961 oil weep

albional · Sep 30, 2025

I've had my new 961 for three months now and liking it very much, it certainly gets attention. I even looked on youtube recently and whilst trawling for 961 news was surprised to see someone had posted a video short of it whilst parked in Ripon N.Yorks.
Anyway, after putting on 700 miles it's unfortunately been sat in my garage for nearly a month waiting until the dealer could perform its first service, which was last week.
After riding it about 50 miles since I've just noticed a small pool of oil on top of the crankcase, which looks to have been weeping from the base of a connecting rubber feed tube from the oil tank. The tube had come off slightly and the spring clip had slipped off. I rang the dealer two days ago and they said they would get back to me, but no-one has. I don't know how long the oil weep has been going on, you think it would have been noticed at the first service.
The tube comes off easily, too easily, and the spring clip doesn't seem to do much. I had a bugger of a job trying to get my hand in to put this tube back but it doesn't look too secure to me. I can't help but worry about the potential for oil finding its way on to the back tyre.
Has anyone noticed the problem on their bike?

Lippo · Oct 1, 2025

albional said:
I've had my new 961 for three months now and liking it very much, it certainly gets attention. I even looked on youtube recently and whilst trawling for 961 news was surprised to see someone had posted a video short of it whilst parked in Ripon N.Yorks.
Anyway, after putting on 700 miles it's unfortunately been sat in my garage for nearly a month waiting until the dealer could perform its first service, which was last week.
After riding it about 50 miles since I've just noticed a small pool of oil on top of the crankcase, which looks to have been weeping from the base of a connecting rubber feed tube from the oil tank. The tube had come off slightly and the spring clip had slipped off. I rang the dealer two days ago and they said they would get back to me, but no-one has. I don't know how long the oil weep has been going on, you think it would have been noticed at the first service.
The tube comes off easily, too easily, and the spring clip doesn't seem to do much. I had a bugger of a job trying to get my hand in to put this tube back but it doesn't look too secure to me. I can't help but worry about the potential for oil finding its way on to the back tyre.
Has anyone noticed the problem on their bike?

I have not had this problem on mine. Can you get in to attach a small hose clip, or even just twist some wire around it to tighten the connection until you can get it in to the dealer?

peebee · Oct 1, 2025

how about some pictures.

TonyA · Oct 1, 2025

peebee said:
how about some pictures.

albional said:
I've had my new 961 for three months now and liking it very much, it certainly gets attention. I even looked on youtube recently and whilst trawling for 961 news was surprised to see someone had posted a video short of it whilst parked in Ripon N.Yorks.
Anyway, after putting on 700 miles it's unfortunately been sat in my garage for nearly a month waiting until the dealer could perform its first service, which was last week.
After riding it about 50 miles since I've just noticed a small pool of oil on top of the crankcase, which looks to have been weeping from the base of a connecting rubber feed tube from the oil tank. The tube had come off slightly and the spring clip had slipped off. I rang the dealer two days ago and they said they would get back to me, but no-one has. I don't know how long the oil weep has been going on, you think it would have been noticed at the first service.
The tube comes off easily, too easily, and the spring clip doesn't seem to do much. I had a bugger of a job trying to get my hand in to put this tube back but it doesn't look too secure to me. I can't help but worry about the potential for oil finding its way on to the back tyre.
Has anyone noticed the problem on their bike?

It’s not the in-line oil filter ? This would probably have been disassembled during service . Not sure where you are referring to on the bike . The oil tank to oil pump feed hose goes through the in line oil filter.

BritTwit · Oct 1, 2025

We do need pictures, but member is probably referring to the hose feeding the strained, before the oil pump.

peebee · Oct 1, 2025

BritTwit said:
We do need pictures, but member is probably referring to the hose feeding the strained, before the oil pump.

We wont be 100% sure till the pics arrive.

cliffa · Oct 1, 2025

@albional Is it possible you are referring to the crankcase breather hose, which is behind the right hand cylinder?

