I think you will make more sense of the engine numbering, mine delivered June 2011 has a 2 digit engine number in the 90 range, at the Begonia rally recentley two Belgium guys had had their SE's delivered with consecutive engine numbers in the 22x range, but of course we all know Norton are not delivering any bikes. :roll:john robert bould said:
Hi Glenworntorn said:
snakehips said:Hi Glenworntorn said:
Sorry for the delay in replying to you but been a bit busy and out riding the bike.
Yes I do like it, and in true Commando tradition there is room to improve it. My dislikes, the seat is like a plank and after 100 miles my arse doesn't feel like it belongs to me anymore, I am going to get a gel pad fitted in the seat pad. Although it is a Sport and the riding position doesn't initially look to radical I find that as the tank is long I feel as if I am laying over the front end with quite a lot of weight on your wrists till you are doing about 60 mph, so i may look to raise the bars a bit if its not too much agro. My biggest complaint is the suspension is far to firm, probably great for blating around Donnington where obviously most of the development was but not so good on our 3rd world roads in the uk. I have spoken to Harris performance who have reworked the suspension on another 961 by fitting lower rate rear springs and re valving the front forks. The clutch and gearbox work beautifully despite all the comments about the bent rod linkage. The engine is best described as a bit of a character engine, not super smooth edging on harsh over 5000 and when pushed hard but quite relaxed when taking it steady up to about 70ish. I have the shorty aftermarket silencers fitted and wish I had gone for the longer original shape straight throughs as I think the shortys are a bit on the loud side. As to the performance these anti 961/SG Blowhards ought to ride one before they make stupid comments about their 70's Commando being as quick, I have a pretty well sorted 750 roadster that I have wrung the snot out of around Mallory Park and it aint got a hope in hell in keeping up with the 961 unless of course I spent more than the cost of a 961 in specialst bits to do it, the 961 may only have 85 horses but they are Shire horses not prancing ponies. :mrgreen:
I was disapointed with it when I got it and found on each ride I was trying to convince myself I liked it, couldn't stand the mechanical noise and it ran quite rough at low revs, the factory came and picked it up and when it was delivered back to me it was like a different bike, a bit of a shame it wasn't like it from the start but the factory are good to you once you actually get your bike although my passage to ownership was not that bad really.
Bottom line would I swap my 72 750 for it......no, I love my 750 and that would be the last bike I would part with but I do like the 961 and I do appreiate it the more I ride it and they do both look really good sitting together in the garage both being black and gold.
Best
Colin
No why should it. If you read my post I said if I spent as much on my 750 as the cost of a 961 it may keep up unless of course you are saying Gary Thwaites 750 is stock and has no big dollars invested in it. :roll:john robert bould said:Mayby a few laps against Gary Thwaite's 750 norton may change your view. :lol:
snakehips said:Hi Glenworntorn said:
Sorry for the delay in replying to you but been a bit busy and out riding the bike.
Yes I do like it, and in true Commando tradition there is room to improve it. My dislikes, the seat is like a plank and after 100 miles my arse doesn't feel like it belongs to me anymore, I am going to get a gel pad fitted in the seat pad. Although it is a Sport and the riding position doesn't initially look to radical I find that as the tank is long I feel as if I am laying over the front end with quite a lot of weight on your wrists till you are doing about 60 mph, so i may look to raise the bars a bit if its not too much agro. My biggest complaint is the suspension is far to firm, probably great for blating around Donnington where obviously most of the development was but not so good on our 3rd world roads in the uk. I have spoken to Harris performance who have reworked the suspension on another 961 by fitting lower rate rear springs and re valving the front forks. The clutch and gearbox work beautifully despite all the comments about the bent rod linkage. The engine is best described as a bit of a character engine, not super smooth edging on harsh over 5000 and when pushed hard but quite relaxed when taking it steady up to about 70ish. I have the shorty aftermarket silencers fitted and wish I had gone for the longer original shape straight throughs as I think the shortys are a bit on the loud side. As to the performance these anti 961/SG Blowhards ought to ride one before they make stupid comments about their 70's Commando being as quick, I have a pretty well sorted 750 roadster that I have wrung the snot out of around Mallory Park and it aint got a hope in hell in keeping up with the 961 unless of course I spent more than the cost of a 961 in specialst bits to do it, the 961 may only have 85 horses but they are Shire horses not prancing ponies. :mrgreen:
I was disapointed with it when I got it and found on each ride I was trying to convince myself I liked it, couldn't stand the mechanical noise and it ran quite rough at low revs, the factory came and picked it up and when it was delivered back to me it was like a different bike, a bit of a shame it wasn't like it from the start but the factory are good to you once you actually get your bike although my passage to ownership was not that bad really.
Bottom line would I swap my 72 750 for it......no, I love my 750 and that would be the last bike I would part with but I do like the 961 and I do appreiate it the more I ride it and they do both look really good sitting together in the garage both being black and gold.
Best
Colin
If in the future I feel the need to have it on a dyno I will gladly post the results, not my guess factory quote 80 ps on their website and when it had its shorty exhausts and remap factory (Chris Walker) said good for an extra 5 hp. At the end of the day do I care, not really I ride both and its a damn site faster than a good 70's Commando unless of course you would like to post charts and facts as evidence.J.A.W. said:
otherwise .
