Considering a 961 Cafe purchase.

900RS said:
Im not sure what you are talking about ? The Thruxton has many high quality parts and certainly has modern suspension & brakes. Onlins suspension, nicely finished alloy, good brakes, nicely shaped engine & cooling fins (as did the early Nortons) + it even has high quality mirrors compared to the cheapies on the 961. I dont recall saying I wanted a modern vintage bike ? I was just expecting to ride something that was very special because of the $38000 price tag on the Norton. Maybe 25 minutes is not enough time to get a good indication of a bike in its entirity, but in reality, that is all you get when buying any motorcycle, and manufacturers must understand that when they build them & expect to sell them. I only used the V7 Racer as an example (i rode it years ago) and didn't buy it at the time because it is a 50hp bike, but it certainly made me feel great with the short test ride I had, as did the Thruxton but not with as much character. I dont think the current V7s are as nice as the originals. I also didn't try and tell anyone about the quality of the V7 but it is certainly not a cheaply finished motorcycle, imo.
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Like I said, you’re on the wrong forum. All you are doing is pitching a dislike for the 961. You literally gave your opinion as to how bad you think it is.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you come on this forum, ask about a bike that you claim you know nothing about, go on a 25 minute ride and report back and say how bad and how boring and low quality it is.

The 961 may not be refined when it comes to the engines mechanicals, but it’s workmanship in the details is far above the Thruxton and certainly the Guzi.
The paint work, the welds, the frame work, the castings and billet aluminum bits and pieces, the stainless hardware throughout, the aluminum anodized spoked wheels, the carbon fiber, all of this is light years ahead of the other bikes you mentioned.

The 961 is a clean and neatly detailed motorcycle, it doesn’t have sloppy welded robotic welds and weld splatter.
The gray boring billet aluminum you speak of is vapor blasted billet aluminum with a clear anodized finish. That is the base finish. Matte anodized black or polished aluminum is optional.

The engine is available in natural sand cast aluminum or black hard coated finish with machines highlights.

You are one of the first to say you wanted to experience a bike with vibrations, you literally said the 961 doesn’t vibrate enough.

You said the guzi v7 50 hp was fun and plenty. The norton 961 has 80hp. How is 30 more hp not even more fun?

I think you make your opinion and that’s splendid, but I also think you’re just here to stink up the air like you are sour about something towards the Norton brand or perhaps Stuart himself.
 
Its a love/hate relationship. I've had quite a few problems on my 2013 Sport. Tranny and oil leaky starter. Dealership and factory support were mostly abysmal. That said, its vibes and sound are what I like about it. Its British Retrocool. Blast to ride. Feels built like a tank other than its quirky ECU and crappy sensors. All that aside.......I never got stuck other than a flat tire and a relay backing out which is simple. Carry a 5MM hex in your pocket and youre good to go.
 
900RS said:
I can understand you saying that the Triumph engine feels very refined but there are a lot of outstanding features about the Thruxton that make it completely different to other brands, it doesn't look or sound like a Honda or Yamaha. And you said yourself that the Thruxton is ahead of the Norton in "every measurable way" pretty much sums it up I thought. I dont know your riding ability, but maybe you should have pushed a bit harder in the mountains while you owned the Thruxton to enjoy the ability of the bike, I would assume a good rider would have a blast on the Trumpy in the twisties so I can't imagine growing bored with it very quickly. It is great that you love the Norton but i can only assume we ride very differently & expect different things from our motorcycles. Just so you don't think I need to own a powerfull refined motorcycle to appreciate it, one of the most character filled joyfull motorcycles i have ever ridden was the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, I think they are about 50hp but just a total pleasure to ride, they shake, they sound great, they are not refined at all but they just make you smile. If the Norton had the character of the V7 Racer I would have bought it in an instant, regardless of price.
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No, I didn't say the the engine feels refined, I said it feels bland and that is what I meant, I came to that conclusion from buying one and riding it for a year. Why would I want to push a bike harder on public roads when I am already way in excess of legal speeds and still left wanting for more? You already said that a lot of fun can be had on bikes with way less power and I fully agree with you on that, which is where the 961 comes in. I can understand someone not liking the 961, many don't, but you came on here asking for opinions and quickly formed your own based on one ride on what would appear to be a badly set up bike, if you have learned anything then I guess it should be to avoid the dealer that loaned you the test ride!
 
