Donald to ride for Norton at the TT

acotrel said:
I don't believe it is so much 'bitching about the motor source' as it is a feeling of nostalgia for lost national pride. Even If Norton bought the rights to the Britten bike and built that, the feeling might be better. In WW2 the British and Americans defeated the Axis powers.
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I read a year or so ago that the last factory in the UK, capable of designing and building a large power station had closed. For the first time since they invented power stations the UK would have to buy any new ones from overseas. Very sad.
cheers
wakeup
 
I would like norton to be a success, to continue to build and sell bikes in greater numbers and for those bikes to be reliable, any resources beyond that should be devoted to a new range of models to extend Norton DNA.

Buying in Aprilla power units means that they don't have the resources to develop their own, a victory would be fairly hollow, without a Norton engine at its heart and victories at the IOM are important to a fairly narrow audience of potential bike buyers.
 
Even with a hollow victory imagine what the media will be like? Any news is good news
 
It's sometimes forgotten that a good racing motorcycle is not just an engine and gearbox. It must also have a good set of cycle parts and a good rider, and a good designer, and a good pit crew, and some good luck.
Leaving aside politics and emotion I think that its' a good idea to use a proven engine/gearbox, so that hopefully will be one thing less to worry about when developing the rest of the bike.
Of course my argument could be shot down in flames in 10 years time if they (Nortons) are still using a proprietary engine/gearbox!
cheers
wakeup
 
chasbmw said:
Buying in Aprilla power units means that they don't have the resources to develop their own, a victory would be fairly hollow, without a Norton engine at its heart and victories at the IOM are important to a fairly narrow audience of potential bike buyers.
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I think you grossly underestimate the draw of Norton at the TT. It's about press and anyone showing up on a Norton, any Norton to race will get a crap load.

As for the engine, I swear that if they showed up with their own engine half you would bitch that they shouldn't be spending that money on development. :roll:
 
The main problem with the bike that they race in the TT, is that it not only isn't a 961 Commando motor, but that nothing on the race bike even resembles anything that they make in production. Not only are the bits made by other manufacturers, they don't even cosmetically resemble anything they make for their production machines.
If the goal is to "learn thru racing" and then develop bits for their production line, then they could do that with any machine available. You could take any modern, successful racing motorbike out to the TT, and likely learn a thing a two.
The fact that the TT machine is of no representation at all to what they're building, even further hammers home the point of how the "new" Norton is so far off the mark that in my opinion, it's a simple mockery of itself.
 
So you can only develop a new bike based off an existing one? Let's see your logic work on that one.

There are two scenarios in play here (unless you are a Norton hater, like some of you are)

1. This is a pure publicity stunt. Slap together some bike and show up sporting the Norton banner. Instant "free" press.
2. They are testing out a future bike/parts.
 
I'm not going to defend my logic at all. I was stating my opinion.
If Norton is developing that TT bike into a production machine, I'd be very surprised. And on top of that, it would be another mistake on their part, as I doubt anyone that would consider buying a Norton, would buy a Norton like that.
The whole idea of buying the new Commando, is based solely on some romantic notion harking back to the original. And it's also based on some perceived exclusivity since there are very few of them to be had. Which is really sort of funny since the launch of the Commando and delivery to customers has been a complete flop from day one.
On top of that, nobody is buying a 961 for performance or riding prowess. For the cost of that bike, you could buy any number of other makes, for 2/3 the cost, and out perform it in every way, without ever getting out of 3rd gear.

I'm actually a Norton lover. A lover of the original. Not of this modern machine that in my opinion, is too little, too late, for too much money.
 
Well I hope that Norton and their new TT bike do very well, and that the team learns a lot, and that their next move is to incorporate all they have learn't in a nice shiny new production bike. That will give all you knockers something else to moan about, as a cynical old barsteward I look forward to your drivel, "...it's not like my ex WD 16H.", "...it's nothing to do with Norton because it's not got an 1897 phoo phoo valve" and so on ad nauseum; oh and lets not forget "....it's not a Norton because it's not silver with black and red stripes"
They are probably not racing the 961, because as so many have said, it's not fast enough, doesn't handle well enough, etc etc. But then it wasn't designed as a racing bike was it?
cheers
wakeup
 
Oh yes, God forbid that any of us like a Norton that's from back when they were made originally. I guess that would make me, and others, actually enthusiasts.
If the new Norton made something that was impressive, I'd be the first to tip my hat to them.
But they make a bike that's not good enough to race the TT, and they use other manufacturer's parts to have a bike that is good enough for the TT, and then slap a scripty Norton logo on the tank, and we're all supposed to somehow be proud. Sounds like the cheap way to go about it. And it's shameless to tout themselves as being tied to the original Norton factory race effort that actually did something at the TT.

And even if they are developing a machine that they potentially have plans to build into a production bike, how long do you think until anyone gets to buy one? How many years did it take to get a handful of the 961's to North America?

I won't count them out, but until they actually do something that's impressive, they surely won't earn an ounce of respect from me.

In my eye's, the 961 should be competing for buyers of the modern Bonneville. Except that Triumph actually makes a decent bike for easily half the cost.
 
wilkey113 said:
In my eye's, the 961 should be competing for buyers of the modern Bonneville. Except that Triumph actually makes a decent bike for easily half the cost.
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Except no one has ever ridden both and claimed the Thruxton was even near the Norton in any way, except having two wheels.
 
I'll hold my final judgement until I hear from someone trusted, that's ridden the new 961 and they give a report on how it performs.
Until then, all I know is that it's taken entirely too long for Norton to deliver the new Commando to the states, and it's a very expensive machine. If I were in the market for a new bike, it certainly wouldn't be high on my list, even if just judging on the price. I could buy 2 Thruxtons for the cost of the Commando. I don't much like the Thruxton either, but putting myself into the shoes of someone looking for a modern motorcycle, there are many other options that are far less expensive and would out perform the 961 on any day of the week.
It's just a personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. I certainly wouldn't expect everyone to agree with me on the topic.
 
Cutting the two middle cylinders out of a 92 Merc 3200 should do it , now lets see , $ 235 for the motor , as the electrics go awol . With 2 spare sets of rods & pistons .
Leaves a bit in the budget to cover the rest . Should be 70 Nasty D.I.N. Hp , before the extractors , porting & Weber . Webers likely priceyest , unless I can find one for $ 40 .

Have to just paint Cosworth on the tank to confuse them . The New 60 Deg. Parrallel Vee Twin . :mrgreen:
 
Surely anyone who buys a Norton 961 was not looking for a modern motorcycle ? I think that if I wanted a real motorcycle which is in current production, I would buy a Ducati.
I think the modern bikes with deltabox frames and four cylinder motors are probably the equivalent of my 6 speed manual Mazda 6, except you get to sit in the wind and rain and blistering heat. You just throw them away when they eventually wear out, or the plastic cracks.
 
Makes you realise how bumpy it is!! Good luck to them, at least they are trying to do something, rather than just sitting on the sidelines......
cheers
wakeup
 
I hope Cam makes it to the podium. Even more so, I hope Guy Martin finally gets a win.
 
I see from the results of the Saturdays Superbike race than Cam Donald only completed one lap. Anyone know what happened?
cheers
wakeup
 
The TV coverage gave the view and sound from his bike camera as the engine started making bad sounds, and he pulled off the course.

Ken
 
I was flipping thru the channels last night, and fount the TT going, I watched for 15 minutes, during which 3 bikes had engine troubles, the Norton being one of them. Milwaukee Yamaha was another. Crazy stuff. They showed a clip from earlier in the day when a Suzuki in the pits started on fire. Lots of action there.
 
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