On a classic autumnal British day in Shakespeare country near Stratford-upon-Avon, the Commando 961 glistens and gleams in the warm sunshine. At first glance, it could easily be the same air-cooled retro twin launched to an expectant public back in 2015, handsome, purposeful, and in theory at least, full of back-lane intent. But a second look reveals that this Norton is in fact subtly but crucially different.
You may recall that the original 961 produced by the Stuart Garner–owned Norton was plagued by mechanical and supply problems. Quality control was missing, reliability a lottery. Its future was thrown into doubt when Indian giant TVS Motor Company bought the ailing marque in 2019, but now, three years down the road, it’s back.
This 961 has been built not in a converted country house but in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility in Solihull, on the fringes of Birmingham, England’s second city. TVS’ commitment runs to over 100 million pounds sterling so far and, while all-new Norton models are promised, the new management’s first priority was to get the V4SV superbike and the Commando 961 of the previous era fixed and back into production.
And as you look, you notice things. The fasteners, detailing, and finishing touches are of premium quality. The gloss seems deeper. This bike has simply been beautifully put together; hand built, yes, but to a new and exacting standard.
Press the starter and the twin roars into life. Glorious acoustics pulsate from its hand-finished twin exhausts, which sound all the better for managing to avoid Euro 5 compliance. Swing a leg over, eyes locking onto a pair of classically analog clocks, and away into the leafy lanes.
The 961cc pushrod twin punches out a claimed 76.8 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 59.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,300 rpm. “Old” Norton claimed 79 bhp and 66.4 lb.-ft., which means either that new Norton has sacrificed some power in the name of reliability or has a more realistic dynamometer at the new HQ.
Bore and stroke remain the same, and outwardly the engine cases and cylinder block look much like the older bike’s. But the whole powerplant has been reengineered and exhaustively tested on both road and track, to the point that over 30 percent of its components have been designed again from scratch.
As you might expect, on the road it’s all about riding the torque curve. Instead of lots of modern free-flowing rpm, the pushrod 961 revs relatively slowly, surging pleasingly through a wide and fat midrange. Instinctively you short-shift up a now smooth, five-speed gearbox and go nowhere near the 7,500 rpm redline. It’s deliberate, but gloriously noisy and surprisingly quick too.
Once you recalibrate to this method of old-school sporty riding, the 961 flows nicely, rolling into turns and picking up cleanly thanks to vastly improved fuelling. It rushes up to 100 mph, overtakes effortlessly and drives strongly from anywhere on the tach.
Vibrations build as the engine speed increases, which won’t suit some, but they aren’t distracting. I believe most potential Commando owners will prefer the sense of involvement and interaction they bring to the ride. After all, this is a bike all about undiluted nostalgia.
Triumph’s Thruxton twin, for instance, may look like a ‘60s throwback, but its liquid-cooled engine makes 103 hp and revs like a modern machine, and in the right hands its chassis is capable of embarrassing the odd sportbike on a trackday. Not so, the 961. This one’s about digging out the old flying jacket and goggles and reveling in the visceral thrills of an authentic Brit iron.
There are two models to choose from: the Sport (SP) and Café Racer (CR), with the only significant differences being the CR’s low bars and sportier one-piece seat unit. In the UK there is only a 500-pound price difference between the two models, and therefore picking one over another is mainly down to personal taste.
Unsurprisingly the SP is more comfortable, while the CR puts weight onto your wrists, much like the Thruxton, but both benefit from a soft and compliant ride as well as easy, almost lazy, steering that makes the bike undemanding to ride.
There is an adjustable 43mm Öhlins fork up front and twin Öhlins shocks looking after the rear, plus quality Brembo stoppers all round. The frame is redesigned and MIG and TIG welded at Norton HQ. Rake, trail, and wheelbase are unchanged while the Commando’s weight is now quoted at 507 pounds, which by modern standards is heavy for an air-cooled and relatively simple bike; Ducati’s air-cooled 1100 Scrambler, as an example, is 57.3 pounds lighter.
Like the motor, the handling is best described as lazy, but in a good way. Stability is excellent, and the 961 is nothing if not predictable. You roll into turns rather than dart toward the apex, and instinctively let everything flow.
The Öhlins setup is on the soft side and deals with almost everything you can throw at it during a spirited ride in the English countryside. Around town there’s a nice balance, with the mass of the motor held low in the chassis thanks to its dry sump lubrication system. That predictable steering and the chassis’ innate stability make the 961 a supersmooth ride; you feel like the peerless Geoff Duke cutting a lap of the Isle of Man back when everything was in monochrome, only with superbly controlled suspension and Brembo four-piston Monoblock stoppers…
Those brakes have (conventional, non-lean) ABS, of course, but that’s the beginning and end of the Commando’s electronic tricks. Meanwhile, the Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300 tires lack feel and, although I’m sure they will last forever, would ideally be replaced by something a little sportier and quicker to warm up.
I would certainly budget for different rubber were I shopping for a 961, and also look to dial a little more compression damping into the fork, which is quick to dive when you brake firmly. Owners who ride their bikes hard may also find an issue with the exhaust; it touches down before the pegs, which is not only disconcerting but not ideal for the beautiful, hand-finished pipe work.
So, no, it’s not perfect. But, yes, the reengineered 961 gives me every reason to believe that this is the Norton Commando that should have always been. The British-built parallel twin lags behind the competition in terms of performance, technology, and handling, but counters with a hand-built feel, authentic looks, and a rich and rewarding character. The elephant in the room is, of course, its reliability, which can only be proven over time. But a day in the saddle left me confident that the Norton is heading back to where such an historic marque should be.
2023 Norton Commando 961 Technical Specifications and Price
| PRICE | £16,499 (SP) / £16,999 (CR) |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 961cc, air/oil-cooled pushrod parallel twin; 2 valves/cyl. |
| BORE x STROKE | 88.0 x 79.0mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 10.1:1 |
| FUEL DELIVERY | Fuel injection |
| CLUTCH | Wet, multiplate slipper |
| TRANSMISSION/FINAL DRIVE | 5-speed/chain |
| FRAME | Tubular steel, hand TIG/MIG welded |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | 43mm upside-down fork, fully adjustable; 4.3 in. travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Öhlins dual shock, fully adjustable; 3.9 in. travel |
| FRONT BRAKES | 4-piston Brembo Monoblock caliper, dual floating 320mm discs w/ ABS |
| REAR BRAKE | 2-piston Brembo caliper, 240mm disc w/ ABS |
| WHEELS, FRONT/REAR | Spoked; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in. |
| TIRES, FRONT/REAR | Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300; 120/70-17 / 180/55-17 |
| RAKE/TRAIL | 24.5°/3.9 in. |
| WHEELBASE | 55.1 in. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 31.9 in. |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 4.0 gal. |
| CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT | 507 lb. |
| WARRANTY | 24-month |
| CONTACT | nortonmotorcycles.com |
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com