I look at it like this.
when you meet a beautiful woman and ask her out on a date and that date turns out to be a disaster because she talks non stop and is all about herself. More worried about her looks, imagine and Instagram followers than tou

Compared to a blind date that goes well and she’s very pretty and has a sense of humor and a personality and likes to have fun and can wear jeans and a tee shirt but also kill it in a sexy dress.

You knew what the 961 looked like and judged it in 25 minutes and gave a full report back of why you didn’t like of it and compared it to another bike. The other bike in which you said you rode years ago and never owned.
 
MxMartin said:
No, I didn't say the the engine feels refined, I said it feels bland and that is what I meant, I came to that conclusion from buying one and riding it for a year. Why would I want to push a bike harder on public roads when I am already way in excess of legal speeds and still left wanting for more? You already said that a lot of fun can be had on bikes with way less power and I fully agree with you on that, which is where the 961 comes in. I can understand someone not liking the 961, many don't, but you came on here asking for opinions and quickly formed your own based on one ride on what would appear to be a badly set up bike, if you have learned anything then I guess it should be to avoid the dealer that loaned you the test ride!
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I did not mean to say that you actually said the Thruxton engine was refined, I meant it to read as -- I could understand "if you said" the Thruxton engine felt refined". I think you originaly made comment about the Thruxton "as a whole" being too refined & bland. I should have chosen my words more carefully. As far as dealers are concerned, I've never found one who I would trust !
 
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Voodooo said:
I look at it like this.
when you meet a beautiful woman and ask her out on a date and that date turns out to be a disaster because she talks non stop and is all about herself. More worried about her looks, imagine and Instagram followers than tou

Compared to a blind date that goes well and she’s very pretty and has a sense of humor and a personality and likes to have fun and can wear jeans and a tee shirt but also kill it in a sexy dress.

You knew what the 961 looked like and judged it in 25 minutes and gave a full report back of why you didn’t like of it and compared it to another bike. The other bike in which you said you rode years ago and never owned.
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The Thruxton just happened to be there on the day & the only reason I mentioned the V7 Racer was so others could understand I was not expecting the 961 to perform in any way like a modern powerfull motorcycle for me to be able to enjoy it.
 
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Voodooo said:
I look at it like this.
when you meet a beautiful woman and ask her out on a date and that date turns out to be a disaster because she talks non stop and is all about herself. More worried about her looks, imagine and Instagram followers than tou

Compared to a blind date that goes well and she’s very pretty and has a sense of humor and a personality and likes to have fun and can wear jeans and a tee shirt but also kill it in a sexy dress.

You knew what the 961 looked like and judged it in 25 minutes and gave a full report back of why you didn’t like of it and compared it to another bike. The other bike in which you said you rode years ago and never owned.
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I judged the 961 in exactly the same way you would judge any bike you woud love to own. You take it for a test ride & hope it is everything you imagine it would be.
 
Voodooo said:
Like I said, you’re on the wrong forum. All you are doing is pitching a dislike for the 961. You literally gave your opinion as to how bad you think it is.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you come on this forum, ask about a bike that you claim you know nothing about, go on a 25 minute ride and report back and say how bad and how boring and low quality it is.

The 961 may not be refined when it comes to the engines mechanicals, but it’s workmanship in the details is far above the Thruxton and certainly the Guzi.
The paint work, the welds, the frame work, the castings and billet aluminum bits and pieces, the stainless hardware throughout, the aluminum anodized spoked wheels, the carbon fiber, all of this is light years ahead of the other bikes you mentioned.

The 961 is a clean and neatly detailed motorcycle, it doesn’t have sloppy welded robotic welds and weld splatter.
The gray boring billet aluminum you speak of is vapor blasted billet aluminum with a clear anodized finish. That is the base finish. Matte anodized black or polished aluminum is optional.

The engine is available in natural sand cast aluminum or black hard coated finish with machines highlights.

You are one of the first to say you wanted to experience a bike with vibrations, you literally said the 961 doesn’t vibrate enough.

You said the guzi v7 50 hp was fun and plenty. The norton 961 has 80hp. How is 30 more hp not even more fun?

