How heavy?

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

VIP MEMBER
Joined
Oct 4, 2013
Messages
21,596
Country flag
I just put mine on the bathroom scales (obviously I took the scales to the shed... not the bike to the bathroom), anyway, here’s wot I got:

Front 105kg
Rear 109kg
Total 214kg

If my maths is correct, that’s about 471 pounds.

That’s with (almost) a full tank.

Does that sound about right? It’s lighter than I expected.
 
According to Cycle World way over 500 lbs. Like 515 to 517 lbs. Another member C. Dolan said 515 lbs at a recycling company scale . He was able to drive the bike onto the scale. I know it doesn't look like a +500 lb bike ! Its very robust ! :)
 
There are other small things, but the big weight items not on mine are the cat, stock silencers, and LI battery in place of lead acid.

That’s some heavy stuff, it’s not 30lbs+ though is it? That was my first thought.

I’ve just been into the shed though and weighed the stock battery and stock silencers and they’re a surprising 24-25lbs.

So maybe it’s not so far out after all?
 
I measured my 961 with a full tank of fuel using the same method 2 years ago and was surprised.

Front – 239lbs
Rear – 259lbs
498 lbs.

That blew my mind. I was expecting more like 430-440lbs.
Hell, the SBN exhaust is at least 10lbs lighter than the stock exhaust.
I repeated the process 3 different times and got the same numbers.
I looked on the Norton UK site back then for the official weight of the 961, but they no longer published it with the other specs.

I got a another surprise a few months later when I dropped the bike in the garage while moving it around.
Lifting is up was a so easy. I've dropped 4 cyl bikes before and had a job getting them back up.
I have to believe the 961 carries its weight down low.
It's probably the massive cases and balancer shaft that account for the bikes generous weight numbers and low CG.
 
Ive noticed there can be a considerable variation between scales. Its a bit like dynos, however if you are getting 80 pounds dif between the bikes using the same scale, that's going to be close even if your scale is out 20 pounds on five hundred.


Oh, right bathroom scale, shouldn't need a five hundred pounder.
Change that to " out ten pounds on 250"
 
Last edited:
I don't think the 2 scale method works at all. At what point does either scale stop weighing in the other half. One scale, one measurement. I'd be more inclined to go with the crusty old shop scale.
 
I think Nigel is using a single weigh scale and weighing front wheel contact weight then rear wheel contact weight. This method works fine.
The total weight of the bike is on the two points where the tires make contact.
As long as the other wheel is brought up to the scale height, the result will be as accurate as the scale.
I've compared the sum of weights method with a single hanging scale & harness . Both methods gave essentially the same number for all bikes weighed.

Glen
 
BritTwit said:
I measured my 961 with a full tank of fuel using the same method 2 years ago and was surprised.

Front – 239lbs
Rear – 259lbs
498 lbs.

That blew my mind. I was expecting more like 430-440lbs.
Hell, the SBN exhaust is at least 10lbs lighter than the stock exhaust.
I repeated the process 3 different times and got the same numbers.
I looked on the Norton UK site back then for the official weight of the 961, but they no longer published it with the other specs.

I got a another surprise a few months later when I dropped the bike in the garage while moving it around.
Lifting is up was a so easy. I've dropped 4 cyl bikes before and had a job getting them back up.
I have to believe the 961 carries its weight down low.
It's probably the massive cases and balancer shaft that account for the bikes generous weight numbers and low CG.
Click to expand...
Hope you didn't bogger up the scooter on the drop.
 
I just measured my 961 again, this time on the same scales I measured my (much lightened) 850, using the same ‘weigh one wheel at a time and add the figures together’ method.

With a nearly full tank I get 499lbs.

So that’s around 130lbs heavier than my modified 1974 Commando!

That means my 1974 Commando, with my Missus sitting on it, would still be lighter than the 961...!
 
Last edited:
I weighed my Commando back when I bought it 2014.
Used two scales - one under each wheel on a level garage floor.

495 lbs with about 1/2 tank of fuel. SE's will be lighter with BST wheels.

They are not lightweights.
 
My 2013 Sport weighed 220 Kg which is about 495 lbs - expect current bike is slightly heavier due to ABS pump and frame extension for dual seat
 
Gas and oil about 33lbs. So I guess when Norton specs. were 419lbs, that was dry, minus battery, tires and them big ole shitty mirrors. So there ya go. The BIKE weighs 419lbs.
 
419lbs... yeah right!

Maybe Dreer’s early prototype could have come in at that?

My bike has already lost the stock mirrors, and cat, and the Thiel pipes are a lot lighter than the stock ones, plus I’ve got a Shoria battery!

So even deducting the 33lbs for fuel and oil, I’ve still got to find another 47lbs to get down to the stock weight...!?
 
Last edited:
With my new hanging scale I've been finding that the old time manufacturers , Vincent and Norton of old, have been truthful about weights. Hinckley Triumph also gets full marks for the Thrux R. I still have to check the 955 Daytona against the claimed weight of 422 dry.

Looking at the SportRider publication numbers from their correct scale vs Manufacturer's claims, the 961 is in good company.
Whole lot of fibbing going on.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
With my new hanging scale I've been finding that the old time manufacturers , Vincent and Norton of old, have been truthful about weights. Hinckley Triumph also gets full marks for the Thrux R. I still have to check the 955 Daytona against the claimed weight of 422 dry.

Looking at the SportRider publication numbers from their correct scale vs Manufacturer's claims, the 961 is in good company.
Whole lot of fibbing going on.

Glen
Click to expand...

Indeed Glen, there must be some assumptions / formulas / tricks that are now being used by many modern manufacturers.

I know that some automotive OEMs put cars in dehumidifiers before weighing them for example.

Perhaps they use some ‘factoring’ to remove the weight of ALL grease, oil, etc?

Perhaps a % allowance is made for scale accuracy... and they always use the ‘max’ allowance for this, etc.

Perhaps they assume bald tyres, worn discs and pads?

There must be some logic to their fibbing, they can’t just pluck numbers out of the air these days, the various authority bodies would prevent that I’d hope?
 
Last edited:
Fast Eddie said:
419lbs... yeah right!

Maybe Dreer’s early prototype could have come in at that?

My bike has already lost the stock mirrors, and cat, and the Thiel pipes are a lot lighter than the stock ones, plus I’ve got a Shoria battery!

So even deducting the 33lbs for fuel and oil, I’ve still got to find another 47lbs to get down to the stock weight...!?
Click to expand...
I was joking, Son.
 

Similar threads

Dellis
Heavy Vibration Issue
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
109
Views
6,258
Schwany
Schwany
Britstuff
Heavy duty Norton Commando Diaphragm Clutch Spring - is there such a thing?
2
Replies
35
Views
1,805
concours
concours
Britstuff
How much lateral rear suspension movement is acceptable?
2
Replies
30
Views
962
ilikevelos
I
Flatspot
T160 it is so damn heavy
2 3 4 5 6 7
Replies
139
Views
9,335
Matt Spencer
M
Fast Eddie
  • Locked
How heavy?
2 3
Replies
57
Views
5,432
Fast Eddie
Fast Eddie
Back
Top