961 Carbon Fiber

I, like all (most) Norton 961 owners want my bike to be as good as it can be. Once the warranty period is over, were on our own. This is not a bad thing as we no longer have to be compliant with Euro4. Whatever that is. (I'm in Australia) We can now work to improve the breathing/fueling etc and the over all looks to make it an even better kick arse bike than Norton produced.
I take my hat off to Norton for producing such a kick arse bike with all the constraints/restrictions that must have been placed before them.
But I take my hat off twice to Richard, 007, Norton Colorado Works and and the forum, etc for giving me the opportunity to make the bike how I want it to be (read improved).

For Norton, in my opinion, this should be seen as a good thing, your constrained, we're not.
We are your best advertisement. This site is full of gushing praise for your machine, people who have bought because of this forum.
Ah, I think I've said enough.
Simon
 
When Norton released the 50th Anniversay editions, many upgrades and additional items, like a bike cover and additional CF were included in the (reduced) price. The press releases quoted 'Lord G', :);), saying that this was a 'Thank you' to customers for their support. Unfortunately, if you purchased a new bike anytime in the previous 12 months or so before the announcement, it's more of an insult.......I paid extra for a good number of the items...... I completely understand why the factory has done this; good marketing/sales, reduced stock value and it does make the bikes better vfm, but it would be nice to offer older customers some of these items at a reduced price....just to make us feel loved as well!
This happens a lot in the motor industry and generally in business really, without any consideration for previous customers, but why not be different and market leaders in customer service?
 
It seems to me that this is not an issue about custom parts or improving the bikes or offering customers something alternative. Norton’s gripe here is that OEM parts, or at least parts that are the same as those offered by the OEM, are being sold by others.

Guys, I do not think there are many OEMs who would be happy about this! The likes of HD and Triumph would jump all over anyone who did that!

It would seem to solve the issues that Norton have, AND be of greater service to the 961 owning community, if after market providers actually offered ‘custom’ parts. There are loads of things that would improve bikes for individuals that Norton do not offer. After market pipes, rear sets, handle bars, custom CF goodies like tail tidies or bigger airbox or Cafe Racer fairing or touring fairing, luggage, single seat conversion for dual seat bikes, etc, etc.

Anyone offering parts that are not already offered by the factory would surely avoid any critism from the factory AND be enthusiastically supported by owners?
 
Well.... we lost.

Norton has (not) kindly asked us to stop selling anything that replicates any existing Norton parts. They could have asked privately but chose otherwise.

This has really let a lot of wind out of our sails. Not because we disagree with Norton about what we did. But rather the way it went down publicly and privately.

Needless to say we have a lot of stock so I’ll have to make a whole lot of custom cafe racers now.

As agreed upon, the items will be removed from the website by end of next week.

Sorry you all had to witness this.

Richard
 
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Thank you guys for the overwhelming supportive emails. We’re a little knocked down by what happened just like you are. Mostly the way it went down but we’ll be back - even though Norton wants us to disappear for good. That was said in much more descriptive way. I’m tempted to share the emails....

I got 2 separate emails from you guys saying this thread was the tipping point that helped them make a descision NOT to buy a Norton. Please don’t think like that. Take a week and calm down. The “BIKES” are great.... I would be lost with out mine. Greatest bike I’ll ever own.

Simon mentioned in an email to me that more than “many” people think I am affiliated with Norton which causes him loads of problems and he is “consistently cleaning up my mess”. I know that no one on this forum thinks that I work for Norton but just to be clear I never have been nor was ever looking to be.
 
richard-7 said:
Thank you guys for the overwhelming supportive emails. We’re a little knocked down by what happened just like you are. Mostly the way it went down but we’ll be back - even though Norton wants us to disappear for good. That was said in much more descriptive way. I’m tempted to share the emails....

I got 2 separate emails from you guys saying this thread was the tipping point that helped them make a descision NOT to buy a Norton. Please don’t think like that. Take a week and calm down. The “BIKES” are great.... I would be lost with out mine. Greatest bike I’ll ever own.

Simon mentioned in an email to me that more than “many” people think I am affiliated with Norton which causes him loads of problems and he is “consistently cleaning up my mess”. I know that no one on this forum thinks that I work for Norton but just to be clear I never have been nor was ever looking to be.
Click to expand...
 