Clive · Oct 2, 2025

The other source of leaks there was from around the starter motor. Seem to remember they had improved this but yes pics pls.

albional · Oct 2, 2025

TonyA said:
It’s not the in-line oil filter ? This would probably have been disassembled during service . Not sure where you are referring to on the bike . The oil tank to oil pump feed hose goes through the in line oil filter.

Can't seem to insert picture, maybe I have to be a VIP member?
I'll try to describe it best I can. I'm not sure if the toblerone shaped plastic thingy is the in-line oil filter but there is a rubber hose coming from under what I presume is the oil tank to it, and then a further hose goes from there to connect to a brass nozzle and 18mm nut on top of the crankcase. There are cables tied to this hose.
I've managed to refit the spring clip on to the end of the hose and with difficulty squeeze my hand in to push the tube fully home on to the nozzle, but it slips off all too easily - more especially with engine vibration I'm thinking. The attached cable ties are not helping. I'm assuming the weep will occur when there is pressure in the hose, ie when the engine is running.
What I might do is ride back to the dealer whilst keeping a check on things.

albional · Oct 2, 2025

Clive said:
The other source of leaks there was from around the starter motor. Seem to remember they had improved this but yes pics pls.

Oil was pooled under the starter but I'm assuming it has run down there from the hose connection (unless there are two leaks!)

albional · Oct 2, 2025

cliffa said:
@albional Is it possible you are referring to the crankcase breather hose, which is behind the right hand cylinder?

Yes I believe you are right. I had assumed it was a feed hose because of the amount of oil which has leaked out. The oil has ponded underneath the starter motor and I can see it has started to run down behind the oil pump and is just beginning to drip onto the frame beneath.
This breather tube is only about 40mm long and has to accomodate a spring clip at either end and a cable tie in the middle holding a number of cables. It seems the cable tie is squeezing the hose in the middle so preventing it fully fitting and firmly holding on to the nozzle on the crankcase. I suppose the answer is a longer hose and maybe the clips should be either crimped or jubilee clips.

cliffa · Oct 2, 2025

albional said:
Can't seem to insert picture, maybe I have to be a VIP member?
I'll try to describe it best I can. I'm not sure if the toblerone shaped plastic thingy is the in-line oil filter but there is a rubber hose coming from under what I presume is the oil tank to it, and then a further hose goes from there to connect to a brass nozzle and 18mm nut on top of the crankcase. There are cables tied to this hose.
I've managed to refit the spring clip on to the end of the hose and with difficulty squeeze my hand in to push the tube fully home on to the nozzle, but it slips off all too easily - more especially with engine vibration I'm thinking. The attached cable ties are not helping. I'm assuming the weep will occur when there is pressure in the hose, ie when the engine is running.
What I might do is ride back to the dealer whilst keeping a check on things.

You need to be a VIP member to post directly, or otherwise post a link to the picture on Google drive or some other sharing site.

Anyway, to clarify, you are talking about the crankcase breather as I thought. The breather goes up to the black triangle shaped thingy, which is actually a baffle to stop oil blowing into the airbox, (which is what you thought was the oil tank) which is where the upper hose goes. Unfortunately that device is not particularly good at its job, so oil does get blown up into the airbox, so you will find there is a small drain hose, which leads to a small plastic catch bottle situated behind the left footrest plate. This bottle should be checked periodically as it can overfill, and get on the rear tyre.
As far as I’m aware, no cables should be tied to the breather hoses, but other TVS owners can confirm. This may be the reason the hose came off the spigot.
The oil tank is actually the top rail of the frame, which it what the filler screws into.

