Still considering a 961

Hello all, I'm a long time lurker and reader of this forum and I appreciate all the information that I read on here. I've been following the "saga" of Norton since the relaunch a few years ago with great interest as I love the look of the bike. I was able to sit on one at a local show here and the feel is just right as well for me. I have a Triumph Street Triple R and even the weight of the 961 is similar. Norton Canada has obviously gone through a number of changes and sales pitches (through dealers) over this time and I still am weary of buying one without the ability to test drive one.
My broad question is right now, there is a 2013 Sport for sale at what I think is a good price. It has only 255 miles on it but the warranty is only for 2 months. I've read about a number of issues that these early bikes have had and was looking for advice of buying this versus a new 2016 or 2017 model at a much higher price. Can somebody expand on what changes Norton has made over the last 3-4 years and are the bikes doing a bit better in the service area?
Thanks for your time and advice.

J.R.
Toronto, Canada.

I would inquire of your nearest dealer whether an arrangement could be made to get a full year warranty.

Hope it goes well!

The weight question is tricky because a lot of manufacturers fib about weight. Norton seems to have told a big porkie on the 961, pardon pun.
They list dry weight at 414 but Cycle World weighed it without fuel at 490. One other test that I read had it at 522 with fuel, so similar to the Cycle World weight.
Your Triple R is an extremely light bike. From tests I've read it appears to weigh right around 400 pounds wet, so expect up to 120 pounds of extra weight.
Along with the disadvantages of extra weight, there is one advantage. A little heavier bike can smooth out the bumps.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2015-norton-c ... -road-test

Glen

I too have a street Triple and a 1970 Fastback. Just yesterday I rode a friends brand new 961Mk2. It seems to handle well with good suspension and brakes but doesn't have the grunt of a 360 degree twin. Even with a balance shaft the vibration was, I thought, bad. Bad enough for me not to want one. I recently travelled to Italy with a friend on his 2 year old 961. 2500 miles round trip. His was filling the tiny little oil bottle in 80 miles to extent that it lubed the rear disc. Fuel consumption was up to 40 mpg (imperial) It sounded like a bag of spanners and vibrates badly. (my friends new Mk 2 sounds much quieter). If you are in the market for a used one you must ride it first to make up your own mind.

It sounds like the oil in Air fix is not working on your friends bike. It works well on mine . Also I am a vintage commando owner , 73 850 and 72 750 . I can drive further and faster on my 961 Sport down the super highways here with more comfort. As far as fuel mileage I was getting over 50 MPG at 80 mph US Gallons . That's probably better than your street triple and more comfy too ! And if memory serves me correctly the street triple is NO comfort wagon .

I like the vibes. If it were a smooth running Taiwanese engine, I'd probably not want it myself. Nostalgia and performance in one nice package. Broken in, decatted with aftermarket pipes takes care of the "sounds like a bucket of spanners". I find the engine quieter than an air cooled Duc Monster. I've been retrofit with the clear tube and bottle. Not a drop of oil and the air filter looks like new with 5700 miles on it. I've had a share of problems, but the bike is sorted and running like a champ. No regrets (anymore) Did 172 miles today with no aches. Did 275 once and was a little stiff, but hey, I looked cool doing it. 8)

Great news Britfan , It sounds like the oil in air box fix is working well for you too..

Here's a dumb question for you all. I have about a teaspoon full of oil in my bottle after 300 miles. Do I really need to make a warranty claim? :? It's hard to imagine every bike is different, but I think I am seeing evidence of this fact.

You need to pile up some more mileage , then you can decide for yourself.

Is it possible that you already have the oil in air box fix already installed ? Do you have the oil/air separator or any of the other parts installed ? Do your breather hoses run to the rocker cover ?

TonyA said:

Is it possible that you already have the oil in air box fix already installed ? Do you have the oil/air separator or any of the other parts installed ? Do your breather hoses run to the rocker cover ?

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No, all I have is the little bottle that catches the oil draining from the airbox. It's the same set up I saw on Rich Pearce's 2016 Mk2 when he was in the area. Maybe it was a gift from the factory since my bike was built so close to the end of 2015? :roll:

Hello all I am new to this forum.Received my 961 sport last month after considering one for quite some time before eventually wifey said you better have one (I let her pick the colour and it has a extra seat for her). I know all the pitfalls with Norton having put a deposit on one 6 years ago and waiting 18 months before getting my deposit back. I have kept a close eye on Norton and finally went for a test ride on the MK 2 in February and talking to Karen and Steve made my mind up got to have one paid deposit and was delivered 5 weeks later.So what is it like, rides well but suspension bit to stiff but I am adjusting it to suit us.Tracks very well on the road, brakes are very good, think it is doing about 45- 48 to the gallon, the new engines are a lot quieter and the gear box is slick. The engine is a bit vibey but as I am running it in the sweet spot at the moment is between 3-4000 rpm, coming up to 500 miles now and have taken it up to 5000 rpm for a very short time and there seems to quite enough grunt there for me. The side stand is a pain could do with a redesign sometimes knock it in gear when trying to put it down. Well mister Gripper having tested my Norton all of 4 miles I think you should try it a bit further next time and perhaps I can change your mind : :wink:
Is anybody doing a grab rail as wifey would like to hang on to something, we have'nt been this close for ages : :lol:
1939 350 Norton
1956 99 Dominator
rotary Classic
F1

Hello Dodgy Den , The sweet spot on my 961 is somewhere north of 80 mph . It is very smooth here , and I recall another forum member commenting that his 961 is smoother at 90 than at 70 . Somewhere near the torque peak I suppose . Try it you will see , it likes to stretch it legs .