There’s a lot I could say here, but I prefer not to get negative. So I will leave it with this- like most of you, it was a huge deal the day I decided to purchase my 961. I read all about the issues on this and other forums. Frankly it scared me. Still does after reading about Bushman’s saga. But the single biggest reason that tipped the scale for me was Richard-7. The manuals that he painstakingly put together, the research and development he and his dad did to refine the bike, the efforts he went through to ensure we received the information are unparalleled and unheralded in my opinion. I contacted him and he answered all my questions and assured me that the bike with HIS upgrades would be a great bike. So I took the plunge into the unknown. I’m pretty sure I have read 95% of the content on this forum. I don’t remember one positive comment from the factory about this good work. There is no dealer anywhere near me or most of you. It is up to us to maintain and improve our own bikes. There is no dropping it at the dealer in the morning and picking it up on the way home from work all completed like other manufacturers. As Norton enthusiasts, part of the appeal is having a bike that is unique and one that forces us to get creative and learn- learning from hands on and learning from each other on this forum. And no one has contributed more to this forum or to the improvement of the 961 than Richard-7 and his dad. Period.
 
Wow. Thousands of non participating fans of 107 read this forum. Sure hope it doesn't have a negative affect in any way. This probably would have been better handled in private, but I understand.
 
I currently own six motorcycles all of which have OEM and aftermarket custom type parts that I installed. Some are even look a likes to the OEM custom part. Turn signals, levers, speedometer, etc. There are numerous companies that market thousands of aftermarket items that allows the owner to personalize their ride. Thank God the motorcycle manufactures I've dealt with up until this point were more concerned with producing a quality produce than chasing their tails over a CF fender.
 
FWIW, I agree with all of those who greatly value your input Richard, like someone has already said, when there was a period where the factory seemed to be ‘unresponsive’ to issues, your input really seemed the only input and demonstrated that the bikes can be made good.

It’s also obvious that you ain’t doing this as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, well, if you are, you ain’t so smart! No, you do it out of love of Norton’s and a sense of satisfaction for helping others. And huge respect to you for that.

So, I really feel for you right now, you must feel like you’ve been kicked in the nuts by your best friend!

However, I was taught ‘there’s always two sides to an argument’. Now I don’t know what was said to you or how it was said, so am not defending any of that. But...

Norton, and in particular, Garner himself, have worked their butts off for nearly 10 years to build the Norton brand. Garner has invested many millions along the way. Brands are more valuable than ever these days. Consequently, threats of plagiarism are greater than ever.

Norton simply HAVE TO protect their brand. You were only offering a few carbon bits, you clearly weren’t trying to harm Norton or threaten their sales, but if they ‘allowed’ this, they would have set a legal precedent, and opened the flood gates to far less genuine and ethical people than you.

IMHO, as a pure matter of self defence, they had to step in here.

All only IMHO of course.
 
Murph said:
There’s a lot I could say here, but I prefer not to get negative. So I will leave it with this- like most of you, it was a huge deal the day I decided to purchase my 961. I read all about the issues on this and other forums. Frankly it scared me. Still does after reading about Bushman’s saga. But the single biggest reason that tipped the scale for me was Richard-7. The manuals that he painstakingly put together, the research and development he and his dad did to refine the bike, the efforts he went through to ensure we received the information are unparalleled and unheralded in my opinion. I contacted him and he answered all my questions and assured me that the bike with HIS upgrades would be a great bike. So I took the plunge into the unknown. I’m pretty sure I have read 95% of the content on this forum. I don’t remember one positive comment from the factory about this good work. There is no dealer anywhere near me or most of you. It is up to us to maintain and improve our own bikes. There is no dropping it at the dealer in the morning and picking it up on the way home from work all completed like other manufacturers. As Norton enthusiasts, part of the appeal is having a bike that is unique and one that forces us to get creative and learn- learning from hands on and learning from each other on this forum. And no one has contributed more to this forum or to the improvement of the 961 than Richard-7 and his dad. Period.
Click to expand...

