2015 norton 961 14k miles, $8500

Richard........sorry to hear your woes with Simon et al. To the best of my knowledge there are still 4 US dealers. No US distributor and no 2018 models as CARB and EPA testing is not yet complete.......funny how they have turned their back on their largest potential market......go figure.
 
There are at least two ways to look at the $8500 Bike.
Is it a 25k bike for only $8500 or $8500 to buy some trouble?
I guess all of the vintage Brit bikes also fit the second description to some degree.

So I guess if you do purchase, then do so with expectations of doing some reading, wrenching and buying some uprated parts.

Glen
 
Maybe we should try to find some bicycle shops that would like to become US or Canadian dealers?
I know two such shops near me that actually work on old britbikes on the side.
 
BritTwit said:
Maybe we should try to find some bicycle shops that would like to become US or Canadian dealers?
I know two such shops near me that actually work on old britbikes on the side.
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I don't think Norton is looking to bring non-motorcycle dealers into the fold. And they have no interesting, and rightly so, to include classic bike dealers. They are trying to be a modern bike manufacturer, like Triumph.
 
Oranges3 said:
i am about to pull the trigger on a 2015 sport
$8500

14k miles, sbn pipes, extended 2 yr warranty

am I nuts if i do not buy it?
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So has anyone actually bought this bike ? If so post some pics please, it’s a high mileage for a 3 year old bike so I’d like to think it must of been generally reliable for the owner to do that.
 
BLIGHTYBRIT/SF said:
So has anyone actually bought this bike ? If so post some pics please, it’s a high mileage for a 3 year old bike so I’d like to think it must of been generally reliable for the owner to do that.
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I agree with you Richard!
With 14k miles most teething troubles should already have shown and if you have 2 yr warranty even better! Ask prior owner about oil consumption and check tranny oil level...
And then buy the bike!
 
swooshdave said:
I don't think Norton is looking to bring non-motorcycle dealers into the fold. And they have no interesting, and rightly so, to include classic bike dealers. They are trying to be a modern bike manufacturer, like Triumph.
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Just thought, if you can't get actual M/C dealers to sign on - well, any port in a storm!:p
 
Just one more argument for buying the bike for $8500:
Last year I had an accident (wasn’t my fault) and my 961 year 2012 was close to be determined a total loss by the insurance agent. Fortunately it wasn’t and complete repair was paid by the insurance.
But if it would have been a total loss I would have had to pay about $7500 to buy the damaged bike back from the insurance. The insurance would have paid me the actual value of the bike at the time of the accident (first guess about $15000). The $7500 were determined by the agent on a dealer platform for accident damaged motorcycles and a guy bade this highest price... May be he was nuts...
 
Id buy it for that price. Rebuilt its gotta be worth double, easy. Its a fun bike. Easy to work on and problem free when dialed in.
 
With all due respect, because I like the guy, Tony's remark of "spoiled American" is pretty much out of line. Tony, its not only the fact that my tranny went at 700 miles and my starter was no good to begin with, the bike was burning oil since new and need rings at 2000 miles.....its that mines had a problem every. single. season. since new. And that is not the bad part. The bad part is the it took 4 months for a starter gasket, a few more months for a detent spring because Norton refused to believe it was the tranny, and then 7 more months to get a tranny. Then...I go down, and Norton makes me wait 4 months for a tank and a few more months for a primary cover for a total of another 7 months....and you saw the lovey short pipes they sent me. Now, the slave cylinder, that wasn't the slave cylinder. Nobody wants to work on the bike and Norton won't send my dealership parts because they don't want to sell Nortons anymore. Tit for Tat.

So really, brother, choose your words more carefully before you call someone that laid out over 20 grand (22.8) spoiled. I guess we can't all be as lucky as you to be a pretty good mechanic and have the means to cruise up to Canada to have the Cootes fellas redesign and rebuild your bike. And if you think they are worth so much, 11k and you can have mine with 3 sets of pipes and a primary cover still in the box. Oh....and a new Oberon slave cylinder. Its running great. I'm just feeling dejected. 4 summers...…...sigh. Guess I'm just spoiled. Allstate was going to give me almost 18 grand for the bike and I could have bought the salvage back for 2k. I'm an idiot for loving that bike so much.

