Last summer the iconic Norton Nemesis V8 became the protagonist of one of our chronicles, when we were informed that he would emerge from his endless lethargy at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. Specifically, to display it by Henry Cole on the television program “The Motorbike Show”.
It has been on display there since the only known example did not finally reach production after its official presentation, in the form of a prototype, in 1998. With it, the British brand intended to rise from its ashes, and also do so through the front door. . With a motorcycle capable of rivaling what, at that time, had become the fastest registered mount on the planet: the Suzuki Hayabusa 1300.
Finally, that idea of combining a sports motorcycle with a huge 1,500 cc V8 enginethe result of joining two 750 cc blocks from Kawasaki, it seems that it did not end up taking hold among those who would theoretically be in charge of financing the project.
So, unfortunately for fans of the brand, the Nemesis V8along with some engines used in the project, ended their days exposed in the National Motorcycle Museum Birminghamalso owner of this only copy of the model.
Norton Nemesis V8 today
However, after that first test of contact Allen Millyardin charge of fine-tuning the Nemesis V8 For the event, he was able to see first-hand the poor general condition it was in, and the urgency of carrying out a profound restoration on it to return it to its days of glory and splendor.
As Millyard himself explains on his YouTube channel: “I already worked on the bike last year to get the engine running after some rudimentary checks, new oil and batteries for series 12 of Henry Cole's The Motorcycle Show, where Henry rode it for a few miles up to 50mph, but “It didn't work very well and was leaking a lot of oil and coolant.”
So now it seems that Allen has been working on it for a few weeks, taking charge of reconditioning all those dynamic and mechanical parts that require it. This task will not be easy given the structural configuration it has. For example, in order to replace the tires, you must first dismantle the entire front axle.
This is because both the front fender, the axle housing and the brake calipers are interconnected by a system that is divided into two pieces. Also notable is the position of the disc brakes with the caliper operating the internal part of them, instead of the external area, as is usually the case.
In any case, Millyard will continue working on the Nemesis V8 in the coming months and will delight us with his enormous mastery in different videos that he will upload to his YouTube channel.
So we will be attentive to the progress it makes, looking forward to seeing it again and listening to it in full action, knowing that it has a reserved chapter in the history of the iconic British brand.