Totally, totally agree. It does feel as if as has been said Richard and all 961owners have been kicked in the proverbial not only the way the carbon issue has been handled but the way Richard has been in effect publically scorned for the way he and his father have helped all owners in the past and in essence totally promoted the 961 and sincerely including ours added to more Norton sales increases. We are now questioning whether we made the right decisions? Good publicity always increases sales. The alternative normally does not from my long personal experience of the automotive industry internationally. Many automotive companies have collapsed as a result thereof even with a brilliant product.
 
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I heard some time back that a really smart way to build business is to also look after those that are NOT customers(yet), not just existing customers. I was thinking the other day that there are quite a few people in the early 961 days who had to fight to get deposits back when no bike appeared. Do Norton have those people on record, and what could they offer them now that would make them think differently about the company??
 
Murph said:
There’s a lot I could say here, but I prefer not to get negative. So I will leave it with this- like most of you, it was a huge deal the day I decided to purchase my 961. I read all about the issues on this and other forums. Frankly it scared me. Still does after reading about Bushman’s saga. But the single biggest reason that tipped the scale for me was Richard-7. The manuals that he painstakingly put together, the research and development he and his dad did to refine the bike, the efforts he went through to ensure we received the information are unparalleled and unheralded in my opinion. I contacted him and he answered all my questions and assured me that the bike with HIS upgrades would be a great bike. So I took the plunge into the unknown. I’m pretty sure I have read 95% of the content on this forum. I don’t remember one positive comment from the factory about this good work. There is no dealer anywhere near me or most of you. It is up to us to maintain and improve our own bikes. There is no dropping it at the dealer in the morning and picking it up on the way home from work all completed like other manufacturers. As Norton enthusiasts, part of the appeal is having a bike that is unique and one that forces us to get creative and learn- learning from hands on and learning from each other on this forum. And no one has contributed more to this forum or to the improvement of the 961 than Richard-7 and his dad. Period.
Click to expand...

You hit the head on the head!
I’m a car mechanic and all my life (46 years) I’ve been around, building and fixing cars. My dad owns a shop and I myself also own a shop. I was never into motorcycles, but 2 years ago for some reason I had the urge to buy a bike.
I’ve known about all the brands available throughout all the years but I always liked the idea of a British motorcycle.
When I decide on buying a bike the first and only one that came to mind was a Norton. Keep in mind I had no idea they were back in business, my first thought was to buy a 60s-70s Norton and restore it.

After doing a few minutes of internet searching I realized Norton was in fact back in business and I started looking for a new 2016 Commando SF. I bought my first new Norton, a 2016 Commando SF from South Bay Norton in California (I’m in Michigan) shortly after I purchased my bike I ran across this great forum and learned about the minor problems our bikes can have.
Thanks to Richard and his dad I purchase all the recommendations they provided and fitted them to my bike the same day it arrived.
I have not had one single problem with my Commando at all.
Well I take that back, I did have the neutral light flicker, but Callum sent me the patch cable and I fixed it myself. Very easy repair.
I have put many upgrades on my Commando that I bought directly from Norton. (Alloy tank, all polished chassis parts including polished yolks, bar clamps, foot controls, shift and foot brake levers, etc)
I also must say that when Callum was with Norton I would email him everything I wanted and I’d receive my order in 3 days tops. He was great to work with! I miss him!

Last spring I placed my order for another Norton. This time a 2016 Dominator Naked.
I ordered it from Indian of Orange County. Leo and Byron are the best guys to work with.
Again I purchased the parts Richard and his dad recommended and fitted them to my Dominator and had absolutely no problems at all.
Without Richard and his dad doing all they do for our bikes we’d be left in the dark!
I’m not one to ever take my cars or bikes to the dealers.
Being that I’m a mechanic I don’t trust anyone else. But In my honest opinion Norton should be greatful Richard and his dad put so much hard work and information on this forum for all Norton owners to be aware of and learn from.
I would never send my bike back to California for repairs. No way!

The day I received my Dominator the shipping company broke my tail light, rear turn signal, dented the long silent muffler, scratched the yolk and scratched the headlight bucket.
Leo insured the bike and the shipping company refused to pay for the damages!
They only paid me $270.00 and would only insure the bike by the pound. I was fking pissed to say the least.