Just curious, Richard....If your dad is not an authorized dealer or service/repair, will Norton still send him parts? Because they wont send them to my dealership where I bought the bike. I have to go through AF1, and then to me, and then to whomever is performing the work. Unless of course they have had a change of policy. And please don't leave AN. You are still valuable to us with A. your knowledge and B. youre a good guy.
 
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Britfan60 said:
With all due respect, because I like the guy, Tony's remark of "spoiled American" is pretty much out of line. Tony, its not only the fact that my tranny went at 700 miles and my starter was no good to begin with, the bike was burning oil since new and need rings at 2000 miles.....its that mines had a problem every. single. season. since new. And that is not the bad part. The bad part is the it took 4 months for a starter gasket, a few more months for a detent spring because Norton refused to believe it was the tranny, and then 7 more months to get a tranny. Then...I go down, and Norton makes me wait 4 months for a tank and a few more months for a primary cover for a total of another 7 months....and you saw the lovey short pipes they sent me. Now, the slave cylinder, that wasn't the slave cylinder. Nobody wants to work on the bike and Norton won't send my dealership parts because they don't want to sell Nortons anymore. Tit for Tat.

So really, brother, choose your words more carefully before you call someone that laid out over 20 grand (22.8) spoiled. I guess we can't all be as lucky as you to be a pretty good mechanic and have the means to cruise up to Canada to have the Cootes fellas redesign and rebuild your bike. And if you think they are worth so much, 11k and you can have mine with 3 sets of pipes and a primary cover still in the box. Oh....and a new Oberon slave cylinder. Its running great. I'm just feeling dejected. 4 summers...…...sigh. Guess I'm just spoiled. Allstate was going to give me almost 18 grand for the bike and I could have bought the salvage back for 2k. I'm an idiot for loving that bike so much.

Just curious, Richard....If your dad is not an authorized dealer or service/repair, will Norton still send him parts? Because they wont send them to my dealership where I bought the bike. I have to go through AF1, and then to me, and then to whomever is performing the work. Unless of course they have had a change of policy. And please don't leave AN. You are still valuable to us with A. your knowledge and B. youre a good guy.
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Thanks for liking me :)
Not sure. Us trying to get parts after this last customers bike is out of warranty- not sure. My guess is they have a low supply of parts and are trying to hold on to Af1 so anything they have go to them. All this really makes zero sense. Not sure what’s going on. Maybe norton has sold or is being sold to china so they stopped making parts and supporting dealers and claims and let the new guys deal with it. Obviously they’re not trying to keep the business doing this strange things. Dunno.
 
I bet they are sinking all of their resources into the V-4 and 650 and hoping the old twins die off. That's what I'd be doing if I were them.
 
I spoke to Rob Jameson at Donington today, he confirmed that they are focussing on the V4 and the development of the 650 Scrambler but that the 961 will continue in its current form for the moment. There are doubts that it will pass the Euro 5 regs but they are hoping that it might be exempt as a low volume vehicle. They are planning subtle styling changes to the 961 but no plans to bin it just yet and certainly not intending to sell to India or China.
John
 
Eljahara said:
I spoke to Rob Jameson at Donington today, he confirmed that they are focussing on the V4 and the development of the 650 Scrambler but that the 961 will continue in its current form for the moment. There are doubts that it will pass the Euro 5 regs but they are hoping that it might be exempt as a low volume vehicle. They are planning subtle styling changes to the 961 but no plans to bin it just yet and certainly not intending to sell to India or China.
John
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The Euro regs pretty much insure that engine designs won't last. Moto Guzzi, for example, is having to revamp frequently to keep up. There's no way that Norton can keep up with the older air cooled design (without an exemption).
 
Trade it in then or sell it if you can , clearly you are not a happy camper . That $18 K must look pretty good now .
 
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It may be that in the towards the end of next year there could be another batch of limited edition 961 s as they will be the last ones , or a whole bunch pre registered in December 2019 ! Just a thought , I’m sure they will enough of them around for “ He who dares “
 
Hello Richard ! I hope that the 961 carries on beyond that . So far no water cooled motorcycles delivered from Norton ? Just asking because if we are pinning our hopes on this then how much longer ? Maybe Norton can give us some insight ?
 
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