Norton Motorcycles’ all-new Manx R made its first TT appearance at the weekend with a women-led legacy lap.
Norton celebrated its long history with the Mountain Course – with more than a century of racing heritage – and the riders shaping the future of motorcycling, by teaming up with Women Riders World Relay (WRWR).
The Legacy Lap was held on Sunday 31 May 2026, with a group of pioneering women riders leading the closed-road parade on a carefully selected line-up of Norton motorcycles, spanning the company’s history at the TT.
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Women have played a remarkable role throughout Norton Motorcycles’ history, helping to shape the brand’s legacy of engineering, endurance and competitive spirit. From Ethel Norton – daughter of company founder James Lansdowne Norton, to pioneering engineer and racer Beatrice Shilling, and Peggy Hyde who famously campaigned the Norton Atlas in desert competition during the 1960s – women riders have long been a part of the Norton company story and racing heritage.
The Isle of Man TT and Norton share one of the most significant relationships in motorcycle racing history. Norton’s TT story began at the first Isle of Man TT in 1907, when Rem Fowler won the twin-cylinder class on a Norton, beginning a legacy that would include decades of dominance, innovation and engineering progress on the Mountain Course.
In 2026, Norton brought together this rich heritage, the brand’s all-new Manx R flagship and female rider representation in one symbolic moment with a mix of heritage and modern machines linking the brand’s racing past with its new era.
WRWR was founded to connect women riders globally, building a community around its mission to Connect. Challenge. Change. The movement holds the record for having completed the world’s largest women-led motorcycle relay, connecting more than 20,000 women riders across 102 countries.
The rider and bike pairings are:
• Carolynn Sells – Norton Manx R
• Hayley Bell – Norton Atlas Scrambler (of Peggy Hyde fame)
• Liza Miller – Norton Mercury 650
• Lisa Brain – Norton Dominator 99
• Gloria Perrin – Norton CS1
• Gail Sheeley – Norton CJ350
• Guliafshan Tariq – Norton Dominator 88
The group brings together some of the most significant women in TT and motorcycling culture. Carolynn Sells is the first and only woman to win a solo race around the Isle of Man Mountain Course (at the Manx GP), earning a Guinness World Record. Her father, Dave Sells, also raced the mountain course and travelled to and from with luggage and his children, including Carolynn, in a Norton ES2 sidecar.
The group is also joined by WRWR founder Hayley Bell, WRWR CEO Liza Miller, WRWR Isle of Man Ambassador Lisa Brain and British-Pakistani adventure motorcyclist Guliafshan Tariq, whose riding story brings a powerful perspective on resilience, independence and women’s visibility in motorcycling.
The Norton motorcycles selected for the lap each represent a different chapter of the brand’s relationship with the TT. The CS1 and CJ350 represent Norton’s early overhead-camshaft racing development, with the CS1 winning the 1927 Senior TT on its debut. The Dominator 88 and Dominator 99 carry the legacy of the Featherbed frame, a chassis developed from TT success that brought race-bred handling to Norton road bikes. The Atlas Scrambler represents the 750cc twin in off-road form, while the Mercury 650 stands as one of the final expressions of Norton’s classic twin-cylinder era.
Hayley Bell, Founder of WRWR, said:
“Leading the first women-led Legacy Lap at the Isle of Man TT is a huge honour. The TT is one of the most respected events in motorcycling, and to ride alongside women who have helped shape its history, on Norton motorcycles with such a powerful connection to the island, is incredibly special. This lap represents what WRWR stands for: connection, challenge and change.”
Chris Bexon, Norton Motorcycles’ Regional Director, UK, said:
“Norton and the Isle of Man TT are deeply connected. This moment allows us to honour that history while also looking forward. The women leading this lap have each shaped motorcycling in their own way, and the motorcycles they are riding represent almost a century of Norton innovation, craftsmanship and racing influence. With the new Manx R alongside our heritage machines, this is a powerful expression of where Norton has come from and where the brand is going next.”
The Legacy Lap celebration is captured as part of a wider Norton content series, including a documentary-style hero film, rider stories and social content exploring the women involved, the motorcycles they are riding and Norton’s connection to the Isle of Man. The project focuses on human stories, motorcycle heritage, TT culture and Norton’s new era, with the Manx R positioned as the continuation of the brand’s racing story.
As further details emerge following the accident involving Maria Costello MBE, Norton Motorcycles extends its sincere best wishes to Maria, sidecar passenger Shaun Parker and all those affected by incidents during this year’s Isle of Man TT. Maria Costello MBE is one of the most recognised women road racers in history, competing across both solo and sidecar machinery, and has long been an important figure in motorcycle racing and an inspiration to many across the sport. Everyone at Norton sends their support and hopes for her continued recovery.
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About Norton Motorcycles
Norton Motorcycles was founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of fittings and parts to the two-wheel trade. Norton Motorcycles went on to become one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands, manufacturing famous models such as the 650SS, Atlas, Commando, Dominator, Manx, Navigator and more – constantly innovating in motorcycle technology, with features advantageous for lightness and strength in motorcycle racing. Norton Motorcycles has an unrivalled history in motorsport and the brand name is synonymous with Isle of Man TT racing.
In April 2020, Norton Motorcycles was acquired by TVS Motor Company, India’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer. Under the leadership of TVS, Norton is based out of a new manufacturing facility in Solihull, West Midlands, building British motorcycles in England using traditional hand-crafted techniques with modern day machinery for consistently high quality.
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Original post on modernclassicbikes.co.uk and published by Frank Duggan. Frank is the Founder and Editor of Modern Classic Motorcycle News, an independent motorcycle publication covering modern classic motorcycles, roadsters, scramblers, cruisers, electric motorcycles and the wider motorcycle industry.