I think you make your opinion and that’s splendid, but I also think you’re just here to stink up the air like you are sour about something towards the Norton brand or perhaps Stuart himself.
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I never said anything about the quality of parts on the 961, I think the build quality is superb. I picked on the styling & some of the design ideas, yes. But I still love the look and quality parts of the bike. It is maybe, the best looking motorcycle i have ever seen (i have a soft spot for the 900ss Ducati) and that is what attracted me to it, but it doesn't mean it is perfect in design, nothing is. Regarding the V7 vrs 961 you asked - how is 30hp not more fun - more hp always helps, but to me it is not simply about power, the V7 is just a character filled little bike that would make most riders smile from ear to ear. It shakes & does all the things that modern motorcycles try to avoid, but it is just a joy to ride. I also never said that the V7 or Thruxton have the quality parts which make up the 961, but I will say that they are still a very well built & quality motorcycle. Lastly, i am not sour about anything, rather, very dissapointed that i havent got the 961 in my garage. I made the decision not to buy based on my test ride, I tried my very best to love it, I couldn't do any more than that.
 
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Voodooo said:
The 961 may not be refined when it comes to the engines mechanicals, but it’s workmanship in the details is far above the Thruxton and certainly the Guzi.
The paint work, the welds, the frame work, the castings and billet aluminum bits and pieces, the stainless hardware throughout, the aluminum anodized spoked wheels, the carbon fiber, all of this is light years ahead of the other bikes you mentioned.

The 961 is a clean and neatly detailed motorcycle, it doesn’t have sloppy welded robotic welds and weld splatter.
Click to expand...
I'm a decent Tig welder and the welds on my ThruxtonR are about as nice as you'll see. There's no weld spatter anywhere. The welds all appear to be done by Tig, which does not produce spatter.
Here is the Tig on the alloy swing arm. The alloy swing arm itself is a very nice piece and not something you'll find on low spec bikes. Most bikes have heavy steel swingarms, often mild steel.
 
worntorn said:
I'm a decent Tig welder and the welds on my ThruxtonR are about as nice as you'll see. There's no weld spatter anywhere. The welds all appear to be done by Tig, which does not produce spatter.
Here is the Tig on the alloy swing arm. The alloy swing arm itself is a very nice piece and not something you'll find on low spec bikes. Most bikes have heavy steel swingarms, often mild steel.
Click to expand...

I too can tig weld. Comparing the welds of my TFC Triumph and the welds on my Ducati Diavel 1260S to those on my clear coated bare metal frame dominator naked, the norton has better welds. The welds on the norton are tig. The welds on the duc and tfc are mig.
 
If you are a skilled tig welder then you will see it's a Tig weld in the photo I attached, a damn nice one at that. Looks possibly hand done by a skilled hand, but if robotic that could explain why it is so uniform.
Anyway, it's a nice frame on the Triumph with very tidy, strong welds.
I'm not knocking the Norton,
just not agreeing with your depiction of a Thruxton R frame as having " sloppy robotic welds with spatter"


Also pointing out that an alloy swing arm is anything but low spec. If I remember correctly the Norton has a steel swing arm. Nothing wrong with that, it's just heavy and definitely a cheaper way to go, if you are claiming superiority of specification.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
If you are a skilled tig welder then you will see it's a Tig weld in the photo I attached, a damn nice one at that. Looks possibly hand done by a skilled hand, but if robotic that could explain why it is so uniform.
Anyway, it's a nice frame on the Triumph with very tidy, strong welds.
I'm not knocking the Norton,
just not agreeing with your depiction of a Thruxton R frame as having " sloppy robotic welds with spatter"


Also pointing out that an alloy swing arm is anything but low spec. If I remember correctly the Norton has a steel swing arm. Nothing wrong with that, it's just heavy and definitely a cheaper way to go, if you are claiming superiority of specification.

Glen
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You’re showing an aluminum swing arm. Of course it’s tig welded. A mig welded swing arm would look bad and would definitely have splatter unless being removed. I’m clearly talking about frame welds. Steel frames.
No where did I mention anything about aluminum welds being compared to tig steel welds. I’m talking frame welds on the triumph are not as clean as those on the norton. I have a triumph and 2 Norton’s. The dominator naked is a bare metal frame with clear coat and the weld are exposed. Comparing the welds on my black painted commando to those on my triumph and Ducati, the win goes to norton. I didn’t say one was stronger over the other. I’m talking weld appearance.
 
