A supberly written reply! Thank you. Hopefully others will read this and learn... Happy New Year!

Wow! I feel your disappointment, like you I loved the old commandos and really wanted this to be a great bike! It’s pretty sad it rides like such a dog. But, while looks are Important in this class, it really needs to ride well too. I’m still on my speed triple RS 2018, love it..maybe a speed twin in the future. A good sound review cap, well done.

Thanks Ben! Happy New Year!@@benkelly2190

It's interesting because older Norton are actually pretty smooth when they get going obviously totally ridiculous at idle. I wonder if going with a 360 crank would have been more interesting and given the bike more Norton character

@@CaptainRambunctious and to you, looking forward to more of you work.👍🏻

You too!!

Ah, I'm not sure that there's any abyss... I don't do this for the revenue or any kick backs from dealers... I do it for fun and my own curiosity.... I have coveted this particular bike for a few years and was so disappointed... It's not about throwing them under the bus, but really, warning others not to have this on their wish list as there are so many better alternatives for less money out there... Thanks for watching, Happy New Year to you and your loved ones, and thanks for the great comment! Tally Bally Ho!

I had a factory tour last year ( now it's 2024), the cost of the bike in my opinion is not down to the British workers wages, the factory is state of the art and brand new but the small scale of production means they are virtually hand built, the bike I rode was superbly finished and rode really well, the downside was the extremely mechanically noisy motor, the Norton guy said they had reworked the engine which was itself a Garner rework of the original American design as far as they could, they are working on a new liquid cooled bike to replace these older designs. There has been a lot of investment in the factory and its workforce, who by the way seem to be bike enthusiasts themselves, I wish them luck for the future.

Exactly. I paid $2,500 for a new '74 850 Commando. Make it in India, aluminum frame, better tires, twin disk brakes, compression release, 4 speed tran -- same weight and power. Bring it in for $8, 500, sell 2 million.

A great point Garry.

Of course there is something close to a reissued 70’s Commando in the form of the Colorado Works Norton Commando. Only trouble is they cost 2-3 times the price of the 961! Oh and you’d have to import one but I’d seriously consider one for 961 money.

Yes me too and you can buy a minty one for £8k much better value than the new one me thinks :)

Pretty much what Redford Baron says too!!

Thank you… I’m starting to think that I was being overly negative… I don’t like to be, as you know!! Happy New Year chap! Have a fantastic year and hope you’re healing well…

​@@CaptainRambunctiousI'm definitely up for joining you for your second test ride! 😊

@@CaptainRambunctious Thanks mate - very slow recovery unfortunately...roll on summer! Did you see my Norton review BTW?? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p999lciq2bO1eqM.htmlsi=oYSizEugqMQdkbNP

​@@TheMissendenFlyerreally enjoyed your 2 Norton reviews... and it's definitely reassuring that we weren't being too harsh!

@@badgerbigglesworth7078 I think we pretty much concurred 100% - so disappointed, I wanted to love that bike!

Completely agree!

Happy New Year!

You probably have it right!

Thank you! Happy new year!

Happy New Year Sir Ed! Keep the Thruxton R for goodness sake,... Tally Bally Ho!

I’m going to Norton soon. Hopefully I’ll ride a bike that’s fine! The vibes wee terrible… maybe that’s why the engine light came on? Who knows? But thansk for the input. Maybe QC is so bad that they’re like Jags from the 70s, it depends who made them!

Good to hear that you are going to the factory. I Look forward to your comparison/opinion. My own bike does have vibes but I don't find them intrusive or off putting. I was surprised at your thoughts that it ran out of puff early as 5th gear and 4500rpm has me at motorway speeds and pulls well beyond that. Its not gonna rip your arms off though!! 😂😂😂@@CaptainRambunctious

Hear hear. I loved riding it.

That’s really nice to hear! I must have had a lemon. I look forward to riding a good one this month when I go to Norton HQ… Thanks for your input! Nice to know there are some good ones…

Yes i am going to Norton HQ on saturday looking forward to it.

@@CaptainRambunctious you must be aware that they will be as charming as possible, roll out a dolly bird guide and put you under pressure to do a puff piece turn around review. A honey trap if you like. Seriously, this might not be as cool an offer as it sounds.

