Norco Sight 2 MBR Review - Evans Cycles

first look
Norco Sight 2 £2,599.99
With eye-catching curves, a seductive design and
top-drawer tech, the latest Norco is a feast for the senses
Range finder
n Norco Sight LE £6,199.99
n Norco Sight 1 £3,599.99
n Norco Sight 2 £2,599.99
n Norco Sight 3 £1,899.99
Words: Alan Muldoon Photos: Mike Prior, Roo Fowler
“I
never thought I’d say this, but I really
like the look of that new Norco.”
It’s just one of many positive
comments we overheard as the Sight
2 was parked-up outside Pedal and
Spoke in Peaslake. You gotta love that shape.
The generous curves are indeed finding
favour with a new fanbase for the Canadian
brand, and it’s not purely by chance that it’s
winning such accolades. The Sight is Norco’s
latest 140mm trail bike and, along with the
Aurum World Cup DH bike, it’s heavily
influenced by new blood at its Canadian HQ;
both bikes being designed by young British
engineer Owen Pemberton.
The 30.9mm seat post
diameter gives the widest
possible range of dropper
post compatibility, while
three line guides dotted
along the top tube make
for easy remote routing
A seam-welded one-piece rocker link keeps the frame stiff
Frame details
There isn’t a straight tube on the Sight frame.
And while it could be argued that Norco has
taken the tubing manipulation to
the absolute limit, there’s no
disputing the fact that the
frame is packed with
technology. Starting
at the front, there
Double-curved
chain and seat
stays improve
tyre clearance
The actual seat tube
angle on the Sight is
72.5°, but because it’s
offset at the BB, the
effective seat angle
is 74° — helping to
keep your weight
forward on the climbs
Dual Position Air technology
on the Rock Shox Revelation
fork means travel can be
reduced from 140mm to
110mm at the flick of a switch
specification
Frame: Hydroformed
6061 aluminium, Fox RP2
shock, 140mm travel
Fork: Revelation RL Dual
Position Air, 140mm travel
Rims: Sun Inferno 25
Hubs: Shimano XT
15mm/142 x 12mm rear
Spokes: DT Champion 2.0
Tyres: Kenda
Slant SIX 2.35in
Shifters: Shimano XT
Front Mech:
Shimano XT E type
Rear Mech:
Shimano XT Shadow
Crankset: Shimano
XT 38/26T
Brakes: Shimano XT
180/160mm
Seat Post: Norco SL
Saddle: WTB
Silverado Race SL
Stem: Norco 3D
forged 60mm
Handlebar: Norco
6061, 740mm
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Weight: 12.68kg (27.9lb)
All Sights sport ISCG tabs and
direct mount front mech, and
the three top models get 2x10
Shimano transmissions. The
entry-level Sight 3 is the only
one in the range with a 3x10
Shimano set-up
124x12mm Syntace X-12 rear
dropouts on all Sight models
improves rear wheel tracking
and offers unparallelled
levels of wheel security
A seam-welded, hollow
one-piece rocker link aids
frame stiffness and helps
reduce side loading on the
Fox RP2 rear shock
28 mbr.co.uk JANUARY 2012
MARCH 2011 mbr.co.uk 29

Horst-link suspension and X12 dropout
is the now universal zero stack, tapered
head tube for more precise steering. The
dramatically swooping top tube offers bags
of standover clearance, while line guides
dotted along its length make it easy to fit a
dropper post and handlebar remote.
Bang in the middle of the bike is a
seam-welded, one-piece rocker link to aid
frame stiffness and help reduce side-loading
on the Fox RP2 rear shock. Stiffness and
alignment are increased by the one-piece
bottom bracket shell/main pivot assembly.
While none of the models in the Sight
range comes with a chain guide, all sport
ISCG tabs. The spot-welded ISCG plate on
the BB shell isn’t the cleanest solution we’ve
seen, nor is it as sturdy as tabs forged into
the shell. Still, it’s better than no tabs at all.
Thankfully, the lines of the stays are much
neater. Forming the pivot clevis directly
out of the tube end — rather than the more
traditional approach of welding clevis
joints onto the end of the stay — eliminates
several welds. Not only does this look great,
but Norco claims it also makes for a stiffer,
stronger and lighter frame.
At the most rearward point of the frame,
the 142x12mm Syntace X-12 axle requires a
5mm Allen key to remove the rear wheel.
Yes, this is slower than a Maxle or Shimano
assembly, but we really like how the
clutter-free design eliminates the possibility
of snagging a QR lever. The final piece of the
frame puzzle, and the hardest part for an
engineer to get to fit, is the front mech:
bolted directly to the chainstay, the E-type
mech rotates as the suspension compresses.
Sexy suspension
Norco’s ART (Active Ride Technology)
suspension is a four-bar design and even
carries a sticker on the chainstay to prove
that Norco licences the Horst link technology
from Specialized. It’s a multi-platform
configuration where the pivot locations, axle
path and leverage rate are manipulated to
offer the best ride characteristic for each
Norco design. Combined with the simplebut-effective
Fox RP2 shock, the rear
suspension on the Sight can be run fully
open for maximum traction or, by simply
30 mbr.co.uk JANUARY 2012
Sight for sore eyes: curvy looks are spot-on
It’s rare that we don’t
swap the bar and stem
before testing, so the
Sight 2 had an ace start
angle finder
Size tested: M
Head angle: 67.5°
Seat angle: 72.5°
BB height: 340mm
Chainstay: 425mm
Front centre: 706mm
Wheelbase: 1,131mm
Down tube: 660mm
reaching down and flicking the Pro Pedal on,
firmed up for improved pedalling efficiency.
The ride
It’s pretty rare that we don’t have to swap
the bar and stem on a test bike before riding
it, so the Sight 2 was instantly off to a good
start with its full width 740mm bar and
stubby 60mm stem.
The medium-size frame also proved a
perfect fit, making it ideal for anyone an
inch or so either side of the 5ft 10in mark.
If you’re not Mr Average, fret not — Norco
offers four additional sizes. There are also
two female-specific ‘Forma’ versions, but
these aren’t currently available in the UK.
With a good cockpit layout as well as
contemporary trail bike geometry, it’s hardly
surprising that the weight distribution and
balance of the Sight presented no barriers to
us having a great ride. And our initial
concerns over frame stiffness, largely based
on the spindly chainstays and relatively small
pivots, proved unfounded. But it was hard to
get a true measure of frame stiffness given
the wet, slippery riding conditions. The same
conditions made it hard to access the full
potential of the rear suspension too, so while
we were happy with the level of grip, we’ll
have to reserve judgement on how the Sight
handles high-speed, square-edge hits.
We made good use of the Dual Position
Air travel adjuster on the fork to improve the
geometry of the bike for climbing, quickly
realising that you have to make a conscious
effort to un-weight the front of the bike to
get the fork to return to full travel mode.
On smoother trails the Sight proved silent,
no doubt aided by the mid-size 38T chain
ring. Still, we’d like to see a chainstay
protector fitted as standard.
Overall the Norco Sight 2 left us with a
positive first impression. It’s well specced,
the geometry and fit are both spot-on and
the suspension matches the bike’s attitude.
However, at a penny shy of £2.6k it’s got stiff
competition from all the major players.
We’re confident that the Sight will be able
to hold its own, so we’ll get one in again for
some proper back-to-back testing.