Wow. Where do I start?

somebody remind stewart that these aren’t firecrackers....

Lets face it. The Norton is just about as cool a retro with good performance as you can get. The Triumph Bonneville is cool to look at but is about as exciting and reliable as an old Honda. To compare the 2 is almost silly. However, for the bucks shelled out, Norton should have more parts available for warranty work. Not just stick it to the dealers and the consumer once sold. My dealer is complaining that Norton hasn't given them a nickel for any of the warranty work they've performed. Bruno Magli vs. old beat up Converse.

I read this post again and really studied your words. This entire thread should be deleted!!!! It's super unfair to NORTON!

This is def. a DEALER problem. Everything that happened was not on Norton. Norton UK knows how to take the gears out to get to the starter bolt to replace the gasket and would never put GUCK to stop a leak! If they did sh!t like that they wouldn't have ever gotten this far!

I think, the guy who took it apart does NOT have enough experience, they did things and are trying to cover it up and blame it on NORTON! ALSO, if you were Norton and realize how easy this task was to fix (replace a gasket on the starter) would you send over a new engine or pay for a tech to fly over. The answer is NO!!

The second part about the gear dropping is simply the set up of the neutral done incorrect. This was only touched because you need to get to that starter bolt from the tranny. Sounds like they just bolted everything back together the best they could and gave the bike back to you. IN TURN making it worse.

This THREAD saddens me!!!

You should contact the importer for the US and reason with them. Maybe even ship the Bike to the Canadian Distributor and get that US dealer to pay for it!!!

PLEASE DELETE THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

richard-7 said:

I read this post again and really studied your words. This entire thread should be deleted!!!! It's super unfair to NORTON!

This is def. a DEALER problem. Everything that happened was not on Norton. Norton UK knows how to take the gears out to get to the starter bolt to replace the gasket and would never put GUCK to stop a leak! If they did sh!t like that they wouldn't have ever gotten this far!

I think, the guy who took it apart does NOT have enough experience, they did things and are trying to cover it up and blame it on NORTON! ALSO, if you were Norton and realize how easy this task was to fix (replace a gasket on the starter) would you send over a new engine or pay for a tech to fly over. The answer is NO!!

The second part about the gear dropping is simply the set up of the neutral done incorrect. This was only touched because you need to get to that starter bolt from the tranny. Sounds like they just bolted everything back together the best they could and gave the bike back to you. IN TURN making it worse.

This THREAD saddens me!!!

You should contact the importer for the US and reason with them. Maybe even ship the Bike to the Canadian Distributor and get that US dealer to pay for it!!!

PLEASE DELETE THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

No, because as you say, it highlights a dealer problema that people need to know about. I think it's about time that Norton waded in and answered a few questions here. To be honest, I'm erring on the side of caution and delaying the purchase. Apart from the problems highlighted here, the Ducati dealer in Barcelona still hasn't got all the models through the homologation MOT and I have serious doubts about their competence as reliable dealers. If I have to stomp up 20,000 euros , I need to have some guarantees. I don't see enough accountability so far.

My feelings about this thread is that Britfan60 has paid his money and unfortunately has not had the pleasure of his new 961 re trouble free motorcycling. Plenty here have had it and are posting good things.
Norton owners should look after it's own and not cast the wounded to the wolves. I spoke to a dealer that did say they had box problem but it was solved in house with no great hassle. I don't know what is wrong with his 961 but somebody should be helping this guy out because no matter what comments are made it's making Stuart Garners statements about Norton build quality look pretty empty!