@@jfro5867 this was before I made this video… they asked me in October what I’d thought and I said all this… they didn’t know I’d made a review… It will be interesting what they give me to ride!

@@CaptainRambunctious ahh, well’, kudos to you Sir for saying it as you saw it.

Thank you... No point in trying to gloss over the issues with this bike... It would have been competitive with other bikes about 25 years ago but not now, and not for that price!! Would love to know what you would think as you have other Nortons to compare it with....

@@CaptainRambunctious I'd love a test ride but no idea of availability. It's the cost v experience equation that completely puts me off. I don't wish any ill on the new Norton venture but after watching a video of a drone tour of the factory I'm not convinced. It looked like a larger and better organised version of the Donington set up abate better financed. The only way I can see an effective route to success for the new Norton brand is to look at the Ducati formula but I'm not sure the funding will be forthcoming. They have to get over this constantly trying to hark back to the past. I'm sure there could be small stylistic cues but I'm sure if I were in the market for a bike like this I'd simply build a lightly tuned Commando 750 Roadster, stick a set of ohlin forks and shocks on and a couple of other upgrades that would upset the purists but I'm guessing you'd have an equally fun and much cheaper bike.

Absolutely... The vibes totally ruined any enjoyment there could have been.

Very well said... I agree with everything here.... Ultimately, too vibey, to heavy and too slow...

Completely spot on! Happy New Year!

Definitely keep the Bonnie.. This is no better than my old air-cooled 865 thruxton with better wheels, suspension and brakes. So definitely not worth the money!!

I completely agree. There are so many other options out there...

Absolutely! Tally Bally Ho!

You’ll have to see but I was extremely disappointed… Norton have asked me to HQ for a ‘chat’ and to show us another bike that should work better!

@@CaptainRambunctious Norton HQ (think Corporal Jones)….‘don’t panic, don’t panic!!’

That's a great suggestion... the issue is; for the money they are asking, it should be perfect right out of the box!

When I visited the Norton dealer, they were talking £1600 for a 3 year service plan. Make of that what you will……👎

You’re welcome!! There are a few about!!

I was hoping I'd be bowled over too, but it needed about 20bhp more and no vibrations... being lighter with better handling would have helped... Happy New Year! Tally Bally Ho!

I have a mate who keeps trying to get me to ride his… this year definitely!! I’ve ridden a Motoguzzi, a massive one. No issues at all… Tally Bally Ho!

You wouldn't like it. It's a quirky air-cooled twin that vibrates. I love it!@@CaptainRambunctious

The price just doesn't add up in the slightest against any of the competition...

No idea how it passes the tests

It’s SVA. Single vehicle approval. Literally every bike has to be inspected and ‘rubber stamped’ as fit for the road but it’s not compliant with Euro regs (currently Euro5). Pros and cons with this. Honda sells across the globe so has to make their bikes comply, the CB air cooled engines could no longer meet emissions regs. So it was canned, here anyway. I’ve had CB’s, lovely bikes.

Absolutely!! Well said!

I bought my W for that very reason, sounds a bit like a ‘muted’ Commando 850 too and for less than £6k brand new

@@simonwalker7957 I cut the baffles out of mine which is a bit of an improvement over stock. They sound fantastic with a decent set of pipes but unless you're rolling in cash, you want to buy them second hand. I've got to say, they're a great, fun bike, just the same. Puts a smile on my face every ride. I don't know what it is, but there's just some sort of magic ingredient.

Definitely planning on a revisit review of the Thruxton R... It's probably going to be a second bike for me at some point...

It was built to honor the orders from the previous owner. To make it worth will they have built a batch. They have invested 200 million to date. There is going to be a lot more to come.

A very good point here... Thank you.

I don’t know about the engine mounts I’m afraid but I’ll try and find out!

@@CaptainRambunctious save you messing…..ans. No.

@@jfro5867 thank you. That also answers the vibration issue too!

