Factual help requested for possible 961 owner

Previously charles_scouller wrote:

I don't currently own a Norton, but wiith the costs of acquiring and running Commandos increasing (£10K for a Commando?) and used values of the 961 apparently falling (£12K?) the 961 might appeal.

I have read and listened toquite a bitof opinion (some favourable and some less favourable) about the 961 and I would like to think I have retained an open mind.

However, it has been quite difficult to get hold of some facts which would be important to me in deciding whether to acquire a 961:

Firstly, what rear wheel horsepower do these machines achieve (is there an NOC member who couldupload a power curve for their own machine?)

Secondly, just how much oil do these machines usually consume?

Any factual help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Charles

Hi CharlesAbout performance:The 80 hp stated by Norton seem to be correct, at least according to my dealer. I will check at home if I find a power curve in an article I found once.About oil consumption:You can find from nothing till up tomore than 1 litre per 1000 km (resp. above 1.6 litres per 1000 miles) as it was in my case before repair. I do not know about the Nikasil coated barrels as they seem to provide by now.

RegardsRaphael, Switzerland

My Sport model ,which left the factory end 2012 , gets through about a third litre of the recommended engine oil every 500 miles.Other than a failed flasher unit ,not had a single problem infirst 2000 miles.

Powerwise have no idea if the quoted80 PS (79 BHP) is true but it certainly has oodles of extrapower over my other two old 850 Commandos which also get an airing now and then.

Absolutely love this bike ... so far.

Charles, I have a 2014 model 961 that has the Nikasil bores, I've covered the best part of 7,500 miles on my bike and in that time I've maybe had to add half a pint of oil, for me this hasn't been a problem but many of the earlier bikes had some issues. As for horsepower figures I've haven't had mine tested but the 79 BHP feels about right when I compare it to figures quoted for my other bikes and seems adequate for the style of bike, I ride my 961 in a spirted fashion (it's not treated gently in terms of making the engine work) and it's a fun thing to ride, but there is a level of vibration that you need to learn to live with.

The best thing you can do is test ride one, and let the seat of your pants be your dyno. You can talk about it as much as you like, butit will not increase the power! Comparing it with a Japanese superbike is comparing chalk with cheese. The TL 1000R was a race rep. The Norton is a pushrod air cooled old-style vertical twin. What do you want it for? Pulling on your one piece jazzy power ranger suit for high speed track days, or an altogether more laid back riding experience, including spirited road riding, as well as town work? You cannot use all of 119rwhp on the road. Two of my friends have 961's, they have had issues, but nothing insurmountable, and oil consumption is not one of them. The bikes which had high oil consumption had a problem, which should have been fixed by the factory. The normal oil consumption should be fairly negligible, like any modern bike. If you want to compare power, my 1995 Ducati 900SS, aircooled, but ohc with desmodromic valves, makes 85bhp, and whilst riding with the 961, I was frequently in the wrong gear, with the torque of the Norton leaving me having to stamp down a couple of gears and play catchup! Horses for courses......

I obviously didn't word it too well Charles. The 85bhp (at the crank) of my Ducati is stacked up the top end of the rev range, where it is not too useable in the real world, whereas the Norton has a broader spread of useable power; torque; which makes it easier to ride without having to be up and down the 'box all the time. The Ducati is useless in top gear below 90mph. Fat lot of good that is on roads, whilst being fun on a track. The Norton came out very well in that comparison. You can either read numbers off a piece of paper, or a computer screen, or you can go out and ride it, when the numbers become an irrelevance. It goes back to my question; what do you want to use it for?

Previously charles_scouller wrote:

85 at the crank is probably in the order of 75 at the wheel, which extrapolated to a 961 displacement would be just under 80 rwbhp.

If I bought one, I would want to ride it. I'm done with racing.

I think the 961 looks great, but I find the reports about faults very concerning.

Charles

I have a 2014 sport and done about 3000 miles on it, I took about a year deciding and trying to decipher the negative reports and posts and believe me there were a lot more then than now.

However I bought one with open eyes and yes I have had a number of problems which were all sorted by Norton promptly. The 961 is not in my view a large volume production motorcycle it is still a hand-built bespoke machine and this is what I wanted.

If you want one don't listen to the likes of Anna she doesn't have a clue and as such shouldn't be posting on a technical forum, also don't make the mistake of trying to compare a 961 to anything else manufactured by a large volume production system by one for what it is.

My best mate has been with me on my whole 961 experience and has recently paid a deposit on Domminator , a lot more money than a sport, snuff said.

Good luck and safe riding Terry