Hope that helps?

albional · Oct 3, 2025

Many thanks for that information, it has certainly helped. I've been used to vintage Japanese bikes and I've not long had the Norton, hence my ignorance.
I had no idea about this baffle and had assumed that such a pool of oil from a hose must have come from an oil receptacle. If this oil has accumulated from a breather pipe weep then it must have been happening virtually from new, certainly before the recent service. I must admit I hadn't really got around to inspecting the bike (I've not even washed it yet!) I've been too busy riding it when the opportunity presented itself. You would have thought the dealer would have noticed this oil weep when servicing the bike. It shouldn't surprise me though. When they had the bike they kept it for over week, just to fit a new inner tube after the puncture acquired on my first day of ownership. There was then a loose clamp on the silencer and I was blaming the factory, until I realised the dealer must have removed this silencer to take off the back wheel. It doesn't inspire confidence!
I knew about the catch bottle from this forum and there is just a tiny amount of oil in it.
There is a bunch of three cables plus a single one tied to the hose, to keep them from contact with the hot cylinder block I suppose. So this is most certainly why the hose came off the spigot. I'd be interested to learn if other TVS bikes are similar.

cliffa · Oct 3, 2025

albional said:
Many thanks for that information, it has certainly helped. I've been used to vintage Japanese bikes and I've not long had the Norton, hence my ignorance.
I had no idea about this baffle and had assumed that such a pool of oil from a hose must have come from an oil receptacle. If this oil has accumulated from a breather pipe weep then it must have been happening virtually from new, certainly before the recent service. I must admit I hadn't really got around to inspecting the bike (I've not even washed it yet!) I've been too busy riding it when the opportunity presented itself. You would have thought the dealer would have noticed this oil weep when servicing the bike. It shouldn't surprise me though. When they had the bike they kept it for over week, just to fit a new inner tube after the puncture acquired on my first day of ownership. There was then a loose clamp on the silencer and I was blaming the factory, until I realised the dealer must have removed this silencer to take off the back wheel. It doesn't inspire confidence!
I knew about the catch bottle from this forum and there is just a tiny amount of oil in it.
There is a bunch of three cables plus a single one tied to the hose, to keep them from contact with the hot cylinder block I suppose. So this is most certainly why the hose came off the spigot. I'd be interested to learn if other TVS bikes are similar.

Wow, that doesn't sound like the kind of service you'd expect from one of Nortons premier dealers!
If you intend to keep the bike, I would take it to Stu Bodycote for service par excellence.

albional · Oct 3, 2025

cliffa said:
Wow, that doesn't sound like the kind of service you'd expect from one of Nortons premier dealers!
If you intend to keep the bike, I would take it to Stu Bodycote for service par excellence.

Yes, everything I hear about Stu Bodycote tells me that's good advice. I would imagine, however, that using a franchised dealer will be a stipulation in order to maintain the guarantee. They are also reasonably close at 30 miles away.
Although I love riding the bike I'm not yet sure about long term prospects, we'll see if it blots its copybook! Practicalities of ownership might be an issue.
Before I had an Abba stand I used to oil the chain by wheeling the bike backwards whilst drizzling gear oil over it. I don't think this would be a good idea on the 961, for fear of oil dripping onto the back tyre as the chain is on the "wrong" side of the bike when on the side stand. I have never used any sort of spray because of worries about damage to the O rings, but I see Norton recommend Motul chain spray, so I suppose that is what I will use. The chain actually looks quite dry and white to me, although I assume some sort of grease has been used at the factory. It doesn't look as though the dealer has lubricated it.

cliffa · Oct 4, 2025

albional said:
Yes, everything I hear about Stu Bodycote tells me that's good advice. I would imagine, however, that using a franchised dealer will be a stipulation in order to maintain the guarantee. They are also reasonably close at 30 miles away.
Although I love riding the bike I'm not yet sure about long term prospects, we'll see if it blots its copybook! Practicalities of ownership might be an issue.
Before I had an Abba stand I used to oil the chain by wheeling the bike backwards whilst drizzling gear oil over it. I don't think this would be a good idea on the 961, for fear of oil dripping onto the back tyre as the chain is on the "wrong" side of the bike when on the side stand. I have never used any sort of spray because of worries about damage to the O rings, but I see Norton recommend Motul chain spray, so I suppose that is what I will use. The chain actually looks quite dry and white to me, although I assume some sort of grease has been used at the factory. It doesn't look as though the dealer has lubricated it.

Actually, it would probably be pretty easy to fit a Scottoiler to a 961, as I think they already have unused vacuum take off spigots on the throttle bodies.

961 oil weep

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