Norton 961

That`s an interesting question I wonder if anybody will own up and tell us of any problems they are having,if any.To be honest there has not been much feed back off people owning the 961 it would be nice to have a bit of feedback off somebody considering the good biking weather we have had.There must be a lot of potential buyers waiting in the wings to see how the first few hundred are getting on.

Den Bourne

Hi Den, I have had my 961 Sport for 3 months and so far covered 2,000 miles without any problems. I have had excellent support from the factory with the first service which was carried out at Donnington and collected and returned FOC within a few days. The performance is superb as is the handling, the only small criticism I have is that the gearchange can be a bit stiff going up the box into second and third gear. Although this has improved as I have covered more miles, theNorton service department have offered to fit the later version gear lever mechanism if I prefer. It is a real joy to own and ride, although it is a retro classic type bike the performance is far superior to others in this class. I had a Bonneville T100 last year and it was reliable and smooth but it was boring compared to the 961 and ran out of go at 100mph where the 961 will easily top 125mph.

If I do have any problems or breakdowns I will let you know but I have spoken to many other 961 owners and not heard any negative comments so far!

Hi Clive

I have done 2000 miles so far on my Sport, it's a character motor, not super smooth, more like a V twin which I like, it's a bit rough under power but I think this is improving as the miles clock up, the clutch is very noisy at idle, this really needs to be improved for the future, the side stand sits the bike too upright for my liking, so I cut the foot off, cut 1/4" off and welded the foot back on, perfect. The suspension has been the biggest issue, it was much too hard for my 11st, the good people at Harris Performance in Hertford re-valved the front and fitted lighter springs to the rear, transformation, still firm but not jarring now. There has been a problem with some bikes leaking oil through the starter motor onto the motor behing the cylinders, mine included, apparently the manufacturer of the starter motor changed a bearing (unbeknown to Norton) which allowed oil from the primary to leak through, Rocky from Norton came to my home workshop and renewed the starter motor, leak sorted. Great service from pleasant people.

Now if this all sounds negative it's not meant to be, much of this was for my personal preference, it's a great bike with real personality, looks fantastic, has a good riding position and I love riding it. So if you are thinking of one go for it!!

I had a close look at one in Torquay and had a longish chat to the owner. He seemed an objective sort of chap, owning other bikes and was happy with it, not reporting any significant concerns. I watched him ride it off down the Strand and I thought it looked and sounded good.

Would I buy one if I had the cash - yes, definitely.

Would I sell my own Commando or any of my other bikes to get the cash - absolutely not.

I hope the bike succeeds and I hope the new factory succeeds, but I suspect a lot of people will want to see how reliable these machines are in the longer term, what the availabilty of spares is going to be before parting with their cash.

My one regret is that they called the 961 a Commando. I think it would have been better to have chosen a new name. New company, new factory, new machine - why not give it a new name?

I think the same about the Triumph, albeit for slightly different reasons. Having owned a T140 back in the day, which was a raw and pretty potent machine for its time (albeit not in the same league as the Commando) I thought it was a mistake to call the Hinckley machines Bonnevilles. The T120's and T140's were sports machines. The new "Bonnevilles" are not -not in my book anyway.

I stress that these are my own personal views and fully respect the right of other members to hold the opposite opinions!

Previously wrote:

Hi Clive

I have done 2000 miles so far on my Sport, it's a character motor, not super smooth, more like a V twin which I like, it's a bit rough under power but I think this is improving as the miles clock up, the clutch is very noisy at idle, this really needs to be improved for the future, the side stand sits the bike too upright for my liking, so I cut the foot off, cut 1/4" off and welded the foot back on, perfect. The suspension has been the biggest issue, it was much too hard for my 11st, the good people at Harris Performance in Hertford re-valved the front and fitted lighter springs to the rear, transformation, still firm but not jarring now. There has been a problem with some bikes leaking oil through the starter motor onto the motor behing the cylinders, mine included, apparently the manufacturer of the starter motor changed a bearing (unbeknown to Norton) which allowed oil from the primary to leak through, Rocky from Norton came to my home workshop and renewed the starter motor, leak sorted. Great service from pleasant people.

Now if this all sounds negative it's not meant to be, much of this was for my personal preference, it's a great bike with real personality, looks fantastic, has a good riding position and I love riding it. So if you are thinking of one go for it!!

Hi Nigel, I must admit I had forgotten the side stand issue, I had thought of the same mod to my stand, it does seem to be a bit too long so I have to be carefull when parking to ensure the stand is not on high ground and even on the flat you need to turn the bar to the left. I also agree that the clutch is a bit noisey but not as bad as a Ducati! I also notice the similarity to a V twin motor infact the performance is very much like riding my Monster S4R of a few years ago. I find the suspension to be perfect for me but I am over 14 stone, when it is delivered it is on almost the softest setting so for lighter riders there is not much adjustment left.

Hi Clive

I have had 2,000 wonderful miles of shear pleasure and grin factor. As was said when I purchased the bike as upgrades come along they would get sorted, the batter never let me down but after an extended time of not using it was a bit laboured but did start. In conversation with the factory whenI asked where the in built charging leades where they said they had upgradedthe batteryand when next in the area would fit one. A few weekes later they phoned to say they were delivering a bike close to me and would pop by and fit. You can't ask for better service than this!

As this is a technical forum and not a bash Stuart Garner (often by manywho have no intention of buying one of his great bikes) I would say that this weekI did have a minor problem which would be helpful for other 961 owners to know about.

Having just had a good 90 mile rideI got home and stopped.WhenI then went to move the bike it turned over fine but would not fire. I could not believe it, soI spoke to Mark Fisher at Norton (super chap and so knowledgeable) He asked me howI start my bike. I said "I turn it on while it is on the side stand" the answer came back straight away, sit on the bike put the side stand up and try and start her. ThisI did and she started first time even though the battery was down with my prior constant trying. Mark said that they had had a problem (once) with the cut out unit on the stand and this had been rectified, he further added that when they were in the area they would pop in and fit a new one.