That was probably me.
I have buddies with sport bikes who often ride around 90.
I'm not suggesting that people do this.
But I can keep up with them on my 961 - no problem. The throttle response at that speed is excellent.
At an indicated 90 on my speedo the motor is turning at 5200 rpm, and the engine seems quite happy to operate in that range.
At that RPM there is no more vibration to speak off.

The vibes that the 961 do have around 4000-4800 are probably intended by design.
With one balancer shaft it is impossible to eliminate all vibration on a vertical twin.
Probably the engineers opted for what they thought was the best compromise.
I think it would have been better to use a balance factor that put the vibration zone a bit higher 4500-5400.
This would make the 70-75 MPH zone, where most riders spend most of their time, much smoother.

I find the sweet spot at 4800 rpm, 80mph. Purrs like a kitten, eager to respond.

Here's my two cents on the Norton 961 and bear in mind that I own a 1974 Norton 850 and love the bike and appreciate its heritage.

The Norton 961 is junk and a disservice to the Norton name. First, compare a Triumph Thruxton to the Norton 961; the Thruxton is twice the bike that the 961 will ever be at half the cost. Another comparison and hold onto your helmets; compare the 961 with the KTM 1190 Adventure. The KTM has 158 hp to the rear wheel, ride by wire, GPS, ABS, every high technological piece of equipment that can be incorporated into a modern bike. Cost? The KTM is half the cost of the 961 and is reputedly the best bike ever built. Read the reviews on the KTM. The Norton dealer in Vancouver, B.C. just went out of business selling Norton 961's. He has one left and won't let you test ride the bike. They want 26K CDN plus taxes for the bike and you can't test ride it? Are you kidding me? The Norton 961 should be selling for 10K and not 26K.

Don't get me wrong; I love old vintage Nortons and I am hopeful that the new Nortons will be redesigned such that they become a modern day classic. As it stands now, the competition that they are up against in the marketplace dooms them to failure.

Not sure if you are referring to British Italian Motors in Vancouver or not. They tried to sell the 961 s for years, but none arrived. When the bikes finally did arrive they did sell a few and yes, there were some problems.
That isn't what forced him to stop selling motorcycles though.
I've talked to the owner, Charlie Waggett, at length about this. Both Triumph and Guzzi, which made up most of his sales, were pushing him to relocate in a larger more upscale store or renovate the existing one. With Commercial rents being sky high in Vancouver , he decided that the business could not support the increased rent costs such a move would bring.

Also, Triumph would not allow Charlie to charge a higher price for Triumph models than other Canadian stores do. You'll notice that new triumph pricing is very uniform right across Canada. Charlie said he needed a higher markup because his rent cost was so much higher than a store almost anywhere other than Vancouver.

So he decided to go the other direction. He moved to a smaller store in a less expensive area, lost the dealerships for Triumph and Guzzi, but will continue on doing repairs and servicing of British and Italian bikes.

Glen

cNwRestomod said:

Here's my two cents on the Norton 961 and bear in mind that I own a 1974 Norton 850 and love the bike and appreciate its heritage.

The Norton 961 is junk and a disservice to the Norton name. First, compare a Triumph Thruxton to the Norton 961; the Thruxton is twice the bike that the 961 will ever be at half the cost. Another comparison and hold onto your helmets; compare the 961 with the KTM 1190 Adventure. The KTM has 158 hp to the rear wheel, ride by wire, GPS, ABS, every high technological piece of equipment that can be incorporated into a modern bike. Cost? The KTM is half the cost of the 961 and is reputedly the best bike ever built. Read the reviews on the KTM. The Norton dealer in Vancouver, B.C. just went out of business selling Norton 961's. He has one left and won't let you test ride the bike. They want 26K CDN plus taxes for the bike and you can't test ride it? Are you kidding me? The Norton 961 should be selling for 10K and not 26K.

Don't get me wrong; I love old vintage Nortons and I am hopeful that the new Nortons will be redesigned such that they become a modern day classic. As it stands now, the competition that they are up against in the marketplace dooms them to failure.

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Then you ought to go out and buy yourself one of those bikes you like so much. Or better yet , go out and XXXX yourself !

So cNwRestomod goes out and spends 35- 40K on beautiful yet dated upgraded bike and complains about the price of a new Norton that will still beat its ass. Trying to figure that one out. Enjoy your 850. Wish I had one, but $$$$$$$$ damn.

I was comparing a new 961 to other new bikes, whether it be a Thruxton or a KTM 1190. Cost wise, the 961 is not good value for the money. Looks wise, which is what you may be referring to, the old vintage Norton Commandos takes 1st place against any other bike built, bar none, new or old. The 961 can't be compared to an old vintage Norton technology-wise but should be capable of being compared between any modern day bike at half its cost (e.g., the KTM). IMHO, the 961 is a slow bike by modern day standards with a mish mash of old and new technology and doesn't recreate the look of a vintage bike. Anyone out there can tell you that upgrading a vintage bike to make it more reliable will cost money; pretty much the same as remodelling a kitchen vs building a new one from scratch. To each their own. I only hope that with the new infusion of money into the company (unless Brexit gets in the way of that), that Norton produce a bike worthy of the name. To date, they haven't done that.