The Norton Dominator is a modern classic with cafe racer styling based on the Norton Domiracer. The Dominator name is taken from Norton’s 1940s model with the same name. The original Dominator was in production from 1947 till 1976, with varying engine capacity, ranging from 500 cc to 828 cc twin engines. The new Norton Dominator has been manufactured by the resurrected Norton Motorcycles company based at Donington Park, Leicestershire, UK. The overall design of the Norton Dominator is stripped back, yet has a gorgeous neo-retro appeal. The short seat and flyscreen underscore the cafe racer design origins of the Norton Dominator – simple, elegant, and classy.
The Dominator’s engine has been developed in-house by Norton, and is an air-cooled parallel-twin with a displacement of 961 cc. With a dry sump, the Norton engine has push-rod actuated valves, with two valves per cylinder. The engine has a 270-degree firing order and puts out 79 bhp of power at 6500 rpm and 90 Nm of peak torque at 5,200 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox, and suspension is handled by high-spec components. At the front is a 43 mm Ohlins upside down fork, with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping offering 115 mm travel. The rear suspension is also from Ohlins, with the monoshock being adjustable for ride height, preload and compression, and offers 100 mm travel. Braking is handled by full Brembo system, with twin Brembo 320 mm discs gripped by Brembo four-piston Monobloc calipers at the front, while at the rear, a single Brembo 220 mm disc is gripped by a Brembo 2-piston caliper. Wheels are both 17-inchers front and rear.
The Norton Dominator has been brought into India as a completely built unit (CBU) and is priced at Rs. 23.7 lakh (ex-showroom). Introduced in India by Kinetic Group’s MotoRoyale venture, the Norton Dominator will eventually be assembled at Kinetic’s plant in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, but that will depend on demand and how well the bikes do in the Indian market. Considering the high sticker prices of the CBU models, as well as limited sales and service network, the Norton Dominator’s USP is exclusivity, and is not expected to sell in large numbers in any case.