Hope this is helpful for other 961 owners to know. This is the sort of items we should be posting. Freedom of speach is fine but we should all want the Norton name to continue, the bikes are of super quality and of course we will get problems in the early years but the point is that Stuarts team are sorting out problems, doing upgrades and I could not ask for more.

I think that Tim's move to lock down some of the unhelpful comments was the right decision. It can't be easy at the top. Tim is our chairman and if anyone does not like what he has done then they have the chance to put their name forward to become chairman. I travelled 1000k to attend this years AGM and I liked what Tim said about how he was going to visit all parts of the Norton movement like suppliers and to work closer with them as well as to attend events. This is a man who is committed to our club and I would expect has a far better overview than most of the members. Remember that all retailers need us but we also need themas well, so toannoy them constantly will be of a negative effect and will also leave the club with little or no sway.

Ian

Hi all,

I bought my 961 sport last year with only 47 miles on the clock.

What a beautiful bike. A real pleasure to ride. Sean persuaded me to have 'louder' pipes put on & it sound even better.

The issue I have with it is the very noisy clutch at idle speed with a hot engine.

At first I thought it was the gearbox. When the engine is hot it sounds like the big ends are shot.

Sean's team had a look at it but it sounds no better to me. He pointed out that it is the clutch cage making the noise - a noise that is embarassing when ticking over with a hot engine. The noise virtually disappears when the clutch is pulled in.

I need to call Sean to see if anything can be done - it is really letting the bike down.

Phil

Previously philipmj_arundel wrote:

Hi all,

I bought my 961 sport last year with only 47 miles on the clock.

What a beautiful bike. A real pleasure to ride. Sean persuaded me to have 'louder' pipes put on & it sound even better.

The issue I have with it is the very noisy clutch at idle speed with a hot engine.

At first I thought it was the gearbox. When the engine is hot it sounds like the big ends are shot.

Sean's team had a look at it but it sounds no better to me. He pointed out that it is the clutch cage making the noise - a noise that is embarassing when ticking over with a hot engine. The noise virtually disappears when the clutch is pulled in.

I need to call Sean to see if anything can be done - it is really letting the bike down.

Phil

Hello Phil Quite obvious you have not owned a Ducati then, my Norton has the primary rattle but not like my Ducati and it does not bother meone little bit. Concerning issues, primary case seal leaked, new one fitted same day, side stand reported to Sean about being to long, new shorter stand fitted no problems first class service end off, couldnt ask for better.Many thanks Norton for a class motorcycle.

Paul.

The Ducati has a dry clutch and should rattle. The Norton clutch is in an oil bath and shouldnt really rattle.

Hi all,

The only small problem I've encountered on my SF was a small oil leak from around the gear box drive sprocket. This was at 340 miles so I contacted Norton and suggested they had a look at it's first service. This was done and at the same time they fitted the performance exhaust system. Despite trying their best, they could replace the offending seal all in the same day. So I left the bike with them and they kindly returned it to me in a van a few days later. Unfortunately, the leak came back within 100 miles. A bit frustrating really, especially when your mates take great delight in placing a drip tray under the bike when it's parked saying "Well, it is a Norton!"

The factory have been very good to be fair. I have let them know of the recurring problem and told them I'm reluctant to put the bike off the road during the peak riding season but am quite happy to get it sorted later.

Other than that, I very happy with the bike. It was a little unrefined at low revs when trundling around town, but that improved after the first service. Now, it's nearly run in, it's getting better and better.

Previously Paul Watkins wrote:

Hi all,

The only small problem I've encountered on my SF was a small oil leak from around the gear box drive sprocket. This was at 340 miles so I contacted Norton and suggested they had a look at it's first service. This was done and at the same time they fitted the performance exhaust system. Despite trying their best, they could replace the offending seal all in the same day. So I left the bike with them and they kindly returned it to me in a van a few days later. Unfortunately, the leak came back within 100 miles. A bit frustrating really, especially when your mates take great delight in placing a drip tray under the bike when it's parked saying "Well, it is a Norton!"

The factory have been very good to be fair. I have let them know of the recurring problem and told them I'm reluctant to put the bike off the road during the peak riding season but am quite happy to get it sorted later.

Other than that, I very happy with the bike. It was a little unrefined at low revs when trundling around town, but that improved after the first service. Now, it's nearly run in, it's getting better and better.

Hi Paul - I have the same unrefined feeling when trundling around at low speed - what did Norton do to resolve this problem?

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil,

I'm not sure if the ECU has been re-mapped but I had the de-cat pipes fitted as well as the after market exhaust. This may well have helped to improve the low running situation. It's still not as smooth as a Japanese multi but they don't have the soul the Norton has!

Hope this helps,

Paul.

I have a 961 SE built in May 2011 (so its just had to have its first MOT) and its now done 2400 miles. I bought the bike in August last year and have now done 450 miles on it. Having spoken to the previous owner he reported no problems with the bike. The only issue I have had is on start up there was evidence of blue smoke, not excessive but noticable. Norton sorted out the problem and that has now disappeared. I absolutely love the bike and I only have one issue which is the same as reported by Paul and Phil which is the low speed round town fuelling. Once on the move (aver 4000 revs and above 40mph) the bike is fine. I also have the aftermarket exhausts fitted which are a little too loud for my taste. I also have the racket from the clutch but this disapears when hot.However my bike is pre lamda sensors (and presumably air sensor) so I am now talking to Norton to see if I can be upgraded to resolve the low speed fuelling. It would be interesting to ride a newer bike to see if this has been successfully resolved.The suspension is a bit firm but that is seasily sorted.

David

Previously david_clarke1 wrote:

I have a 961 SE built in May 2011 (so its just had to have its first MOT) and its now done 2400 miles. I bought the bike in August last year and have now done 450 miles on it. Having spoken to the previous owner he reported no problems with the bike. The only issue I have had is on start up there was evidence of blue smoke, not excessive but noticable. Norton sorted out the problem and that has now disappeared. I absolutely love the bike and I only have one issue which is the same as reported by Paul and Phil which is the low speed round town fuelling. Once on the move (aver 4000 revs and above 40mph) the bike is fine. I also have the aftermarket exhausts fitted which are a little too loud for my taste. I also have the racket from the clutch but this disapears when hot.However my bike is pre lamda sensors (and presumably air sensor) so I am now talking to Norton to see if I can be upgraded to resolve the low speed fuelling. It would be interesting to ride a newer bike to see if this has been successfully resolved.The suspension is a bit firm but that is seasily sorted.