Some guys do pulsed Al. MIG with a spoolgun and it's very hard to tell from nice Tig, it's that good. If I do pulsed mig on something that matters, I'll use anti-spatter spray. It works.
In any case it's interesting to come on this forum now and then to only find out what a bland, plastic, soulless, crudely welded, marginal performer the Thruxton R is. That's what I get when I add all the comments up.
And here I thought it was a pretty decent, very quick bike!
But maybe it's understandable given what you 961 owners have gone through.
I'll see myself out.


Glen
 
I've never done any welding, but I wasn't impressed by whoever welded the side-stand on my 961, which broke off at the weld in the first week. Could have been nasty if I hadn't been holding onto the bars at the time.

I've got a Thruxton R as well and I like and intend to keep them both. I like a bike if it looks right (to me) and I can ride it without it hurting. I think the 961 is the best looking bike I've owned but not the best built - that was down to whoever did the spannering at Donington and some owners were luckier than others. My only issue with the Thruxton R was the seat cowl with a rear mudguard. I thought that looked odd. My original "cafe racers" didn't had a rear mudguard. I prefer it now with the dual seat and grab rail, and the handlebars had to be changed for a more upright riding position.

If you want examples of trolling you should look at the Donington Nortons forum on the NOC web site.
 
900RS said:
Thanks 4 the reply, I suppose the question is, how many miles do you have on your bikes ?
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The thread seemed to end when you asked that.
There must be plenty of these bikes with decent miles on them by now.
 
Something that has always amused me (961 aside) is that as motorcycle manufacturers have become more precise with building motorcycles and those motorcycles have become more reliable, quicker, better handling etc, etc, there are always those who complain about how characterless or too refined they have become, and yet, in the day all I remember riders complaining about was how their bikes kept leaking oil or were breaking down and they/me were always tinkering & saying it would be nice to have something more reliable. The japs achieved reliability and power, then old school riders started saying the jap bikes have no soul etc, etc. Since owning older bikes and knowing how unreliable they can be, I try to judge every bike on its merits. It seems to me that humans will find problems with everything & are very hard to please, lol. I love owning my Kawasaki 900 RS. I love the looks, speed, reliability, handling and the heritage of the Kwaka. There is no feeling like having the front wheel lifting off the bitumen as you are crossed up coming out of a corner. I don't find it bland or boring in the slightest. But I also love the character of older bikes, it is just a different character, not better, not worse, just different.
 
comet said:
I've never done any welding, but I wasn't impressed by whoever welded the side-stand on my 961, which broke off at the weld in the first week. Could have been nasty if I hadn't been holding onto the bars at the time.

I've got a Thruxton R as well and I like and intend to keep them both. I like a bike if it looks right (to me) and I can ride it without it hurting. I think the 961 is the best looking bike I've owned but not the best built - that was down to whoever did the spannering at Donington and some owners were luckier than others. My only issue with the Thruxton R was the seat cowl with a rear mudguard. I thought that looked odd. My original "cafe racers" didn't had a rear mudguard. I prefer it now with the dual seat and grab rail, and the handlebars had to be changed for a more upright riding position.

If you want examples of trolling you should look at the Donington Nortons forum on the NOC web site.
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Have you removed the rear mudguard and replaced it with a tail tidy yet ?
 
900RS said:
Have you removed the rear mudguard and replaced it with a tail tidy yet ?
Click to expand...
On the Thruxton R? No, I think the mudguard looks ok with the dual seat, which is what I'm now using. I just didn't think it looked right with the single seat cowl. Having the passenger option is also useful, which I can't do on my 961. I can't do cafe racers any more thanks to knackered wrists, shoulders etc. although I didn't anticipate that when I bought the 961 in 2013. I had to get the clip-ons changed to standard bars a few years later.
 
comet said:
On the Thruxton R? No, I think the mudguard looks ok with the dual seat, which is what I'm now using. I just didn't think it looked right with the single seat cowl. Having the passenger option is also useful, which I can't do on my 961. I can't do cafe racers any more thanks to knackered wrists, shoulders etc. although I didn't anticipate that when I bought the 961 in 2013. I had to get the clip-ons changed to standard bars a few years later.
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Yep, just getting older makes the clip-ons harder, lol.
 

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