J

starting to make stuart Garners statements about Norton build quality look pretty empty !! perhaps that is because they are !!! nobody is making this shit up. in order to appease me at SBNT, i was told that they were going to get a shipment of 10 bikes a month till the order for the original SE models were filled. not hardly, esp when you see that 12 are built each week for world wide distribution. Mapping problems, every dealer should have a laptop with a program in it before they receive their first bike. along w gasket sets for everything. sadly it seems they will b needed.

huskyfrk said:

starting to make stuart Garners statements about Norton build quality look pretty empty !! perhaps that is because they are !!! nobody is making this shit up. in order to appease me at SBNT, i was told that they were going to get a shipment of 10 bikes a month till the order for the original SE models were filled. not hardly, esp when you see that 12 are built each week for world wide distribution. Mapping problems, every dealer should have a laptop with a program in it before they receive their first bike. along w gasket sets for everything. sadly it seems they will b needed.

Click to expand...

The fact is that ALL makers of motorcycles and cars need to have a robust supply of 'field service parts' ... That is parts for routine servicing, likely accident damage and repair work.
The supply chain needs to accommodate this aspect from the outset (as well as maintain reliable production at the factory of course).
From People's comments, I believe this is simply a fact that Garner has not allowed for, quite probably due to his inexperience in this industry.
Interestingly, I know of at least 2 people, who between them have several decades of automotive industry experience (including at Toyota, who are leaders of such aspects) and, because they also happen to be Brit bike enthusiasts, wrote to Garner (repeatedly) to offer their services as part time consultants FREE OF CHARGE... yet never even received a reply.
As our colonial cousins like to say... 'Go figure'...!

Fast Eddie said:

huskyfrk said:

starting to make stuart Garners statements about Norton build quality look pretty empty !! perhaps that is because they are !!! nobody is making this shit up. in order to appease me at SBNT, i was told that they were going to get a shipment of 10 bikes a month till the order for the original SE models were filled. not hardly, esp when you see that 12 are built each week for world wide distribution. Mapping problems, every dealer should have a laptop with a program in it before they receive their first bike. along w gasket sets for everything. sadly it seems they will b needed.

Click to expand...

The fact is that ALL makers of motorcycles and cars need to have a robust supply of 'field service parts' ... That is parts for routine servicing, likely accident damage and repair work.
The supply chain needs to accommodate this aspect from the outset (as well as maintain reliable production at the factory of course).
From People's comments, I believe this is simply a fact that Garner has not allowed for, quite probably due to his inexperience in this industry.
Interestingly, I know of at least 2 people, who between them have several decades of automotive industry experience (including at Toyota, who are leaders of such aspects) and, because they also happen to be Brit bike enthusiasts, wrote to Garner (repeatedly) to offer their services as part time consultants FREE OF CHARGE... yet never even received a reply.
As our colonial cousins like to say... 'Go figure'...!

Click to expand...

Right on! I can understand why some Norton owners hate this thread. I hate it myself. I'd hate reading it if it were someone elses thread. But if it were your 23 grand, you'd be bitching too. The biggest part of my problem here is lack on communication and the time to resolve this problem. I'm just hanging in the wind and maybe get some bullcrap story when I squawk enough. Then....nothing. The crickets are chirping.

Is it just me is is the silence from Norton or its dealers deafening.

If I cock up as a chain supplier I rectify it and believe me as I am a senile
old sod I cock up often.

Andy

Norton hired enough experienced people from Triumph and the automotive industry that most of these problems should not b happening. but from recent positings, a lot of them have left. VanInept’s silence speaks volumes....

I know you are all tiring of this thread, but on a brighter note, my gearbox has arrived at Norton, its shipping to the US within a day or two, if it hasn't already, AND so has remapping software to all of the US dealers. I've been told I'll need a remap after the gearbox goes in. I asked how....US doesn't have any remapping software....apparently you do now. You're welcome. Special shout out to the the gentleman at Norton that cares.

Good news Britfan60.

I just got off the phone with Matt Capri at South Bay. He confirmed that his software and remap files were on their way.

Yea. I've been emailing live time with a Norton exec at 430 am this morning. Pretty much lunch time for him. He told me about the the gearbox and the software being shipped out. Cool guy. Glad he stepped in to help. Without him, I'd be a drooling rotting mess by now. :shock: Think I'll move to Donnington.

