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2015 Norton Commando 961SE Review
2015 Norton Commando 961SE on www.Totalmotorcycle.com
History Repeats Itself…
The Norton Company was formed in 1898 by James Lansdowne Norton, known to all as ‘Pa’ Lansdowne because of his paternal appearance.
Although originally supplying motorcycle and bicycle parts, it was not long before the first Norton motorcycles were produced – in 1902 – using French and Swiss engines. It was not until 1908, however, that the company produced the first Norton engined bike. It was powered by a single cylinder side valve unit, the provenance of which can be traced through a series of engines powering bikes into the 1950s.
In 1907 Rem Fowler had won the Isle of Man twin cylinder class riding a Norton and this marked the beginning of a strong racing tradition for Norton. Success in the very first Isle of Man TT race, followed by wins at Brooklands and other European races helped cement Norton’s reputation as a builder of serious road and race bikes of performance and reliability.
From 1916 Norton motorcycles carried the famous Norton logo on their tanks.
By the mid 1930s, Norton was producing nearly 4000 road bikes annually and racing bikes based upon the road going models. Between the wars, the Isle of Man Senior TT race was won by a Norton ten times. Indeed, Norton won 78 out of 92 Grand Prix races entered between 1930 and 1937.
With the onset of the second world war, Norton withdrew from racing and concentrated on road bikes, supplying nearly a quarter – over 100,000 – of all the British military motorcycles produced.
The Featherbed frame was developed for Norton in 1950 to provide a lightweight yet strong frame to help negotiate the turns of the Isle of Man track. Fitted to the Manx Nortons, it proved very successful, improving the bikes’ handling and contributing, in no small way, to the success of legends such as Geoff Duke and John Surtees.
1949 had seen the introduction of the twin cylinder Dominator and by 1951 the Dominator was available with the featherbed frame, as were other Norton Café Racers. Indeed this frame was so successful and popular that demand for the more traditional framed bikes diminished rapidly.
By the end of the 1952 season, Geoff Duke, riding for Norton, was the world champion in both the 350cc and 500cc classes and was awarded the OBE.
The Earls Court Motor show of 1961 heralded the introduction of the Commando, over 50,000 of which were to be produced and sold over the next decade or so.
In the 70s, Norton raced under the sponsorship of John Player and the commercial success of the Commando was underlined by the ‘Norton Girls’ campaign. However, by 1976, Norton along with other great British marques has been driven to the brink of extinction by recession and overseas competition; it was in this year that the last Commando was produced.
Following development in the US and more recently the UK, the new Commando 961 special edition is now available once again.
2015 Norton Commando 961SE www.Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features
BREMBO currently operates in 3 continents with production plants in 11 countries. At present, Brembo employs nearly 6000
people of which over 9% are engineers and product specialists working in research and development.
OHLINS has been an intricate part of the motorsport industry for more than 30 years. Ohlins commitment is to deliver superior quality products with a minimum impact on the environment.
BLACKSTONE TEK (BST) designs and manufactures products from carbon composites, specialising in structural parts including
motorcycle wheels, frames and sub-frames.
MCT Partnership – The engine in the Norton Commando has been thoroughly engineered to make the 961cc parallel twin deliver the expectations of refinement, durability and compliance with forthcoming emissions and noise legislation; it was a requirement of the design brief that this must be achieved whilst maintaining the classic lines of the Commando.
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), who have an enviable reputation for engineering race and production engines at their impressive facility deep within ‘Motorsport Valley’ in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom were ideally qualified to undertake such a challenge. MCT has full design, manufacturing and testing capability as well as very considerable automotive experience, and this
combination of skills was vital to the success of the Commando engine project ensuring a powerful, reliable and charismatic beat for the Commando’s heart.
Charlie Bamber, Commercial Director of MCT summed up MCT’s commitment, “it’s a great privilege to be playing a role in the rebirth of a brand as important as Norton. We share in the passion and ambition of Norton and know that Stuart Garner and his team at Norton Motorcycles are well placed to build on the legacy of a truly iconic name”
2015 Norton Commando 961SE www.Totalmotorcycle.com Features and Benefits
The carbon pack on the Commando SE consists of
front and rear wheels, front mudguard, headlight
mounts, rear hugger, chain guard and rear number
plate hanger.
Lightweight BST carbon fibre wheels are fully TUV
approved to guarantee durability and reliability.
Axially mounted Brembo callipers combined with
Brembo 320 mm discs provide impressive braking
capability whilst maintaining the classic styling of
the Commando.
The frame is of steel tubular
construction with integral oil tank,
fully re-engineered using the latest
CAD/CAM techniques to give the
right balance of stiffness, weight
and durability.
Fully adjustable ‘right way up’ Ohlins forks
enhance the classic lines of the Commando
whilst maintaining modern levels of ride
and handling.
Traditional looking analogue instruments are
fully electronic and manufactured using the
latest technology to ensure modern levels of
reliability and usability.
Ohlins twin rear suspension units with remote reservoirs
are fully adjustable with pre-load, rebound and
compression damping adjustment.
The exhaust system complies with drive-by noise
regulations and contains two 3-way catalytic converters to
adhere to latest emissions legislation.
Lightweight BST carbon
fibre wheels are fully TUV
approved to guarantee
durability and reliability.
Fuel injection and a full engine management system
have been integrated into the Commando without
compromising styling.
2015 Norton Commando 961SE – www.Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $ USD
NA
2015 Norton Commando 961SE – www.Totalmotorcycle.com Canada Specifications/Technical Details
Canada MSRP Price:
FRAME
• Frame : Steel tubular cradle with integral oil tank
• Swing arm: steel construction
• Wheelbase: 1420mm (55.9 in)
• Rake: 24.5 degrees
• Trail: 99mm (3.9 in)
• Front suspension: 43mm Ohlins RWU – Adjustable preload,
compression, and rebound damping.