Agree. It was death by black cable tie, damn things were everywhere on it. 👎

That’s really good info! Thanks… well I got the wet weight for the Norton from their website! There Thruxton R is 203 dry and the RS is 197 dry… I’m really trying to work out why that one was so bad! Hopefully when I go to Norton HQ they’ll give me one that works!!

@@CaptainRambunctious yes I noticed the weight figure when I checked the Norton website last night. I think they've strengthened the frame and added catalysts (by looks) but it seems to have piled the beef on a bit if 230kg is correct. I'm not sure why they don't just sell them louder and de-catted/re mapped like CCM do with their bikes. Especially if they don't have to comply with Euro 5 regs. If I was Norton I would get one properly run in, loosened up and mapped etc and let people test it then. Could make a world of difference 🙂

@@drewiediggler1 as I said, lighter, a bit more power and less vibey and it’s there!

@@CaptainRambunctious just had a quick Google at the specs for a 2012 model 961. Most say 188KG dry. It must have put on some middle aged spread. I know the feeling 🤣

Why do you think 230kg is heavy? Norton publish wet weights. Triumph, as you would expect, dry weights. The Norton would be about 210kg dry - less than a Bonneville.@@CaptainRambunctious

Too small! 😂😂😂 44.

@@CaptainRambunctious seriously I’m after one. Wondered if they are generous fitting

@@CaptainRambunctious seriously I’m after one. Wondered if they are generous fitting

@@movieknifedude3265 the opposite… a little tighter than triumph… normally a 44 on me is just right, this is a little snug… I think it’s due to the thickness of the leather which is excellent… It would always be worth going to their shop Friday- Sunday…. But if you can’t, I’d order a size up… although you could always send it back but I understand if you’re trying to avoid that hassle! Really really good quality…

Thanks so much

We both really, really wanted to like it more than we did. 😢

Pretty fair judgement!

Just north of Northampton up to Market Harborough and back round.

Sorry about that... There's not much I can do about that apart from say not to watch it on a TV, but on a phone or tablet.... if you already were, then I'm sorry and thank you for watching...

That's what I am thinking.... I need to ride some others.... Norton have told me to go to HQ and try one from there instead as the one I rode was definitely not a happy bike...

or buy a Guzzi V7 Special and save £10k or a RE Interceptor and let’s say £12k. Both thoroughly decent and authentic bikes.

I have a friend who has red V7 special and keeps getting me to try it... I'll have a go this year!@@jfro5867

If anything, I think it shows what great bikes the Triumph Bonnevilles are and certainly better bikes and better value for money...

​@@CaptainRambunctious "Same Icon, different standard" is their slogan....so finding a lemon out of a relatively small production run aint ideal, if their QC didn't pick up on it. I really want them to succeed and sell many re-release 961's, as eventually some of those bikes will hopefully find their way to my workshop. But it appears that they're not as big a hit with the public as we had all hoped.

That’s where Redford Baron comes in! He has had one!

😂

Thruxton by a country mile, in every single way! It's not even close.

Well. I owned a T120 a few years ago. Extremely smooth engine, very tall geared, 6 speeds, sit up straight comfortable and overall a lovely bike. Not fast but plenty fast enough. There were some early adopter quality control issues and my bike had them but that was ….2016 so a good while ago now. Compared to the 961 chalk and cheese IMHO.

Well if compared to this Norton then the T120 is better in almost every respect other than looks.

@@CaptainRambunctious Thanks a ton ! Clears the fog in my head

@jfro5867 thanks for responding. I shall keep that in mind.

Well exactly. There are quite a few taglines to take from this video we made... Thanks for watching, commenting and Happy New Year!

Really?! Wow! I did wonder how they were still air cooled, but even so, just not good enough for the price!

Fair point! I’ve just noticed the correlation between liquid cooled and more power, but then again, it’s really air and fuel that do that.. Well said.

I'd buy one without the ignition ECU & fuel injection and put twin flatslides on it personally. To buy this bike and convert it to carb would add a couple of grand, probably push £20000. And that would wipe me out completely.

Certainly a better option but something to stop the vibrations would be my first port of call. It completely ruined the experience.

