For the gentleman with larger balls....

[HOS]

The new Norton Commando 961 SE

http://www.asfphotos.com/upload/1259460613.jpg


The worlds first road test vid...

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/videos/2009/November/nov2509-video-norton-commando-961se-first-ride/?&R=EPI-120339

Sorry about crap soundtrack [xx(]

And the excellent factory site:
http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/news/all-news.php

[Ross_247]

thats mad, wot a nice looking machine

[Rocket]

Wow, nice.
For a retro bike harking back to the golden days of Norton, I was mildly surprised there are no featherbed styling cues in the frame.
Imagine a modern looking Manx Replica !

I'd still own one though.
First thing I'd do is turn the bars upside down.

[2ndclasscitizen]

Fucken love the RWU Ohlins.

[Tony Nitrous]

Looks pretty, but hard to get excited.
MCN (More Crap than News) has been banging on about the great come back
every week since they last sank.

Going by the prices i see bounced about its just another overpriced nostalgia trip with novelty value.
16,000 pounds is about $29,000AU

If the Jap's built it and put a Yam/Hon/Kaw/Suzi badge on it they'd be laughed out of town.

They are selling a history they don't have, just like Triumph, it a name bought on a piece of paper.

Will probabley sell quite well.

[HOS]

Bit cynical there Tone ?

We need variety, other wise we`d all be riding round on Japcrap
with no choice and no new ideas. ;)

[HOS]

Example:

The new B.King, I took it out on demo for 5 hours from a local Zule dealer who`d been nagging me for ages to take it out.
It was bland as bland. Fuckugly bike. A good amount of power and a balanced package.
Apart from that is was just the latest UJM [:o)]

[Tony Nitrous]

Yeah, its a good way to sell a 2nd rate product.
Convince the public it has "character".
A grandfarther clock isnt as bland as my Casio watch,
A horse and cart isnt as bland as my Mitsubishi,

Im all for choice and new idea's, and the more competition
the nip's get the better, but at $29K for that spec I can only
see that as competition for the Harley / Ducati / Coffee Club market.

Remove the name.
If it was Daewoo, Hyosung or Kymco would there be any interest ?

[HOS]

quote:Originally posted by Tony Nitrous

Yeah, its a good way to sell a 2nd rate product.
Convince the public it has "character".
A grandfarther clock isnt as bland as my Casio watch,
A horse and cart isnt as bland as my Mitsubishi,

Im all for choice and new idea's, and the more competition
the nip's get the better, but at $29K for that spec I can only
see that as competition for the Harley / Ducati / Coffee Club market.

Remove the name.
If it was Daewoo, Hyosung or Kymco would there be any interest ?




It pretty obvious its for a limited market, same as Ducati, Guzzi etc
Thats not a crime ?

I do`nt know why you think its a 2nd rate product ?
Its made in England by an outfit in Oxford who also build F1 engines.
Has`nt been out yet, so no way of knowing if ist 2nd rate or even half decent.

I think its fuckin great [^][^][^]
Its British and made in England [8D]

The MCN tester riding it like big gurl was funny [:p]:)

[Tony Nitrous]

Didn't mean 2nd rate as in poor quality,
more as in low performance, low spec, old tech for the $$$'s
with the exeption of the wasted Carbon wheels and Ohlins.
(air cooled, Push rod, steel frame, twin shock...did anyone say Sportster?)


Im sure there's a market out there,
same as there is for Enfield Bullets and Springer Softails.

Still cant see why you'd need to be...
"For the gentleman with larger balls...."

Each to their own.

[HOS]

quote:Originally posted by Tony Nitrous

Didn't mean 2nd rate as in poor quality,
more as in low performance, low spec, old tech, for the $$$'s.
(other than the wasted Carbon wheels and Ohlins)

Im sure there's a market out there,
same as there is for Enfield Bullets and Springer Softails.

Still cant see why you'd need to be...
"For the gentleman with larger balls...."

Each to their own.



With the F1 engine builders there will be plenty of enthusiasts who will buy them with the intention of tuning the tits off them.
Brembo`s and Ohlins are`nt 2nd rate.

Some guys seem to jerk off over speed and power all the time.
If people wanna buy a bog stock hi power UJM thats cool, if that floats their boat. But they are lacking in any character. Same old is`nt it ?

Some people want summat that is`nt just some bland Japanese corporate wank ??

Jap bikes are great but do`nt show rank prejudice just cos the Norton aint Jap.


I`d have one and tune it [:p][:p][:p]

[HOS]

With a power output of 80 PS and torque @ 90 NM all at very low revs,
proper fuel injection and ECU, coupled with 188 kilo weight and the handling package of BST carbon wheels, Brembos all round and Ohlins front and rear it will give very decent performance on the road.