David

Hi David,

My 961 also smokes on cold start up - it started after a service (a premature one at 120 miles as the machine was at Norton to try and sort out the transmission noise and to have after market cat & pipes fitted)

I have covered 1000 miles since & just topped up with a pint of oil.

Being old school I have carefully run the engine in and followed the max rev/mileage limits as recommended by Norton so assume the smoking is a carb setting issue..

I still need to book the bike in to (hopefully) resolve the transmission noise!

Phil

Previously philipmj_arundel wrote:

Being old school I have carefully run the engine in and followed the max rev/mileage limits as recommended by Norton so assume the smoking is a carb setting issue.

Phil, the 961 is beautifully retro but it really is fuel injectedð

Good Morning,I am Giampaolo Farchioni writing from Italy.I wuold you like to tell my unfortunately history with my new Norton commando 961 .I bought the fantastic new Norton commando 961 Sport on december 2013 from "Personal bike" a partner of Motocicli Speciali, official Norton dealer in Italy on December 2013Since i have bought the bike i had a lot of problems.First day first ride, after restarting all the wiring was down, we realize that was a fuse, under the tanks, with vibrations lost contact.Second and third ride i remained again "on foot" for a new problem with the charge controller that was sobstitute few week later.On march 2014 during my country ride i had another problem after 60 mph i heard a strange noise coming from engine head, a sort of vent, i come home and i take back with my van, the motorcycles to the dealer the vibration unloose the Cylinder head unloose.

Few weeks... sobsitution of Fuel indicator becouse faulty.

And Unfortunately last week burned the Cylinder head gasket and problems with alternator.The nearest dealer of Norton, Motocicli speciali, is more than 300 mph from my house, so i have done more miles with my van than riding my Norton...I offered the possibility to Davide , of "Motocicli speciali" main official Itailian dealer , to buy a new Norton Commando 961 , in sobstitution, but he told me that the difference in price was more than 4.500 pounds!!! after only one year and considering above all it happens.. and for me it is too much expensive for the new bike.I ask Norton company to help me in any way, if possible for buyng new bike or make tha actual reliable.

I am a Rockers Klan member i am scared but still continuing to believe in the glorious Norton brand and new Norton procject, above it, sorry for my english.

HELP ME!

Greetings Giampaolo

At last, after 6 months of waiting, my silver 961 Sport was registered, taxed, insured and ready for me to collect from Krazy Horse in BSE today (Tues 2nd Sept). Its been there a week and was driving me nuts waiting for 1st Sept (New registration plate in UK).I turned up at 9am, was given tea, keys, demo, receipt for purchase and pointed at my commando and told 'don't bend it'.... Very old school, fantastic...!Then I first started it up. I thought it was broken, there was so much mechanical clatter and took ages to idle properly. I was warned about this as the bikes are set up so lean at first, but its not a nice noise to anyone with any mechanical sympathy.... The leanness of the engine is very noticeable, especially with only 5 miles on the clock, it feels very tight and lumpy at first.As the day has worn on the bike has got smoother and quieter, tickover is now perfect after the first 10 seconds or so from cold start. The bike still 'chocks' as we used to call it when its in a slightly higher gear than it wants to be in but if you keep it between 2500 and 3500 revs its perfectly happy. In another 2 days I will be able to reach the heady heights of 4500 revs, at which I think things are going to get more interesting, whoopee... 3500 revs is an exercise in self control as its a bike that wants to rev.The bike handles like its on rails and I cant wait to get it run in, remapped, open piped and on some decent roads as it feels like that's where it wants to be. after 1 whole day in the saddle it feels like its a bit of an old bruiser, not refined, but very raw and visceral. Think of a 50 year old bouncer in a modern nightclub. Hes got a shiny suit, health and safety training and a first aid badge, but underneath hes still a tattooed thug that just wants to fight... That's a Norton 961.One thing I think will get boring is everywhere you stop, people come up to you and talk to you as if you've known them for years! Its always ' I had one of those....' and its been photographed at least 20 times today. I went to a bike meet on it tonight and it was literally the centre of a crowd all evening. When I left everyone was watching and youre constantly thinking 'don't stall it you twat...' but I think that's something Im going to have to get used to.So so far, almost a 100% positive experience on my first day. Apart from: LH mirror wasn't tightened and the end vibrated off in the first 25 miles... Good job it was getting chucked anyway. 2nd minor problem was the headlight bolts were loose. I only found this out about an hour ago when after I went to my local bike night here in Cambridge and went to ride home in the dark, only to find the headlight pointing down at the front wheel! Thank god for Leathermans tools...Its now 10pm, Ive put 144 miles on it today and it now has a small black number plate and a bar end mirror and looks stunning. Chucking the mirrors gives it a much more streamlined look IMO.I intend to have it run in and back at KH next weekend for open pipes (long peashooter style) and remap if at all possible, happy days....Further updates to follow.Steve

Sounds nice, black and silver /white number plates are illegal on bikes registered after 1972, not worth tempting the rozzers IMHO

Sounds good Steve. The idle thing is common but what you've said about the engine's characteristics are spot on. I'm over the 2000 mile mark with mine now and yes, the comments you receive when you pull up don't stop - I do quite like it though!

I'm finding that I don't rev mine that hard (Rarely above 5500) as short shifting just seems to suit the bike well. Having said that I find that stints on the motorway actually seemed to make mine feel a little better - Strange but true. Plus it'll cruise at 70-and-a-bit more easily than you'd think.

Its now got 280 miles on it, courtesy of a commute to London. Feels better by the mile. Havent done more than 20 miles on a motorway yet as I, for the first time ever, have followed the instructions and kept going up and down the gears and revs, hence back roads. I should be able to open it up a bit tomorrow to 4500, which wil at least be over 70...

