Cycle News Staff | January 18, 2017
All Aussie line-up for Norton at the Isle of Man TT this year
Brookes will be a formidable opponent at the TT this year.
Norton is set to field two all-star Aussie riders at the 2017 Isle of Man Senior and Superbike TT with its most exciting TT rider line-up yet after attracting the signatures of Aussie duo Josh Brookes and David Johnson to the factory team. Both riders will compete on the all-new SG6, derived from the recently launched V4 SS road bike.
The SG6 is hand built at Norton’s Donington Hall factory and is currently undergoing a punishing development and testing schedule in the hands of two-times TT winner and Norton development rider, Steve Plater.
Brookes returns to the TT following a year racing in World Superbike and is no stranger to the TT. He claimed fastest newcomer at the TT in 2013 finishing a best place of seventh in the 2014 Senior race with his fastest ever TT lap, a staggering 129.859mph, set in only his second year at the Island.
After a two-year absence on the challenging 37.73-mile Mountain Course, Brookes is looking to build on his TT success on the new 230bhp Norton.
“Firstly I want to come back to the TT, after SMR said I couldn’t ride at the TT over the last two years I’ve been desperate to get back and race at the island,” Brookes said. “I like the history of the Norton and it will be so great to be a little part of the Norton story. It’s just something that interests me, and I’m really excited by the project. It’s always hard to predict results, especially around the island so I think it’s important that I let it come to me. I’ve not been for two years, and I don’t know how much the Norton bike has improved, but I hear great things about the bike.
“My first ever race at the TT was in the Superbike and I got a top ten, so let’s hope we are better than that at least, but realistically if we finish the races without a problem, and I’m in the 132mph club by the end of the fortnight then we’ll be celebrating.”
Johnson will be looking to land a podium place after a great ride on the Norton in 2016.
Fellow Australian David Johnson makes his return on a Norton which he took to become the fastest ever British motorcycle around the TT in 2016, claiming a seventh place in the Superbike TT and a best lap of 130.87mph.
“As a team we did such a great job last year, we all worked awesomely as a team and I really felt at home with Norton,” said Johnson. “Without that sort of relationship with your team it’s almost impossible to get good results. I knew the 2017 bike was going to be better again after what we learnt in 2016, so I wanted to stay and make the next step with Norton.
“This year I know if everything goes smoothly with no problems we can battle for the podium, I’m ready to be up there and I feel the bike will be too.”
