Its a Swindle

Check out this streettracker and the story behind it
http://rocket-garage.blogspot.com/2013/02/norton-961-streetracker.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redmaxspeedshop/sets/72157629570459343/with/7760507088/

Thanx for posting this newage special. Lots of neat features but most of all I must find out where to get tires like that, yum!

Egad , Forsueth , etc .

WOW! It sounds like a NORTON!

Those tires are something else for sure.

I'm pretty sure those tires have been around for more than a few years, on many sport touring and dualsport bikes.

I personally don't care for the entire concept, but that's just my opinion.

Hey Paul I've looks around www for years and years w/o seeing another set of aggressive dual sport treads like these. If you can point me at a source I'd get some for my wimpy factory Combat as well as over board Peel. Otherwise flat tracker tires may be my best bet. I sure hope someone/group picks up the New Norton pieces [essentially bankrupt now I read] and runs with it as Kenny Dreer's shapes and lay out sure cuts a great image to my mind and seeing how these custom special look makes me want a used one to mess with some day for the double takes. Peel's exhaust needs to be redone and she's got the space to route inside frame, hmm.

Hobot, I wonder if it'd make a good chopper!

Aw crap SK I was refraining from stating that part of my imaging-in custom ideas, as already barely allowed here and with my long legs it'd need a really long set of springer forks to work out well for me : )

There is a fella Rod Rayborn in NC that has a stock pile of Drouin units and spares and a UFO like LED lighted R/W/B Interstate 850, but is planning a long low drop frame Cdo Chopper to put a blown power unit in to really mess up the minds on close encounters. What most don't realize is the lifted front end allows lots more lean clearance and weight shift of bike/pilot mass all on rear patch for amazing hi speed hi power corner thrills on 16" rim wide tire patch.

One of the most far out fully molded excessively extended chopper I've ever seen was a new 2.3 liter Triumph Rocket in show room of Baxter's Cycle in Iowa, with special headers, cam and NOS. Ain't must twisties in the corn growing regions to pure bee line acceleration is all that matters besides the gut reactions on viewing. This ain't the Baxter version, more ugly crude but gives some idea of what new Brit cycles can become.

Built by Steve Hillary of Redmaxspeedshop.
He'll have better pictures ready soon. MCN are doing a special first.

Some more pics now on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/redmaxspee ... 570459343/

I believe the tyres are Conti Escapes check this link http://www.conti-online.com/generat.../motorcycletires/enduro/escape/escape_en.html

Don't know why anyone would do that to such a great looking low numbers machine as the 961. From what I have read, the look of these bikes is spot on with Kenny Dreer's plans. As a stylist, Kenny has a great eye, his 880s are quite beautiful and so is the 952/961.
With the limited numbers of these produced by handbuilding, it seems a real shame to hack one apart. There are plenty of ugly mass produced machines that might actually be improved with such a makeover, or at least wouldn't be missed.

Glen

It's what he likes. He actually races flat trackers. He usually races with an XR750.
Why wouldn't anybody customize a bike? It's not like it's sacrilege or anything, or is it?

He is obviouly free to do as his wishes with his money. He can make it into a Harley bagger lookalike if that is the desire.
I assumed the thread was started to generate opinions on the changes made. My opinion is the bike was more desirable before the owner/customizer laid a hand on it.
Just one opinion tho.

Glen

Fair enough. Guess a lot of people don't like old bikes changed into something else too. I think new Nortons are quite nice too though a bit to modern for my taste.

At least what this fellow has built from the 961 looks decent. I have a soft spot for the 961, been following the story since Kenny Dreer first got going on it. Seeing all the heartache and effort that has gone into the rebirth makes it seem a bit more special than the latest xzr 1000 whatever, whatever.
But you are right, to be logical about it, anything built has the potential for customization.

Glen

As a rule, I like customs,but that one does nothing for me.To my eye,it has no "lines". The tank and seat look like they came from 2 different bikes,and just got stuck on that frame.To take a new vehicle that looks good from the factory(like the 961) and customize it to look like that,I'd say the builder must be "The Anti-Foose". Jack