Its booked in at Krazy Horse for first service, pipes and mapping next Thursday when I imagine Norton will relieve me of approximately £1500.... Exotic bikes are expensive! Ive gone for the longer openpipes as IMHO they look better on a sport, a bit like a Triton must have an alloy tank, a commando must have peashooter exhausts....!

One quick question, oil level, the oil appears to be very clear and thin and hard to see on the dipstick? I can see theres oil on the dipstick and in the tank but its really hard to see a level line on the metal? Any one else found this?

Previously steven_waight wrote:

Its now got 280 miles on it, courtesy of a commute to London. Feels better by the mile. Havent done more than 20 miles on a motorway yet as I, for the first time ever, have followed the instructions and kept going up and down the gears and revs, hence back roads. I should be able to open it up a bit tomorrow to 4500, which wil at least be over 70...

Its booked in at Krazy Horse for first service, pipes and mapping next Thursday when I imagine Norton will relieve me of approximately £1500.... Exotic bikes are expensive! Ive gone for the longer openpipes as IMHO they look better on a sport, a bit like a Triton must have an alloy tank, a commando must have peashooter exhausts....!

One quick question, oil level, the oil appears to be very clear and thin and hard to see on the dipstick? I can see theres oil on the dipstick and in the tank but its really hard to see a level line on the metal? Any one else found this?

It is difficult to see the oil level on the dipstick especially when the the oil has only done so few miles. It's easier when the you have used it a bit and the oil is darker, although I hardly ever have to add any between services. I definately didn't need to top up before the first service when they change oil and filter anyway. The 961 feels a lot smoother and better above 4k revs, it's even better cruising at 90mph with more revs. I getan average50mpg riding as I do onmy other modern bikes, it doen't drop much below that. However I've never got 60mpg as some have claimed on here even when running in.

JMc

Thats good to know about the oil,I hoped that was the case. But Im too old for 90mph in a pisspot and goggles!

Previously steven_waight wrote:

At last, after 6 months of waiting, my silver 961 Sport was registered, taxed, insured and ready for me to collect from Krazy Horse in BSE today (Tues 2nd Sept). Its been there a week and was driving me nuts waiting for 1st Sept (New registration plate in UK).I turned up at 9am, was given tea, keys, demo, receipt for purchase and pointed at my commando and told 'don't bend it'.... Very old school, fantastic...!Then I first started it up. I thought it was broken, there was so much mechanical clatter and took ages to idle properly. I was warned about this as the bikes are set up so lean at first, but its not a nice noise to anyone with any mechanical sympathy.... The leanness of the engine is very noticeable, especially with only 5 miles on the clock, it feels very tight and lumpy at first.As the day has worn on the bike has got smoother and quieter, tickover is now perfect after the first 10 seconds or so from cold start. The bike still 'chocks' as we used to call it when its in a slightly higher gear than it wants to be in but if you keep it between 2500 and 3500 revs its perfectly happy. In another 2 days I will be able to reach the heady heights of 4500 revs, at which I think things are going to get more interesting, whoopee... 3500 revs is an exercise in self control as its a bike that wants to rev.The bike handles like its on rails and I cant wait to get it run in, remapped, open piped and on some decent roads as it feels like that's where it wants to be. after 1 whole day in the saddle it feels like its a bit of an old bruiser, not refined, but very raw and visceral. Think of a 50 year old bouncer in a modern nightclub. Hes got a shiny suit, health and safety training and a first aid badge, but underneath hes still a tattooed thug that just wants to fight... That's a Norton 961.One thing I think will get boring is everywhere you stop, people come up to you and talk to you as if you've known them for years! Its always ' I had one of those....' and its been photographed at least 20 times today. I went to a bike meet on it tonight and it was literally the centre of a crowd all evening. When I left everyone was watching and youre constantly thinking 'don't stall it you twat...' but I think that's something Im going to have to get used to.So so far, almost a 100% positive experience on my first day. Apart from: LH mirror wasn't tightened and the end vibrated off in the first 25 miles... Good job it was getting chucked anyway. 2nd minor problem was the headlight bolts were loose. I only found this out about an hour ago when after I went to my local bike night here in Cambridge and went to ride home in the dark, only to find the headlight pointing down at the front wheel! Thank god for Leathermans tools...Its now 10pm, Ive put 144 miles on it today and it now has a small black number plate and a bar end mirror and looks stunning. Chucking the mirrors gives it a much more streamlined look IMO.I intend to have it run in and back at KH next weekend for open pipes (long peashooter style) and remap if at all possible, happy days....Further updates to follow.Steve

Hello Steve Good to here you are enjoying the 961, I had the pea shooter pipes fitted to mine 3 years ago and agree they look the best, my opinion, tried the shorty pipes, not as loud as my ducati but they are longer and the noise is behind you instead of below you as the Nortons are. Fitted a bar end mirror, CRG Hindsight,looks miles better, others on the site have fitted various types as well. Keep smiling for all the photos and happy miles Paul.

Previously steven_waight wrote:

Thats good to know about the oil,I hoped that was the case. But Im too old for 90mph in a pisspot and goggles!

As long as as you can see any oil on the dipstick, you are fine...

If you are worried, just use a good torch and check the oil level through the open oil tank capafter you turned off the engine after doing around 5 miles at least. You will recognise the level rising when you restart the engine.

My bike even has marks inside the oil tank for the minimum and maximum level. Do not know if every bike has this. With the torch you might see those marks...

Good luck

Raphael, Switzerland

I am rather surprised that none of the 961 faction have yet seen fit to respond to Giampaolo's plaintive posting above. No words of sympathy, advice or encouragement for him folks?

Previously howard_thompson wrote:

I am rather surprised that none of the 916 faction have yet seen fit to respond to Giampaolo's plaintive posting above. No words of sympathy, advice or encouragement for him folks?

