BEST OF BRITISH Never shaken, always stirred

“I SAY, THAT’S A VERY BRIGHT-LOOKING BIKE!” exclaimed the husband of the fifty-something couple as they walked past the Fleur-de-Lys pub, on the Stratford Canal. “What is it?” Before I could answer, his smartly-dressed wife did it for me. “It’s the new Norton V4 that I saw a programme about on the BBC, after they did rather well in the

Isle of Man TT Races last summer. I was hoping to see one of them one day – how does it go? It looks very fast.

After reminding myself not to judge a book by its cover, I had to admit to Mrs Diana Williams that, yes, the new Norton V4-SS is indeed very fast, and to husband Ray that its trademark chrome paint scheme is indeed very bright, as well as unmistakeably

Norton – it makes the V4-SS such a visual stand-out that any of the fortunate few owners can’t help but make an impression at any bike gathering by its sheer presence, even before he lights up the engine.

For here I was, in the heart of Shakespeare Country, 50 miles south of Norton’s Donington Hall factory, becoming more impressed by the minute at a)their new 1200 V4’s ability to attract favourable comment as well as, if you stop it anywhere in public, a crowd, and b)how incredibly rewarding it had been to ride it here, to the middle of the Warwickshire countryside where I grew up.

These country lanes, interspersed with fast stretches of highway, full of daunting turns and demanding hills, once were the preferred test ground for riders