@CaptainRambunctious that's ashame, price was a real shock! Triumph haven't much to worry about for now

I agree! I’ve been yearning to ride this for years and was so disappointed. I didn’t want to be so negative but everything I say is valid! I’m riding another one soon from Norton HQ so maybe mine was just a bad apple.

@@CaptainRambunctious Merlin is such a great bike!

Absolutely not! 😂

Exactly! 😎

Do you mean change through the gears? I did that a lot... I rode it for 2 hours in total and a lot of footage was removed to get the video time down.

​@CaptainRambunctious maybe to increase the power by pushing yourself along like a kids' scooter?? 😂

Not at all… but it should have handled better without issues with vibrations, more power, lighter and cost less… To charge that much, it needs to be much better…. I get that it is an old engine, but then charge older bike money… I wouldn’t say no to a Triton! And Redford Baron who owns and has owned nortons says this latest one is awful… happy to have him on my side…

Definitely not. Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Royal Enfield etc all do modern classics in very different ways, and that diversity of product is fantastic! Some are more 'authentic' than others, but my own personal opinion is that Norton could have occupied a great position in the market with a truly premium product, with character PLUS performance. But again, it's all just opinions. 😊

Thanks for the correction! It’s been a while since I had it! It must have been the old Scrambler that was 59 which is the number I had in my head! Thanks for watching!

We’re human and it’s a great review. Again thanks for being so honest. What a let down 😢

Yes. It was very uncomfortable after only 5 mins and would buzz through my feet as well as my hands… I thought the BMW RnineT was vibey but this was at least 5 times worse…

@@CaptainRambunctious BMW RnineT is 110-bph or 116-bhp with a full Akra, and its more of a gentle shake than a vibe imho

You definitely did...

I think it’s a top trumps thing where they just flung on a selling point! Look ere, it’s got real Ohlins!

😆

@@jjnewman65 agree with your comment although I don't really understand what purpose these serve other than to annoy powered road users turning them against cyclists which seems a bit pointless as there's plenty of that around already. I really wish they'd involve more cyclists in their road plans for cyclists that way the gallons of paint and red tarmac they spend tax payers money on may be put to some good use.

😂😂😂 brilliant.

I think you're right... kind of like one of my final comments. Maybe we were looking at our wrong... it's an expensive plaything for a small number of people who don't ride much. And maybe that's OK I suppose... if it makes someone happy, then I guess it's a good thing that it exists!! But we certainly wouldn't have one!! 😂

@@badgerbigglesworth7078 that's a good point, I guess it's better that Norton is still around in any form than consigned to history and they are not the only ones in the category I described. Last time I went to the Motorbike show at NEC (about 6 years ago) one thing I noticed was the amount of what Henry Cole typically describes as "Boutique manafacturers" (which I always think is similar to using "character" to describe products which aren't good enough) many of which had bought up names from days gone by and cobbled together some piece of blingy tat with a price tag which could be mistaken for their phone number. Going from memory Brough Superior and Ariel were at that show. I guess helping to extract money from people with more of it than sense is s service they offer. Oh, and I see Aston Martin have recently moved into the motorcycle manufacturing trade. I must say I think the most telling thing about the video was how quickly you wanted to give it back making it quite clear how little you wanted to ride it.

Yes, that's a thing of beauty...

Nor do I… I questioned them, and they said it was registered in the summer… the DVLA says so too…

The plate year reflects the bikes technology and when it should have stopped production

@@JohnnyXoz it's funny, I have a 1990s CB750 and the specs and other characteristics of the bike aren't far off. Except the CB750 doesn't have the check engine light on...

You can put a plate on a bike that makes it look older but not newer than it is. But I do wonder if that bike was manufactured in 2013 even though it was registered in 2023. It sure seemed like a piece of old crap.

@@splodge5714 that’s exactly what we wondered as it seemed older but were told categorically that it was a new Norton… will see what the bike from Norton HQ is like this month and will repot back…

Agreed! I was extremely disappointed… if inside one that’s much better I’ll amend all this… I loved my tinkered with Thruxton 900 too! Enjoy!

I’m so sorry to hear that… maybe it’s not the norm, but the occasional lemon, and they can sort it out soon…?

Thanks but TVS need to sort out customer service big time and that needs to start at the very top of the management team.