As you say Howard, I'm surprised no one has got back to Giampaolo re his problems. I must admit I had a few problems with my 961 in the first 6 months but they were all sorted swiftly by Norton in Donnington. They collected the bike and returned it after correction withi 1 week. That was well over 3 years ago and one of the first bikes built, I thought that all the early problems were sorted by now. It sounds like this bike had slipped through and not properly inspected.

I would expect much better support from the agent on this and also from Norton UK, I'm sure Norton would want to help him getting these problems resolved. I have always found their aftersales support excellent and it will not do their reputation overseas much good if they ignore these problems. He should contact Sean Kinnerslyfrom Norton via this site and get this resolved, I'm sure Sean will give it priority. the agents Norton appoint should give better support than this or they should select an alternative, if not overseassales will be affected.

I hope the you find a solution to your problems ASAP Gianpaola and report back with the outcome. Your bike has a 2 year warranty so thisshould all be a no cost to you.

Cheers, John Mc

Previously steven_waight wrote:

One quick question, oil level, the oil appears to be very clear and thin and hard to see on the dipstick? I can see theres oil on the dipstick and in the tank but its really hard to see a level line on the metal? Any one else found this?

Glad you are enjoying the 961 Steven - my engine sounds pretty agricultural after 3300 miles but it's great fun. You have to be prepared to talk about Nortons all the time when out and about. It is happiest above 3k revs, cruise at 4k to 5k, one rarely has to go beyond 6k except to listen to the sound. On returning from a spin, I remove the oil cap, turn the engine off and plunge a wide blade screwdriver down - the oil sticks to this a lot better.

I'll try the screwdriver idea Alan.

Having said that it does become easier once the oil has a bit more colour to it after doing a few miles.

It now has 322 miles on it and I can see the oil on the dipstick!

Previously howard_thompson wrote:

I am rather surprised that none of the 916 faction have yet seen fit to respond to Giampaolo's plaintive posting above. No words of sympathy, advice or encouragement for him folks?

Well, for me it seems to be a repeating and apparently never-ending nightmare. At least if you are not living close to Donington.I think in this forum most things have already been said about problems and warranty issues with the 961. Just one link that might explain a few items in relation to the story of Giampaolo from Italy: Is Europe a poor relation as regards service?

It seems that the best advice before you buy a Norton 961 and if you are not within reasonable reach of the Norton Factory is to make sure that you buy the bike from a dealer who is able and willing to deal with warranty issues...

Fortunately, I have one of those dealers close by. Nevertheless I had to pay for the successful remedy by my dealer for excessive oil consumption out of my own pocket and this within my warranty period, because Norton UK refuses to pay him!

Raphael, Switzerland

Day 3, 341 miles, 4500 revs, things got a lot more interesting today....Now able to actually overtake articulated lorries on the motorway, rather than the other way round and them laughing at me. Engine seems to come alive at 3500 - 4000 revs and start to howl, which is going to become seriously addictive...Lots of vibration at 4500 revs, enough to make fingers and toes numb in 50 miles, but bearable. More than can be said for my oh so cool bar end mirror, which committed suicide on the M11 and tried to do an 'odd job' (James Bond baddie with a razor blade hat) impression on me at 75mph and cut my head off when the glass came out...Oil dipstick issue is now sorted, as it now appears to be light brown and visible on the dipstick, at this rate it will be black by next week. Question: Do Norton use running in oil? I remember when bikes used to put some old rubbish in at the start during running in, to absorb all the crap from the new engine, then put the good stuff in at the first service?Yet more petrol station selfies with complete strangers. 2 guys on bikes actually sat and waited for me to come out of the toilet so they could hear it start up. I had to warn them that it was new and only 300 miles old, so one end sounded like a sewing machine and the other end sounded like a tractor and would probably stall.... They still loved it though. I should have got a 2 seater cos at this rate im going to meet a supermodel at a petrol station...160 miles to go to the magic 500, and not hearing this awful mechanical clatter at tickover and actually getting some fuel into the thing when u open the taps... (hopefully). It must be massively lean as the last two fill ups its averaged 58mpg.Onwards and upwards....

Previously steven_waight wrote:

Day 3, 341 miles, 4500 revs, things got a lot more interesting today....Now able to actually overtake articulated lorries on the motorway, rather than the other way round and them laughing at me. Engine seems to come alive at 3500 - 4000 revs and start to howl, which is going to become seriously addictive...Lots of vibration at 4500 revs, enough to make fingers and toes numb in 50 miles, but bearable. More than can be said for my oh so cool bar end mirror, which committed suicide on the M11 and tried to do an 'odd job' (James Bond baddie with a razor blade hat) impression on me at 75mph and cut my head off when the glass came out...Oil dipstick issue is now sorted, as it now appears to be light brown and visible on the dipstick, at this rate it will be black by next week. Question: Do Norton use running in oil? I remember when bikes used to put some old rubbish in at the start during running in, to absorb all the crap from the new engine, then put the good stuff in at the first service?Yet more petrol station selfies with complete strangers. 2 guys on bikes actually sat and waited for me to come out of the toilet so they could hear it start up. I had to warn them that it was new and only 300 miles old, so one end sounded like a sewing machine and the other end sounded like a tractor and would probably stall.... They still loved it though. I should have got a 2 seater cos at this rate im going to meet a supermodel at a petrol station...160 miles to go to the magic 500, and not hearing this awful mechanical clatter at tickover and actually getting some fuel into the thing when u open the taps... (hopefully). It must be massively lean as the last two fill ups its averaged 58mpg.Onwards and upwards....

your obviously excited about getting the bike but it will become rather boring if you report back every day. It may be best to wait until you have had the service and you get to over 1000 miles, unless you have a problem! Also these engines like to be worked don't be too gentle with it. Have you taken some holiday so that you can ride every day to get it run in?

John Mc

No Im not on holiday, I usea bike every day, almost. I have 3 others, but i want to get this thing run in and useable before winter sets in.

The guys onanother Norton site want updates all the time, as the forums are full of negative comments and nobody details what happens once youve got your 961.... But if you dont want to read it, dont? Ive had PMs asking me to update as often as possible...!

Previously steven_waight wrote:

No Im not on holiday, I usea bike every day, almost. I have 3 others, but i want to get this thing run in and useable before winter sets in.

