Antaibrake.com: what it takes to be a polar explorer

Posted by cnsuperpower on December 7th, 2015

Paul Bloomfield Ceramic Brake Pad tries a novice’s Arctic trip to find out whether he’s got what it takes to be a polar explorer

It's now five years since Norton returned to production under the control of Stuart Garner, a youthful entrepreneur who'd made a fortune in fireworks before buying the ailing marque in 2008. His first model, the Commando 961, was a stylish retro roadster, conceived by an American engineer and Norton expert who had run out of money. Garner revamped the Commando prototype, brought it to market and has since been producing small but increasing numbers while expanding the business around it.

That progress was recognised in July, when Chancellor George Osborne visited Donington Hall – the former British Midland airline base that Garner bought in 2013 – to announce £4m of Government support. This will help fund the British Motorcycle Manufacturing Academy, based at the site, which will soon be training more than 90 apprentices. Garner has raised over £10m, which is also being used to develop a 1,200cc V4 engine that will power a new-generation superbike, due in 2017, and a related range of liquid-cooled 650cc twins.

It's a far cry from the saga that had seen Norton – which built its first motorcycle in 1902, and won the inaugural Isle of Man TT race five years later – mired in a succession of failed revivals and legal battles. After much success in the Fifties and Sixties the firm struggled through the following decades. Its nadir came in the Nineties, when the promise of rotary-engined roadsters faded, replaced by a hopelessly optimistic 1,500cc V8 superbike, the Nemesis, which generated excited headlines without coming close to production.

The Dominator SS is much more down-to-earth. Like the closely related Domiracer, a non-street-legal model of which just 50 units were built and quickly sold last year, it's essentially a café racer version of the Commando 961. Its 961cc, parallel-twin engine is identical to the Commando's, complete with old-style pushrod valve operation. The modest maximum output of 80bhp is unchanged, although the limited-edition SS comes with a free-breathing exhaust system that adds a few horsepower.

In fact "free-breathing" is a euphemism because at the press of its starter button the Dominator SS comes to life with a deep bark that turns to a deafening din with every twist of the throttle. Low "clip-on" handlebars and rearset footrests dictate a racy riding position. The carbon-fibre seat unit is thinly padded but  Brake Pad Manufacturer gives enough legroom that I didn't feel cramped despite being tall.