(05-06-2015, 06:14 PM)Allyshaper Wrote:

(05-06-2015, 05:59 PM)Westers Wrote: Reliability? I know, and cheap, low dig at the bike, but are they as reliable as a modern Japanes/European 4? They've come on a lot, however I think they still require a bit more fetlling than the others.

On another note, I've never understood why someone hasn't run the Aprilia RSV's (V4's) around the TT. Or maybe their geometry is too track biased, rather than road focused (but the again that hasn't stopped Honda NS500's or YZR 500's being raced at the island).

Have you never heard of David Hewson ??? That old boys been making Norton look like what they are for several years now with a home built RSV.

Well said that man,  Dave raced his 2012  V4  last year, finishing in all three races he  contested, and Norton couldn't get more than a lap posted.
He's on the same bike this year, and has done well in qualifying.  Norton just seem to have done the rebel teenager trick of making the bike louder, but no more powerful.
As to Ducati, i suppose their old bugbear of being too fragile for the TT puts the mokkers on it for them, but a supersport or lightweight - well, wouldn't that be something?