• Rear suspension: Ohlins reservoir-style twin shocks – Adjustable
ride height, preload, compression, and rebound damping
• Front wheel: 3.50 X 17” BST Carbon Fibre
• Rear wheel: 5.50 X 17” BST Carbon Fibre
• Front tyre: 120/70 X 17”
• Rear tyre: 180/55 X 17”
• Front wheel travel: 115mm (4.53 in)
• Rear wheel travel: 100mm (3.94 in)
BRAKES & HYDRAULICS
• Brembo 320mm semi-floating hi carbon stainless steel front discs
• Brembo 220mm rear disc
• Brembo 4 piston “Gold Line” axially mounted
front callipers
• Brembo 2 piston “Gold Line” rear calliper
• Brembo “Gold line” front brake master cylinder
• Brembo “Gold line” hydraulic clutch master cylinder
• Brembo rear brake master cylinder
• Brembo hydraulic clutch actuation slave cylinder
CARBON PACK
• Front mudguard
• Chain guard
• Rear wheel hugger
• Rear number plate hanger
• Headlight mounting
• Front wheel
• Rear wheel
POWER ASSEMBLY
• Engine type: Parallel twin with push-rod valve actuation, dry sump
• Displacement: 961 cc
• Cooling system: Air
• Valve Actuation: Push rod, hydraulic lifter, two valves per cylinder
• Bore x stroke: 88 mm X 79 mm
• Compression ratio: 10.1:1
• Power: 80PS @ 6500RPM
• Torque: 90Nm @ 5200RPM
• Exhaust: 1 3/4” header system with merged collector and twin
silencers with catalytic converters.
• Ignition: Crank fired electronic
• Euro 3 compliant with electronic fuel injection and multiple 3
way catalytic converters
TRANSMISSION
• Gearbox: constant mesh 5 speed
• Final drive: 525 “O” ring chain
• Wet clutch
• Electric start
ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS
• Charging system: 300 watt hi-output charging system
• Instrumentation: Norton electronic analogue speedo and tachometer
with dual trip meters and ‘hidden until lit’ warning lights
MISCELLANEOUS
• Fuel tank capacity: 17 litres (4.5 US gallon)
• Dry weight: 188kg (414.5 lbs)
• Seat height: 813mm (32 in)
• Billet machined upper yoke
• Billet machined lower yoke
• Tapered aluminium handle bars
* prices are exclusive of Freight, PDI, licensing fees or taxes. Dealers may charge an administration fee.
2015 Norton Commando 961SE – www.Totalmotorcycle.com International Specifications/Technical Details
European MSRP Price: £ *
FRAME
• Frame : Steel tubular cradle with integral oil tank
• Swing arm: steel construction
• Wheelbase: 1420mm (55.9 in)
• Rake: 24.5 degrees
• Trail: 99mm (3.9 in)
• Front suspension: 43mm Ohlins RWU – Adjustable preload,
compression, and rebound damping.
• Rear suspension: Ohlins reservoir-style twin shocks – Adjustable
ride height, preload, compression, and rebound damping
• Front wheel: 3.50 X 17” BST Carbon Fibre
• Rear wheel: 5.50 X 17” BST Carbon Fibre
• Front tyre: 120/70 X 17”
• Rear tyre: 180/55 X 17”
• Front wheel travel: 115mm (4.53 in)
• Rear wheel travel: 100mm (3.94 in)
BRAKES & HYDRAULICS
• Brembo 320mm semi-floating hi carbon stainless steel front discs
• Brembo 220mm rear disc
• Brembo 4 piston “Gold Line” axially mounted
front callipers
• Brembo 2 piston “Gold Line” rear calliper
• Brembo “Gold line” front brake master cylinder
• Brembo “Gold line” hydraulic clutch master cylinder
• Brembo rear brake master cylinder
• Brembo hydraulic clutch actuation slave cylinder
CARBON PACK
• Front mudguard
• Chain guard
• Rear wheel hugger
• Rear number plate hanger
• Headlight mounting
• Front wheel
• Rear wheel
POWER ASSEMBLY
• Engine type: Parallel twin with push-rod valve actuation, dry sump
• Displacement: 961 cc
• Cooling system: Air
• Valve Actuation: Push rod, hydraulic lifter, two valves per cylinder
• Bore x stroke: 88 mm X 79 mm
• Compression ratio: 10.1:1
• Power: 80PS @ 6500RPM
• Torque: 90Nm @ 5200RPM
• Exhaust: 1 3/4” header system with merged collector and twin
silencers with catalytic converters.
• Ignition: Crank fired electronic
• Euro 3 compliant with electronic fuel injection and multiple 3
way catalytic converters
TRANSMISSION
• Gearbox: constant mesh 5 speed
• Final drive: 525 “O” ring chain
• Wet clutch
• Electric start
ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS
• Charging system: 300 watt hi-output charging system
• Instrumentation: Norton electronic analogue speedo and tachometer
with dual trip meters and ‘hidden until lit’ warning lights
MISCELLANEOUS
• Fuel tank capacity: 17 litres (4.5 US gallon)
• Dry weight: 188kg (414.5 lbs)
• Seat height: 813mm (32 in)
• Billet machined upper yoke
• Billet machined lower yoke
• Tapered aluminium handle bars
Suggested Starting Price shown does not include tax, title, or destination charge. Dealer prices may vary.
Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).
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