then back to the exhaust port below the valve seat. The same idea has appeared on a handful of motorcycles built with under-seat radiators, notably the Britten V1000 and Benelli Tornado Tre, but since supercharged and intercooled motorcycles are so unusual, we haven't seen one yet Before the method for intercooler.
Norton’s current priority is to put the more mainstream 650cc twin-cylinder models, Atlas series, Atlas Nomad, and Atlas Ranger into production. Supercharged models may not be available soon. Modern emissions regulations are causing more and more brands to look to superchargers and turbochargers, including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, which has already taken the lead with its supercharged H2 models. By taking the same route, Norton is in a good position to show what he's got.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.