Page 47 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)

– making it really neither one thing nor the other.
I’d like to raise the footrests and stick full-tarmac
tyres like Pirelli Angels on it, maybe with a 17-inch
front wheel – though the 18-incher fitted doesn’t
slow the steering down unduly.
And full respect for those outstanding
brakes, with the Continental ABS which cut in
occasionally but not over-eagerly on strewn leaves
in country lanes. Like I said, this motorcycle
would make a pretty fine café racer, and doubtless
Norton will produce one soon based on the Atlas
platform, especially with the Nomad’s 824mm
seat height being ideal for such a bike.
Riding the Ranger confirmed this – if you want
to go off-road but to ride tarmac to get there, or
to go to work to earn the bucks to buy the bike in
the first place, this is an excellent model to do so
on. The Ranger’s taller 867mm seat still allowed
me at 180cm in stature to touch both feet down at
traffic lights, but coupled with the 19-inch front
wheel made it a confidence-inspiring trail ride
along hard-surfaced lanes and muddy tracks. The
low-speed rideability of the engine again came to
5 the fore – but just like the Nomad, show it an open
road, and the Ranger speeds along very nicely,
with just the upright riding position to contend
with in terms of windblast. Still 120kmh cruising
was lots of fun, and this is a true all-round
motorcycle with added reserves of power when
you want. And the good-looking seat on both
bikes was pretty comfy, too.
One thing I must especially compliment
Skinner and his men on is the Atlas gearbox,
which is literally faultless. The shift action is
short, precise and instant: it’s so effective that
you don’t even need to use the clutch changing
down through the gears – not that using its light-
action lever is any hardship, making both Atlas
twins ideal town bikes, especially the Ranger
where you sit high enough to see over traffic quite
THE GEARBOX IS

LITERALLY FAULTLESS

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