Norton Atlas Review: Image Gallery

The Norton Atlas is set to arrive in India in the next few months and will rival motorcycles like the BMW F 450 GS and upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 750. We rode it across Iceland to find out if its performance and overall riding experience are good enough to give it an edge over its rivals.

The Atlas looks significantly larger and more substantial in flesh than in pictures. And it is not just large, but also muscular and minimalistic, which gives it an understated but distinctive road presence.

Despite having an 845mm seat height, the Atlas feels approachable thanks to its narrow waist. The riding position is comfortable overall, although the deeply scooped seat restricts movement.

The Atlas is among the most feature-rich motorcycles in its class. It gets an adjustable windscreen, adjustable levers, LED lighting, cornering lights, heated grips, tyre pressure monitoring, USB-C charging and keyless ignition. And there is an eight-inch full-colour touchscreen display with Bluetooth connectivity and an inbuilt e-SIM.

The 270-degree parallel-twin engine delivers strong and tractable performance. It feels smooth and effortless once past 3,000rpm, while the oodles of torque make the Atlas easy to ride in the city and quick on the highway.

The Atlas gets adjustable KYB suspension at both ends and delivers an impressive ride. It remains composed over bumps, undulations and poor road surfaces, while also staying stable at high speeds.

Despite weighing over 200kg, the Atlas feels lighter than expected off-road, thanks to good weight distribution. It handles rocky sections, gravel and hard-packed dirt with confidence, although the smooth tank and midsection make it difficult to grip the motorcycle with your knees.