Old man winter has set in and it is hard to find days when the roads are clear enough for a ride, but I do my best. I have one of the first 3 961SF models and it is one of the first 10 Nortons imported to the US ! The bike was fitted with prototype exhaust silencers and a CRG bar end mirror when I picked it up per my instructions!
I will start with the plusses. The first plus is that the new bikes have none of the excessive Valve train mechanical noise that the earlier Gen 1 engines had. Theengines now sound like any other air-cooled, push rod twin.
The second plus was the gear box. I was not expecting a smooth shifting transmission and solid clutch due to reports of the earlier bikes. This bike shifts very well,Its not as refined as say a brand new Japanese bike, but I have not missed an upshift or downshift in over a hundred miles! Neutral does take a little practice to find quickly though.
The Brembo brakes are amazing! The front brake is a one finger unit and these brakes are as good as anything on my Ducatis or MV Agustas or anything I have ridden for that matter.
The engine is very what I would call "tractible." It pulls well starting at about 2000 RPM and just builds from there. I did not ride the bike with the stock exhaust though, so it may be different.I can take it easy and ride with my Harleycruiser friendsor turn it up and be a play racer. You do not have to ride this bike at 7/10ths or 8/10ths to have fun or feel right!They saythis will beat my DucatiSport Classic but I have not proven it yet! The bike sounds almost like a Ducati, probably due to the 270 degree firing order. The pipes sound great. Both the manufacturer and my dealer said no re-mapping would be necessary with the exhaust. I have performed several roll-ons in all gears and I cannot detect any pinging, popping, surging, or flat spots. The latest bikes have a closed-loop fuel injection system which can adjust for minor changes in the intake or exhaust. It seems to work very well.
The Ohlins suspension is another plus. I was expecting the ride to be harsh due to earlier reports, but the suspension was not stiff as delivered for my 185 lbs. After I adjusted both ends for 5mm of static sag and about 30mm of sag the ride was plush and accurate, again as good as anything I've tried. The adjustments were easy using the owners manual as a guide. The bike is very slender and turns in very well. Handling is excellent for a retro style bike.
Now for the minuses. The side stand puts the bike in a near vertical position on the bikes that have upside down forks like this one, models with conventional forks are fine, it seems Norton has only one size stand? I cut 1/2" off mine and it is now fine, but this shouldn't be necessary !
As previously reported the non-spring loaded footpegs are poor. If a peg gets flipped up you must find it and push it back down with your toe. This needs to be updated. It is especially a pain in stop and go traffic.
The bike is gorgeous and draws a small crowd whenever I park it !
Attachments 11-29-13%20082.JPGHi Bob Thanks for posting…
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Bob Iv never ridden a 961…
Bob
Iv never ridden a 961 and probably never will unless somebody lets me have a go on theirs so I can't comment on the riding experience.. But it a hell of a good looking bike.- Log in to post comments
Agree with your assessment…
Agree with your assessments Bob after one year of my 961 Sport ownership.
Subsequently fitted the louder twin silencers myself and remapping not necessary apparently - no change in performance and engine seems to breathe better ,although maybe just the better sound. Gearbox operation is smooth and positivewith neutral selection no problem - tend to snick it ina couple of yardsbefore you roll to a stop at the lights etc.
Have got used to the very vertical side stand stance with careful check of ground slope before putting it down. Use a paddock stand in my garage.Agree the non-spring loaded foot pegs can be a pain , especially the left one when your foot goes down waitingat the lights and then flips peg up when you raise leg to select first.
Our winter thisyearis much better than yours by the sound of things - was out on it yesterday in dry , sunny conditions in + 8 degrees C.
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Previously james_fanning w…
Previously james_fanning wrote:
Agree with your assessments Bob after one year of my 961 Sport ownership.
Subsequently fitted the louder twin silencers myself and remapping not necessary apparently - no change in performance and engine seems to breathe better ,although maybe just the better sound. Gearbox operation is smooth and positivewith neutral selection no problem - tend to snick it ina couple of yardsbefore you roll to a stop at the lights etc.
Have got used to the very vertical side stand stance with careful check of ground slope before putting it down. Use a paddock stand in my garage.Agree the non-spring loaded foot pegs can be a pain , especially the left one when your foot goes down waitingat the lights and then flips peg up when you raise leg to select first.
Our winter thisyearis much better than yours by the sound of things - was out on it yesterday in dry , sunny conditions in + 8 degrees C.
Hello James concerning side stand issue I had similar problem and asked Seanat Nortonif they could do anything to help, new modified stand fitted no problem miles better and a lot safer.
All the bet
Paul.
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Previously paul_baddeley w…
Previously paul_baddeley wrote:
Previously james_fanning wrote:
Hello James concerning side stand issue I had similar problem and asked Seanat Nortonif they could do anything to help, new modified stand fitted no problem miles better and a lot safer.
Paul
how long is the modified stand please?
David
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Hello David Its about 1/2…
Hello David
Its about 1/2 inch shorter than original but makes the bike lean at a more assuring level when parked, mine nearly went over twice so I informed Norton and they sorted it out no issues. Hope this is of use Paul.
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I cut about a half inch of…
I cut about a half inch off mine also. It is now perfect!
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Well being the 1 Mar I was…
Well being the 1 Mar I was able to get my Sport out on the road for the first time.
First thoughts are - I'm going to have a lot of good memories and rides with this bike
Funnily enough it reminds me a lot of my Ducati Monster that I owned a few years back. The engine in particular feels and sounds very similar and the hndling, what I've been able to make of thus far, feels to be similarly surefooted and nimble.
Am I pleased? - Oh yes!
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Lee, i share your view tha…
Lee,
i share your view that the 961 sounds and feels like the Ducati monster (and most Ducati,s of that period) and feels alive. It takes some doing to emulate Italian passion in a bike made in England! I have had a number of Ducati,s but unreliability was a major issue so I gave up on them!
David
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Hi Bob
Thanks for posting your impressions, I agree 100% re the brakes and looks. It's not a bike for shrinking violets is it! Hope you manage to get some more miles in soon.
David