The guys onanother Norton site want updates all the time, as the forums are full of negative comments and nobody details what happens once youve got your 961.... But if you dont want to read it, dont? Ive had PMs asking me to update as often as possible...!

As you say the American site does like this type of feedback as they have only just taken delivery there earlierthis year. My first service at Norton cost £100 including oil and filter plus £500 to supply and fit the less restictive silencers. However that was over three and half years ago so I expect it may be more now.

John Mc

John,

Ive been quoted £150 for the first service, remapping is free, exhaust system is £1300! But thats the full system inc decat pipe and fitting. What silencers did you put on for £500? The exhaust is a motad, which goes against the grain to pay that for a motad, I remember half the bikes in the 80s had motad exhausts at £140 a pop.

There wont be any more updates until next Thursday when it goes into Krazy Horse for the above works. They have 22 demo bikes there and i am going to see if i can get a demo Indian to play with for the morning. My wife is looking at the new Indian Scout which arrives in January.

Steve

I'm enjoying reading about your experiences thus far - Keep 'em coming I say.

The engine does feel better the more miles you put on it. That's what makes it different to your normal Japanese fare which feels very much the same at 500 miles as it does at 5000 miles. Mine at 2200 miles keeps getting better I reckon.

I've resisted fitting aftermarket mirrors as the originals give me a good view behind. As for the vibes one of the members is experimenting with different bar ends and weighting the footpegs - It'll be interesting to see how he gets on.

Thanks for you time Raphael again!

As you know I am on big trouble... Italian dealer do not want to pass under warranty the new damage to the head cilynder gaskt and cylinder, the same problems , about warranty, is happening for other 5 people in Italy!

So maybe if the things will go in wrong way i will do a class action!

I try to speak with him very gently about that ... I 'll be waiting for his response untill next week otherwise i have to write officially to Norton Company.

If I were Norton Company in my opinion it wuold have been better to get some information about competence and manner before, for who represent the glorius brand like Norton Company in Italy...

Hope to have good news..

Greetings from Italy Giampaolo

Previously steven_waight wrote:

John,

Ive been quoted £150 for the first service, remapping is free, exhaust system is £1300! But thats the full system inc decat pipe and fitting. What silencers did you put on for £500? The exhaust is a motad, which goes against the grain to pay that for a motad, I remember half the bikes in the 80s had motad exhausts at £140 a pop.

There wont be any more updates until next Thursday when it goes into Krazy Horse for the above works. They have 22 demo bikes there and i am going to see if i can get a demo Indian to play with for the morning. My wife is looking at the new Indian Scout which arrives in January.

Hi Steven, I had the longer peashooter silencers fitted at the 1st service and re map but not the de-cat exhaust. I have had that fitted later, about £400 I think and all made by Motad. The silencers look good and well made but as you say it's a lot to pay for Motad kit. Keep an eye on the chrome plating on them the plating started flaking off on one of mine after a couple of years. However Norton replaced it free of charge even though it was out of warranty.

Good luck with the service and the demo rides I hope the weather stays fine for you.

John Mc

Previously giampaolo_farchioni wrote:

Thanks for you time Raphael again!

As you know I am on big trouble... Italian dealer do not want to pass under warranty the new damage to the head cilynder gaskt and cylinder, the same problems , about warranty, is happening for other 5 people in Italy!

So maybe if the things will go in wrong way i will do a class action!

I try to speak with him very gently about that ... I 'll be waiting for his response untill next week otherwise i have to write officially to Norton Company.

If I were Norton Company in my opinion it wuold have been better to get some information about competence and manner before, for who represent the glorius brand like Norton Company in Italy...

Hope to have good news..

Greetings from Italy Giampaolo

Hi Giampaolo, I hope you get this sorted under warranty ASAP. I would have expected that Norton researched before appointing a dealer in Italy. We get first class support in the UK but we have the advantage of going back to the Norton Factory.

Cheers, John Mc

Yesterday (Sunday), took the 961 out for a blast to rack up some more miles ready for the 1st service. I live in Cambridge, UK, and decided to head up to the coast at Hunstanton in Norfolk. Gorgeous day and loads of bikes about. As I got further up the A10 I started seeing literally hundreds of bikes and slightly odd, hundreds of scooters, complete with parkas. mirrors and accompanying haze of 2 stroke blue smoke.... When I turned up at Hunstanton sea front, there were hundreds of bikes and scooters on the green for the 2014 Mods v Rockers rally! (For our American Cousins Google Mods v Rockers in the 60s, great times)

I pulled the 961 onto the green in the middle of a huge crowd of people taking photos of it and had a walk round, it was the only 961 I could see in the whole place. There was some seriously cool old iron parked on that piece of grass. Had an ice cream and headed home, another 100 miles done, now up to 450 ish.

As to the bike, Im loving the 4500 rev threshold, as between 3000 and 4500 theres a really nice drone from the motor which sounds like nothing else apart from an old Ducati Darmah or Guzzi Le Mans. I had a play with a new Triumph Thruxton on the way back (superb looking thing in satin green) and we had a chat at a set of lights. My running in revs are about the same as a Thruxton on full chat so we had a bit of fun between roundabouts. He said that the 961 sounded fantastic at revs, even with strangled pipes on, which is nice to know, as all I can hear is the mechanical clatter from the engine. The engine is noticeably looser now and runs great especially in the more interesting regions of the rev counter...

I also cant get used to how well it handles, it is so flickable I was going up the inside of race reps on roundabouts, (admittedly pretty poor riders) just some old greybeard on a Norton, it was great. Then the R1s etc would come flying past again... lol. I think they were wondering what this strange mechanical clatter was behind them... Even if you hit a bump (these are British roads) mid roundabout it just shakes its head and carries on. Ive managed to deck my boots and scrub the edges of the tyres in now without ruining underwear. If I tried that on my Triumph I would have gone gardening...