Another thing that ticks me off is the same day I received my bike I contacted Norton to buy the damaged parts listed above, I emailed both Clem and Kevin and after numerous emails and calls I still have not received anything period.
They kept telling me that the Naked was a very low production bike and the parts are not available.
Really? The polished yolks, tail light and turn signals are the same as all Dominators.
I want my parts and will pay out of my pocket as I did with Callum. But to not get any word or parts after a 2 month run around is ridiculous.
It’s been 8 months now and still nothing.

Without people like us buying the commando and Dominator, Norton wouldn’t even be in business again.
And without the help of Richard and his dad, Norton would have more problems and they would just keep making the same bike with the same old problems.
Norton, you can deny it all you want. But the facts speak for themselves. Richard and his dad helped you make a better Norton motorcycle and they didn’t get anything in return but shit on by you as a company.
I love both of my bikes and take pride in owning them.
But!
Give credit where credit is due!
The Coote’s deserve recognition for all they have done!

Sorry for my rant but that comment from Simon pisses me off. “Cleaning up his mess”
 
skinthespin said:
Hi Guys,

Just a polite reminder that it looks like these parts were produced off our tooling. I know whats involved with reverse engineering a part and it isn't cheap or easy, no one would do it for such small quantities.

Let me remind you all we moved from this supplier because the quality was so poor......we will NOT warranty or support these parts.

I have informed our legal team to pursue.

Simon
Click to expand...

This is a low blow!


What grounds do you have for any legal pursue?
Anyone can make a knockoff part by just changing one small detail.
And to call it poor quality?
Have you seen any of the parts to judge it’s quality?
 
Well that was short lived endeavor

While I can understand where Norton is coming from, there are many ways to address an issue like this. It's not about being right or wrong, it's how you deal with it. I think that the best approach would have been to contact Richard and cNw directly to discuss. To pump their chests on an open forum is only counter productive.

I have always believed that many bike and car manufacturers/models are more or less successful and popular much due to the aftermarket support available. Manufacturers are often restricted by regulations and have to deliver their machines a certain way. If after market companies are there to 'unleash' what's available, then this absolutely benefits the manufacturer. There are some manufacturers that understand this and embrace and support those aftermarket companies

Richard has put a ton of time and money into all the developments, tools and manuals to better the support for the 961's. This in turn benefits Norton and they should be grateful to have him on their side. Doesn't mean that they will/should always agree but then things can be talked through and taken care of in a professional way

I get weekly calls and emails asking questions about the 961 and it is apparent that many prospective buyers are concerned about the very limited dealership net work (in the USA) and wonder what it will take to own one of these machines after delivery

While I will keep supporting Richard and his products best I can, I may think twice about development and investments for future products

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

www.coloradonortonworks.com
 
I've wanted a 961 since they went into production but for many a varied reason I hesitated, and hesitated. I came across this forum by accident last year and it was the discussions here, and the advice given, and the anniversary model launch that tipped the balance for me to commit to buying one, knowing that if I had any problems no matter how big or small I had somewhere to turn, whether it be the factory or fellow 961 owning forum members.

I listen to what everyone has to say, put it all in a great big mixing bowl, do a bit of further research myself, then take whatever remedial action I feel capable of (changing a spark plug) or deem necessary (hiring a man with a van).... so keep up the good work one and all, and that includes Richard and Simon and everyone else here!
 
OK I've ordered from ONE07's website three times for a Norton with 700 miles on the clock. I suspected that I was going to be on a dealer support island when I bought the bike. Looks like that's the order of the day.
 
Hi Guys,

When I posted on here I did not know it was Richard involved with these parts, I explained this to him in private. The result however would have been the same. We cannot have direct copies of parts from anyone, the fact it is Richard is irrelevant. I am glad some of you can appreciate that. This is very different to making a part Norton do not make, if you want a full fairing for a Commando who are we to stop you? If you see we have not said anything about the other 961 parts the guys make, just the ones that are a direct copy of our own.

Rich and his dad has helped us out in the past, but please understand we have supported those guys above and beyond too, it has been a 2 way streak. I do not think its right to go tit-for-tat on here and I am sure Rich will admit we have been very supportive of him in the past.

Voodoo - send me a PM and I will ensure you have your parts, dispatched today if they are in stock, if not they will only be a day or 2 away.

Simon
 

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