The Prophet

Here's an introduction of the new Norton 961 to the USA Market:

South Bay Norton

Say wha'?


$18,000 for a 78 horsepower (assume at the crank, therefore say 72 or so at the rear wheel), 68 ft./Lbs. Torque bike?

Take the "Norton" decal off of the tank, and you'd have a very mild, starter/learner type of bike, of which there are tons of offers out there for < $10,000.

Appearance-wise... doesn't look a whole lot different from a zillion other bikes currently on offer.

Performance wise - roughly 70%(?) of the bikes for over $10,000 MSRP have higher performance figures.

Unknowns? Service, parts, resale value, longevity of manufacturer, reliability.

I say.... hmmm. Unless there are an over-abundance of folks wistfully longing for a "times were better" past, and hankerin' for a deep plunge into nostalgia - even though this bike, unlike say the new Triumph Bonneville, doesn't bear any physical resemblence to the original - and are willing to peel off $18,000 smackeroo's to reach that soothing moment of nostalgiac bliss.

Change the price to say $11,000, and you'd get a small group who might be interested, at $18K, you'll get dress-up posers and ornament collectors.

Chances of survival in todays market.....? Zip.

A major disappointment.

Ride Safe!

Bob

__________________

• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
• Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me

Speedtrip

I like the look of it. You can see why it cost so much though, Ohlins suspension front and back, Brembo brakes fore and aft along with Brembo hydraulic clutch master cylinder, and don't forget the carbon fiber wheels. That bag of goodies could add up quick.

motowebmaster

I had the new Norton Racing website in our links here for a while, but just added the new manufacturer's site this evening.

The picture on the US Dealer site is awful, but this pic looks inviting:

The Prophet

That photo kind of tells it all.

Here's an idea...


Offer the Carbon Fiber Wheels, the Ohlin Suspension Components, and the Brembo Brakes as an option, or "Stage 2", Stage 3" style options, and cut back the MSRP for a Price Point of around $11 to 12 Grand.

In todays economic climate, I'd suspect you'd sell a lot more of them this way, and bring in a greater amount of new, accessory buying folks. The more bikes you get out on the street, in riders hands, the quicker and broader the word spreads.

Ride safe!

Bob

Speedtrip

Looks like they are already sold out!

Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd: Commando 961SE SOLD OUT!

The rumor I got was this was the remaining stock from the last company that tried this. So this 961 will be a SE (special edition) with new models to follow next year.

The Prophet

Can 200 bikes sustain an organisation?

Marketing and Sales folks love to offer "Limited Edition", "Special Edition" low run production, then lay claim to "Sold Out" to indicate a shortage in the supply/demand area, and "hurry up and order now" atmosphere's.

In the end, sincerely hope them well, an the best of luck. but I'd have to think that they will need to produce a lot more than 200 bikes to remain solvent.

I believe Indian also had a lot of pre-production "orders" but when push came to shove, many cancelled out due to the economy.

Time will tell, but something tells me they might have looked into how John Bloor resurrected the Triumph brand marque, and considered mimicing some of the strategy, which was not to produce a high-end, expensive offer, but affordable yet new and exciting modern models, with the nostalgiac Bonneville as an aside offer to remind folks of the past. This one appears like a Bonneville (Drivetrain) in Street Triple (Suspension and Frame) clothing!

Ride Safe!

Bob