PowerDrift

2026 Norton Manx R First Ride: 208 HP V4 Superbike With An Indian Connection

We flew to Seville, Spain to ride one of the most exciting superbikes of 2026 — the all-new Norton Manx R. Powered by a 1200cc V4 engine producing 208 hp and 130 Nm, the Norton Manx R takes a different approach to modern litre-class superbikes. Instead of chasing lap times with aggressive ergonomics and huge winglets, Norton has focused on usable mid-range performance and real-world comfort. In this PowerDrift first ride review, Varun Painter rides the Norton Manx R both on the Monteblanco circuit and on public roads to find out whether this British superbike with strong Indian engineering inputs can take on machines like the Ducati Panigale V4 and BMW S1000RR. From the new V4 engine and carbon-fibre bodywork to the comfortable ergonomics, software glitches and expected India launch, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Norton Manx R. #PowerDrift #NortonManxR #NortonMotorcycles Chapters - 00:00 - Flying To Spain 00:58 - A Motorcycle Journalist's Kit 1:58 - Time To Ride 3:27 - The Big Story: V4 Engine 4:26 - Road Ride Impressions 5:06 - The India Connection 5:37 - Variants Explained 6:17 - What I Didn't Like 7:29 - India Launch & Expected Price 8:16 - Is This The Ultimate Sunday Superbike? 9:02 - Norton Atlas & Final Thoughts Join the 3 Million strong #PDArmy: http://bit.ly/PDARMY Merch Drop: http://www.powerdrift.com/merch Listen to the #PowerDriftPlaylist: https://spoti.fi/3Ny2uVr Follow us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerdrift/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/POWERDRIFTOFFICIAL/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/powerdrift WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VamrxqfL7UVRtRwR9F3N Threads: https://www.threads.net/@powerdrift Josh: https://bit.ly/3O8Y6fJ