Its a great bike.

[2ndclasscitizen]

quote:Originally posted by Tony Nitrous

They are selling a history they don't have, just like Triumph, it a name bought on a piece of paper.



That's how the current Bloor Trumpies started out.

[Tony Nitrous]

quote:Originally posted by 2ndclasscitizen


quote:Originally posted by Tony Nitrous

They are selling a history they don't have, just like Triumph, it a name bought on a piece of paper.



That's how the current Bloor Trumpies started out.


Triumph bought a "name" to play the nostalgia card,
Great marketing, and its worked well.
I rode the 1st of the Hinkley Triumphs, they produced a bike that was
affordable and not that far off the others of the time.
Not a push-rod, air-cooled twin, retro.

Whether I like the bike or not, the sales / marketing side of it interests me.
With Buell going under, MV and Husaberg struggling,
Enfield plodding along with models to get through current law's,
The Jap's pulling out of some shows / racing etc.
Interest times to watch bike makers.

[HOS]

I bought a new XB12S in 07 and ran it for 18 months.

It wasnt fast in the remotest sense of the word, but fuckin ell it handled !!

Even a big old bastard like me when I was running the Buell in,
ran rings around so many race reps.

Sometimes great handling is worth more.
I am hoping the Norton will handle too, despite the MCN tester riding it like he was sat on a pineapple.

The Norton name has been about twice round the world to get back to England ? ;)

I won`t knock the Triumphs, they made a massive impact on the market and successfully took the Japs on at their own game..... like they did in the 1960s with the Brits.
I had a Hinckley Trident 900 for one summer and same thing it handled so well !! [8D]

[Tony OW31]

quote:Originally posted by HOS

I bought a new XB12S in 07 and ran it for 18 months.

It wasnt fast in the remotest sense of the word, but fuckin ell it handled !!

Even a big old bastard like me when I was running the Buell in,
ran rings around so many race reps.

Sometimes great handling is worth more.
I am hoping the Norton will handle too, despite the MCN tester riding it like he was sat on a pineapple.

The Norton name has been about twice round the world to get back to England ? ;)

I won`t knock the Triumphs, they made a massive impact on the market and successfully took the Japs on at their own game..... like they did in the 1960s with the Brits.
I had a Hinckley Trident 900 for one summer and same thing it handled so well !! [8D]



Thing is though, as a general rule, the less power something has the better it will handle, get a gsxr1000, and reduce its power to 60 hp like the buell, and it would probably out handle the Buell. Less power = less need for throttle control, you don't end up running in to corners too fast and fucking up the entry, and you can get on it sooner without worrying about highsides etc, and you can concentrate more on lines and corner speed.

[HOS]

quote:Originally posted by Tony OW31


quote:Originally posted by HOS

I bought a new XB12S in 07 and ran it for 18 months.

It wasnt fast in the remotest sense of the word, but fuckin ell it handled !!

Even a big old bastard like me when I was running the Buell in,
ran rings around so many race reps.

Sometimes great handling is worth more.
I am hoping the Norton will handle too, despite the MCN tester riding it like he was sat on a pineapple.

The Norton name has been about twice round the world to get back to England ? ;)

I won`t knock the Triumphs, they made a massive impact on the market and successfully took the Japs on at their own game..... like they did in the 1960s with the Brits.
I had a Hinckley Trident 900 for one summer and same thing it handled so well !! [8D]



Thing is though, as a general rule, the less power something has the better it will handle, get a gsxr1000, and reduce its power to 60 hp like the buell, and it would probably out handle the Buell. Less power = less need for throttle control, you don't end up running in to corners too fast and fucking up the entry, and you can get on it sooner without worrying about highsides etc, and you can concentrate more on lines and corner speed.



Indeed.... too much power works against the rider.
Its also a question of how the power is delivered. V-twin : inline 4.
V twins get the power down better.

[HOS]

There is also a large element of inexperienced riders ridng bikes way above their talent and just not knowing how to use them properly and really not enjoying the experience.

I think its quite pointless when you see guys on any bike not just race reps when they are concentrating so hard on looking good in the bends, moving arund on the seat, positioning themselves to hang off the bike, knee out etc.... all at 55mph on the open road, holding up the traffic behind them.

If riders are frightened of the power of their bikes, its this ridiculous ego thing where some people want the most powerful bike that really doesnt suit them.

Being fast on the road has very little to do with how quick your bike is on paper.

How mant times have you been out with inexperienced riders and get really pissed off having to stop every 15 or 20 minutes to wait for them to catch up and your not pushing it yourself.
They are just "kids" who because they have the latest plastic fantastic and read all the road test reports in the mags, they think they are instantly fast.