Its still doing high 50's mpg, still sounds like a bag of nails, goes like a train and is a complete photo magnet. Its not an easy bike to ride though, but rewards you if you put the effort in, needs to be ridden hard and put away wet as the saying goes. Loving every minute of it. Sorry to disappoint the negative crowd, but this is a very special motorcycle.

One other thing, got stopped by a bored motorcycle policeman yesterday morning, who only wanted to have a look at the 961... Totally ignored the miniature black plate... All he wanted to know was how much it cost and what it went like!

Previously steven_waight wrote:

Yesterday (Sunday), took the 961 out for a blast to rack up some more miles ready for the 1st service. I live in Cambridge, UK, and decided to head up to the coast at Hunstanton in Norfolk. Gorgeous day and loads of bikes about. As I got further up the A10 I started seeing literally hundreds of bikes and slightly odd, hundreds of scooters, complete with parkas. mirrors and accompanying haze of 2 stroke blue smoke.... When I turned up at Hunstanton sea front, there were hundreds of bikes and scooters on the green for the 2014 Mods v Rockers rally! (For our American Cousins Google Mods v Rockers in the 60s, great times)

I pulled the 961 onto the green in the middle of a huge crowd of people taking photos of it and had a walk round, it was the only 961 I could see in the whole place. There was some seriously cool old iron parked on that piece of grass. Had an ice cream and headed home, another 100 miles done, now up to 450 ish.

As to the bike, Im loving the 4500 rev threshold, as between 3000 and 4500 theres a really nice drone from the motor which sounds like nothing else apart from an old Ducati Darmah or Guzzi Le Mans. I had a play with a new Triumph Thruxton on the way back (superb looking thing in satin green) and we had a chat at a set of lights. My running in revs are about the same as a Thruxton on full chat so we had a bit of fun between roundabouts. He said that the 961 sounded fantastic at revs, even with strangled pipes on, which is nice to know, as all I can hear is the mechanical clatter from the engine. The engine is noticeably looser now and runs great especially in the more interesting regions of the rev counter...

I also cant get used to how well it handles, it is so flickable I was going up the inside of race reps on roundabouts, (admittedly pretty poor riders) just some old greybeard on a Norton, it was great. Then the R1s etc would come flying past again... lol. I think they were wondering what this strange mechanical clatter was behind them... Even if you hit a bump (these are British roads) mid roundabout it just shakes its head and carries on. Ive managed to deck my boots and scrub the edges of the tyres in now without ruining underwear. If I tried that on my Triumph I would have gone gardening...

Its still doing high 50's mpg, still sounds like a bag of nails, goes like a train and is a complete photo magnet. Its not an easy bike to ride though, but rewards you if you put the effort in, needs to be ridden hard and put away wet as the saying goes. Loving every minute of it. Sorry to disappoint the negative crowd, but this is a very special motorcycle.

One other thing, got stopped by a bored motorcycle policeman yesterday morning, who only wanted to have a look at the 961... Totally ignored the miniature black plate... All he wanted to know was how much it cost and what it went like!

Nice report Steven. You'right about the bike rewarding more committed riding. It'strange really as the only previous bike of mine that it reminds me of is my 800cc Ducati Monster which I owned a few years back. Even then it still has a sound and feel all of its own.

Let us know how the service goes and what the bike feels like on completion.

I have a 961 sport 2010 and it is beginning to test my patience to say the least.I think the start of this at the beginning was, is anybody having any problems with these bikes,YES. I will start with peeling chrome on the silencers, electrical issues, a gearbox that self destructed,and now the starter motor has made up it's mind not to work anymore and fill with oil,and as we know oil and electricty do not like each other.The next bit that really p##### me off was when i took the chain case off to remove the starter motor i thought i will fix the snatchy clutch while i am at it and the case is off,well i found that two of the bolts holding the springs in place have been very badly put in or cross threaded,so i will live with a snatchy clutch to avoid more expense.Norton were the last people to touch that when they did the gearbox.So now i am dreading asking how much a starter motor is.To date the milage is 4000 and it has been very well maintained and cared for,just wait for all those special edition models to start being used and see how many of those are a ticking time bombs.Sorry to be a moaning sod but you did ask.. BOB

Previously robert_mackenzie wrote:

I have a 961 sport 2010 and it is beginning to test my patience to say the least.I think the start of this at the beginning was, is anybody having any problems with these bikes,YES. I will start with peeling chrome on the silencers, electrical issues, a gearbox that self destructed,and now the starter motor has made up it's mind not to work anymore and fill with oil,and as we know oil and electricty do not like each other.The next bit that really p##### me off was when i took the chain case off to remove the starter motor i thought i will fix the snatchy clutch while i am at it and the case is off,well i found that two of the bolts holding the springs in place have been very badly put in or cross threaded,so i will live with a snatchy clutch to avoid more expense.Norton were the last people to touch that when they did the gearbox.So now i am dreading asking how much a starter motor is.To date the milage is 4000 and it has been very well maintained and cared for,just wait for all those special edition models to start being used and see how many of those are a ticking time bombs.Sorry to be a moaning sod but you did ask.. BOB

Hi Bob, as you say this post was originally regarding anyone having problems with their 961. This was over 3 years ago so there were not so many on the road then. However I has the same sort of problems as you, fortunately for me mine were in the 2 year warranty period and Norton sorted them FOC. The Norton team were very efficient and the bike was always corrected and returned within a week. One of the problems I had was the gearbox got stuck in second gear, this was also rectified by Norton under warranty. However I have to say the clutch has always been grabby and noisy on pulling away and the gearbox operation vague and unpleasant. I am thinking that if I don't sell my 961 I may take the gearbox apart or take it to a specailist to try and improve it over this winter. Good luck with getting your bike sorted.

