There are some motorcycles that just grab your attention the moment you see them.
For me, the Norton Rotary is one of those bikes. So when I heard that the WizNorton WRS 588cc Rotary Norton is going racing again at the 2026 Classic TT, I have to admit, I got pretty excited.
And this time, Peter Hickman is riding it.
If you’re a TT fan, you know just how special that is.
The Norton Rotary has a fantastic history around the Mountain Course, with riders like Robert Dunlop and Steve Hislop putting in some incredible laps back in the day. Then, in 2025, Michael Dunlop carried on that story, setting an unofficial Norton lap record of 123.505 mph on the WizNorton.
That’s what I love about this project. This isn’t just an old Norton being wheeled out for a parade lap. It’s being developed, ridden and raced.
WizNorton Racing has spent around 12 years developing the WRS machine, keeping the character of the original rotary Norton while continually improving its performance and reliability.
And now we get to see what Peter Hickman can do with it.
There’s something particularly cool about the history involved here too. Hickman’s father was involved with the original Norton Rotary project, while Michael Dunlop’s father, Robert, raced the original machine. That’s a pretty impressive connection between the past and present of TT racing.
I’m not really bothered whether the Norton has the outright performance to beat every other bike.
I just want to see it on the grid.
I want to hear that rotary engine fire up, hear that unmistakable Norton sound heading down the Mountain Road, and watch it disappear over the rises of the TT course.
That’s what the Classic TT is all about.
The history. The motorcycles. The riders. And the stories.
And for me, seeing the Norton racing around the Mountain Course again is going to be one of the highlights of the 2026 Classic TT.
Bring on the Norton. Bring on Hickman. Bring on the TT!