All valid points!

its nowhere near as tall as a kawa 900 and its a very narrow bike

Well, the real deal would be an actual 1960s classic Norton! 😂

Well Redford baron has one from the 60s and isn’t anything as vibey as that was unless apparently you go over 70! 😂 We have to compare when it is being sold at that amount! And as I said in the video, I’ve always coveted Nortons… I’m not bashing the brand even if people in the comments are.

@@CaptainRambunctious The point I was making is it's the same design motor from the 60's, push rods and all, and you were floging and comparing this bike to a modern retro. All wrong in my opinion, should be riden sensibly. Appreciate that you have a resurected Norton underneath you and just enjoy that fact. It is what it is and if I had the money and a new back I would have one tomorrow

@@michaelwallace9867 I accept that hat you’re saying but in my opinion it should have been fun, and to me, it was quite the opposite. But I do value your comments! And thank you for watching. Hope you have a most excellent New Year!

@michaelwallace9867.... allelujah..! at last someone understands ! lol

I've think that's the frustrating thing.... they could've done so much more.

I think you've hit the nail on the head really.... if you want an authentic Norton experience, buy a classic Norton! If you want a modern motorcycle with some classic styling and a bit of soul, buy a modern classic from Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Kawasaki, Yamaha etc. 😊

Not a problem at all! You’re welcome to your own opinion especially if it comes with extra facts that have been missed. It also opens up discussion about motorbikes which can never be bad!

Nice idea, but the least of its worries...

I’m sorry but I really don’t agree with you. If the bike I had was a diff example then surely riding a better example would help to set the story straight. I like the Thruxton but that doesn’t have much to do with the fact that this bike wasn’t nearly as fun as I’d hoped. It was slower than my old air cooled Thruxton which has 68bhp and less fun. I have no duty in the slightest. This isn’t my job. I do it for fun. I enjoy riding bikes… I said I’d have a moto guzzi or a BMW over this. Also, many of my viewers and subscribers get that I love triumphs but also love old things… other Norton owners have said that this newest model is worse than the one from 10 years ago. I am a traditionalist and have been yearning to ride this bike for years. I will be riding loser nortons too, but this was just horrible. Yes, it became a big comparison with the Thruxton, but that was just down to me trying to get my own head around this disappointment. I have owned old classic cars too and love them. That’s not what this is about. But to say there’s no point in me doing another review on it is just your own pique getting the better of you. Thank you for watching and commenting, but quite frankly, continuing to repeat yourself and how bad this review is, is just getting wearing. If you don’t watch another of my videos, so what? I don’t do this for views, or subscribers or money… so it doesn’t matter. What matters is that people enjoy themselves and if my videos don’t do that for you, then fine. But I can only ever try to state what I think at the time truthfully, and then change my mind, or learn, or have my mind changed by further knowledge to progress and improve. I disagree with what you say now, but who says that in the future, maybe I’ll change my thinking too and then agree with you, but constantly going back and forth with the same view is just a waste of your and my time.

Let me just say that I'm not at all disagreeing with your right to express your view on the bikes worth. I'm just saying the machine being hand made explains the pricing of it, not the worth of it, and obviously the reason why Norton have priced it as they have. We all have a viewpoint and it is just that, but when you have a platform where others can be, and are, influenced then the duty surely is to give the whole picture. And I'm not at all piqued, and I'm not interested in scoring points. My view is that if you support comments that the engine is a dog and was poorly designed from the start then I struggle to see why you would want to do another review. The bike will still have the same engine, which is the bone of your contention. Minor defects may be corrected but the bike will still essentially be the same. The other thing is that the weight on the review is stated on the review as 230kg dry when it is actually 230 kg wet. An honest mistake I'm sure but it needs correcting because it can be important to some. @@CaptainRambunctious

Because we did?😊

The Norton has pedals hidden behind the fake air intake covers.

​@buddhastaxi666 it needs the extra power from the pedalling! 😂

@@badgerbigglesworth7078 Its sad about the Norton. One of my favourite bikes was a Commando, even though I never bought one when they were new. I would love to have a modern Norton parked next to my modern Triumph.