As you say the ES versions probably have not had much use yet as most were collection items

John Mc

9 days after getting my 961, 600 miles.... Just back from Krazy Horse, complete with decat pipe, long sporty silencers, fuel remap, new oil and a £1400.00 hole in my bank account...Bike sounds fantastic, I went for the long open pipes because of the look of them, rather than the shorties. It feels crisper, more responsive and ticks over a lot more quietly as theres a lot more fuel getting through. The clatter is noticeably better, especially at low revs. At tickover its now fine as its drowned out by the exhaust! It sounds like a proper brit twin now, rather than a bike that's on the verge of stalling all the time.As I can now rev to 6000 I thought it only right and proper to test said rev range on the way home, it pulls clean and smooth and howls like a banshee. A pleasant side effect is the growl from the airbox now, which again sounds great. Im not embarrassed to start the thing up in front of strangers now...As an aside, I got the choice of using any of Krazy Horses 22 demo bikes as a loaner while the service was being carried out. I chose an Indian Vintage as Id always fancied having a go on one and it was the smallest in stock, the other two were like chrome narrow boats on wheels. Nice bike but not for me, it felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be cool, acres of bright chrome complete with leather tassles... Nice engine though, very lazy 1800cc v twin. But if I was going to have another Harley copy, I think Id just by another Harley.So, 961 sounding the way it should, running great and looking superb, which means somethings about to go wrong. Im in West London tomorrow for work and Im going to take it to the Ace CafÃ? to show it its spiritual home! lol.

Had the 961 treated with ACF50 anti corrosion treatment today ay the adventure bike shop in Sudbury, Suffolk. It should now be rust free for the entire winter. £60 well spent as I had it done on my old BMW 1200GS and it works a treat.Had a race back to Bury with 2 Hinckley Triumphs, had a great little run. A new Bonnie and a 96 Speed Triple, great fun.Ive not had it over 6000 revs yet, but I cant see it up there too often, as that's well into ban territory... Its getting looser and quieter with every mile. Now has 800 miles on and is singing like a bird. One thing is that it pinks after 5000 revs slightly. George at KH said it needs a Stage 2 remap for the longer pipes, so KH will sort that out next week.FYI, Does anyone remember a book called 'Jupiters Travels'? It was the first real book of a round the world motorcycle trip, way before Messrs Boorman and Mcgregor and 20 support staff tried it. It was written by Ted Simon , who rode a Triumph Tiger 500 round the world ON HIS OWN and who happens to be at an open day at the adventure bike shop tomorrow. Im going along just to meet him and shake his hand as hes probably the biggest single reason I got into bikes, reading that book at School in 1981....

I have an apology to make for the outburst a few texts above about the 961 and bringing Norton build quality into question,it was a classic engage brain before using a computer scenario.The starter motor problem is not Norton's fault it was the supplier but norton will fix their cock up,and the clutch is an easy fix, you just peen the end of the posts over again and problem solved,yet again i blame them for something they have not done.They now have a service team going and i can say from experience they are really good and knowledgable, especially touche'. Now to get back to another slice of humble pie! BOB

Previously robert_mackenzie wrote:

I have an apology to make for the outburst a few texts above about the 961 and bringing Norton build quality into question,it was a classic engage brain before using a computer scenario.The starter motor problem is not Norton's fault it was the supplier but norton will fix their cock up,and the clutch is an easy fix, you just peen the end of the posts over again and problem solved,yet again i blame them for something they have not done.They now have a service team going and i can say from experience they are really good and knowledgable, especially touche'. Now to get back to another slice of humble pie! BOB

Bob

Well done for owning up when you've dropped the ball so to speak. It is frustrating when our pride and joys goes wrong. Thus far my experiences with Sean and the team have been nothing but positive. Here's hoping your bike continues faultlessly.

I eventually got my visit to the factory with John from Krazy Horse yesterday, Sean, Touche, and Karen were very helpfull.and really know there product.The factory tour is fascinatingand after seeing the bikes being put together and the robust design of the engine and other components I am convinced this is a quality bit of kit and should last well.

The icing on the cake was to be shown my bike ready to be collected by Krazy Horse after only waiting 3 months for it. I now cant wait until next week to take delivery.

ManyThanks to Norton and Krazy Horse for A1 service.

Well my first visit on Thursday with petrol head 17 year old son and domiracer to the factory for the 500 hundred mile service and remap, a really enjoyable experience, touchÃ? is a top chap who gave me confidence in my purchase and norton in general I reccomend any owner or potential owner to visit and take a tour because you come away with more of an understanding of how things work at Norton and you need to appreciate what they've been up against in order to get to where they are, they have my full support and I truly hope that the company prospers in the future.On the subject of my domiracer number 6 I couldn't be happier she's the star of the show wherever I take her and I'm proud to be a norton owner, sounds a bit cheesy I realise but I'm greatfull to Stuart and Simon for allowing the bike to be developed I'm a very lucky lad to own one ( so my wife reminds me regularly )

My Sport now has 1255 miles on it, running superbly. I took it to London today for work and to check out the start point for the Distinguished Gentlemans Ride on Sunday. Also stopped at the Ace Cafe for lunch,I go there a lot. Its a shame its such a bitch to get to in one of the worst parts of London for traffic.

During the day had the usual mix of people waving at me with thumbs up at traffic lights, complete strangers saying 'nice bike mate' and a memorable moment when a guy walking with his wife was staring at the bike and walked into a traffic sign...

Also got a ticket from an unmarked police bike on the M11for my black number plate, ho hum, you win some, you lose some...

I accidentally put super unleaded in it today and it seems to like it, tickover seems to increase to around 1400 rpm, dont know why? Its smooth, quiet and powerful and the more you ride it the better it gets. Its not a bike for a full day in the saddle though,including a commute from oneside of London to the other, my ass is sore and my hips are stiff, but then Im old.

Im sure the gearbox in the current bikes is different to the original, as the early owners seem to be listing notchy gearboxes. Mine is smooth as silk, even when hot in traffic. Neutral light can be elusive though, it seems to depend on the exact position of the gear lever in the neutral position, rather than just being in Neutral, but Ive got used to it.

Added my first cupful of oil today, its a bit finicky to check, but if Ive put too much in I assume it will blow it out of the breather.

Apparently we have a 'Barbecue Weekend' coming, which should be great for the Sunday ride, 500+ classic styled bikes through the centre of London, should be fun....

Pic of the 961 outside the Ace, the weird guy sitting down was just sitting there singing to himself, I think the staff had thrown him out...