G81 Can Cycle said:

Good news Britfan60.

I just got off the phone with Matt Capri at South Bay. He confirmed that his software and remap files were on their way.

Click to expand...

Southbay is shipping the software and maps to you?
Are they doing this for all of customers who have bought their aftermarket Norton exhausts?

BritTwit said:

G81 Can Cycle said:

Good news Britfan60.

I just got off the phone with Matt Capri at South Bay. He confirmed that his software and remap files were on their way.

Click to expand...

Southbay is shipping the software and maps to you?
Are they doing this for all of customers who have bought their aftermarket Norton exhausts?

Click to expand...

No, sorry to leave that assumption. Matt explained that "he'" (South Bay) had been informed that the software and remap files were being sent by Norton UK to him.

Matt offered support in getting me remapped with the new pipes, but I not sure how that might happen. I am on the east end of Interstate 10 and he is on the west end. And the distance between the east and west in is well over 2 thousand miles.

I will eventually figure something out. Have been talking to another poster about a Motec ECU / programmer and maybe doing some mapping of my own

We will see, one step at a time

Britfan60

Cheers to you and Norton UK. I am sure your communication with Donnington Hall has drawn attention to the needs of the US market. And it appears that Norton UK is aware that part of any success they hope to have includes a lucrative, and competently supported, US market.

which goes to show, bikes were at SBNT in the middle of july, and software and ecu will arrive by the end of OCT. imagine that you had a bike that ran like crap. so you put up with the problem for 3 months.. lovely..

huskyfrk said:

which goes to show, bikes were at SBNT in the middle of july, and software and ecu will arrive by the end of OCT. imagine that you had a bike that ran like crap. so you put up with the problem for 3 months.. lovely..

Click to expand...

This comment is way off base. I'm one of those guys waiting for the remap, but my Café Racer does not "run like crap". It runs extremely well, with a slight flat spot in the 2K - 3K range and potential for more power in the higher rev ranges, that's all.

I'm looking forward to the re-map on this Saturday. But I never would have thought my bike needed a re-map. My bike stalls only once at every start when it's cold, other than that, the bike runs and sounds fantastic. The dealer said it's like night and day so I'll let you know.

G81 Can Cycle said:

Britfan60

Cheers to you and Norton UK. I am sure your communication with Donnington Hall has drawn attention to the needs of the US market. And it appears that Norton UK is aware that part of any success they hope to have includes a lucrative, and competently supported, US market.

Click to expand...

I agree with my original quote above. Although my 961 is very new, so far I am very happy. I was, in my own way, thanking Britfan60 for his efforts to get Norton UK to do something, and appreciating that Norton UK seems to be trying to solve problems

I am in manufacturing. I own a production CNC machine shop that also does assembly and testing of industrial tools (55 employees, $10 million in annual revenues, $6 million in capital assets, so I am not working out of my garage)). It is not easy to perfect a new design, put into production, establish vendor chains of supply, control cash flow, start a sales organization, and support the customer. It is actually a large pain in the ass. But I do see some evidence of Norton UK trying to accomplish all of these things. It is a large juggling act with many balls in rotation.

So,,,,most of the reviews I read in this 961 sub-forum are positive. My experience so far has been positive. Britfan's experience has not been positive, but through his efforts he has shown us a path to resolve issues if necessary. I have not reread the entire thread concerning Britfan's issues, but it does seem that he has received some action after contacting Norton UK. There has also been some discussion about key personnel leaving Norton UK. Key personnel leaving reeks havoc at a manufacturing facility, and it takes time to correct or fill the position vacated

I know I am just expressing my opinion, but I have seen my customers upset with quality. And, while it might have taken me some time to fix the issues, I did care. Also, there were times that customers were upset, and I did not know about the problem, because nobody informed me. It is very hard to fix problems when you are unaware of the problems. Britfan showed us that communication with Norton UK did get action, hence they seem to care about their product and customer satisfaction.

Just some things to think about. We do not all share the same reality.

John