New owner - first on the road ride

The weather over the coming weeks is looking pretty lousy so I decided that today was to be the day for my first, sweaty palmed, extremely anxious, ride. My back wasn't in good shape but I was primed up with Ibuprofen and lots of strong coffee...

Temperature: 4degC and falling
Weather: Dull but dry
Roads: Backroads were dry but with plenty of mud and other Winter debris
Startup: Poor... 4 failed attempts + LCD warning messages + flashing lights. Eventually after opening throttle slightly she hesitated then fired up.

I let her warm up for a couple of minutes as I donned my helmet and gloves. The various engine noises raised a very nervous smile/grimace but I decided I was going to ignore them. I snicked her into 1st gear and hit the road...

Miles Covered: 47.6 in one sitting!!!!!
Throttle: No probs, always went to tickover. I couldn't always match rpm with gear change but this was mostly due to my thick Winter gloves.
Suspension: For someone weighing 182lb it was perfect!
Handling: Impeccable
Tyres: Cold and stayed cold... I could feel that they weren't happy
Noise: I can't wait to get the open exhausts fitted!
Vibration: I can't say that I noticed it. I did have a little white finger at end.
Gear change: slick
RPM: 3500 gave me just <60. <2000rpm was snatchy but likely my fault
Seating: comfortable, no numbness. Had to lift foot to shift down gears.
Clip-ons: didn't get the back ache I feared. Got a little neck strain though and had to get used to looking through the very top of my visor. 30mph is a pain on the wrist as always, 50+mph you get wind assist on the chest.
Brakes: barely used them but they were smooth with plenty of feel.
Smile Factor: 10/10.... I want to go do it all again

I let bike sit on driveway for 20mins as I consumed a much needed coffee and took a few pictures.... then fired her up first attempt and put her to bed. As far as I can tell I haven't lost any fasteners and don't see any lubrication where it shouldn't be. My only single gripe is the sidestand... I was cold and needed a cigarette but I just could not locate the stand to hook it out grrrrr!

And now you are addicted like us. Welcome officially to the 961. You will never get enough of it. The smile factor doesn’t go away. even sitting on another bike for longer than 10 minutes makes me want my Norton back.

This was my first ride on a 'Commando' since the mid-eighties. Just the name conjurs up many good and some bad memories of the period when I went through two 750's, two 850 Mk3 Interstates and a JPN replica. I had wanted a 961 ever since I first heard about them 7 years back but back then they were well out of my price bracket.

Yes.... I think I am addicted and truly pleased to be part of this 'club'!

I rode 65 miles in dense cold fog yesterday. Open pipes and a remap might take care of that multiple start attempts. Mine doesn't even crank, just starts. Glad you like it. Its and up and down love hate thing, but deep down inside, you know you love it. Just like you love your rattley old English crap. This bike doesn't rattle off parts, but it still pays to at least go over a few items with a box wrench. Yup. Another junkie joins British Bikes Anonymous.

MxMartin said:

The weather over the coming weeks is looking pretty lousy so I decided that today was to be the day for my first, sweaty palmed, extremely anxious, ride. My back wasn't in good shape but I was primed up with Ibuprofen and lots of strong coffee...
stand to hook it out grrrrr!

Click to expand...

Glad it all went well for you - 3 notes;

Yes - the snatching. I found it a bit disconcerting and questioned my rusty riding technique but I picked up mine from the factory yesterday after its first service remap and the difference is really remarkable. Like a different bike.

The sidestand. Just a matter of technique and learning automatically where it is. Knock the peg up with your ankle first and slide your foot down to the sidestand.

The engine thrash. As soon as the open pipes are on you lose most of that. The 961 just has a different voice to all the other bikes.

Just churn your way through to the first service and when you pick it up it is like picking up a completely different animal. Kind of like house training a tiger - still as majestic and different but much easier to live with.

Clive, running in any machine can be a chore as you have to tolerate weird characteristics in such a narrow rev range. One thing I did pick up on is that at around 3499 rpm the engine was ready to hit me with tons of torque.... yes a bit like a chained up Tiger preparing to pounce! The one thing I didn't expect was a slick gear change, I was fully prepared for a clunky sloppy gearbox given that long curved linkage!

Clive said:

The sidestand. Just a matter of technique and learning automatically where it is. Knock the peg up with your ankle first and slide your foot down to the sidestand.

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I have been practising locating the sidestand for past couple of weeks and thought I had perfected it but after a cold and tiring ride I really struggled, my bike boots just wouldn't snag on to the stand and kept putting bike into 2nd gear... I gave up, turned ignition off, climbed off and found the sidestand the 'girlie' way lol

You'll get used to the side stand. However, the larger the boot, the harder it is. Real easy in sneakers. Just not as safe. Oh yea. Just wait until you find that happy spot. My bike LOVES 4800 rpm @ 82mph.

MxMartin said:

I gave up, turned ignition off, climbed off and found the sidestand the 'girlie' way lol

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You could also do it the cool poor racer way.
Just get off and push it against a building and let it lean into the wall on the bar end.

Disclaimer: not responsible for broken bike parts due this suggestion.

Like this....


Photo courtesy of 'Bike' magazine June 1983. It was this article and this photo that sold me into getting my XR

Yeah!
Who needs a stinkin' side stand anyway.

The XR styling was nice.
I hoped that Harley would bring back the XR1200.
Still hoping.

Hi,

Like the guys say, the re-map helps greatly. We have managed to get an air-cooled parallel twin with push-rods through Euro 4 emissions, so the calibration is a very sensitive balance of cleanliness and drive ability.

The bike doesn't have to be run in to be re-mapped by the way, happy to put it in earlier (along with the exhausts) as long as you still observe the rev limits.

Thanks

Simon

MxMartin said:

Like this....

Photo courtesy of 'Bike' magazine June 1983. It was this article and this photo that sold me into getting my XR

Click to expand...

For sure it’s a great looker, this was at a classic bike show in Surrey

I saw a guy on my usual ride with an XR that had a little saddle bag kit on it. It looked like it would be perfect for the 961. However, couldn't find it due to the bikes short lived run. Orange like the one posted. What a sweet ride.

skinthespin said:

Hi,

Like the guys say, the re-map helps greatly. We have managed to get an air-cooled parallel twin with push-rods through Euro 4 emissions, so the calibration is a very sensitive balance of cleanliness and drive ability.

The bike doesn't have to be run in to be re-mapped by the way, happy to put it in earlier (along with the exhausts) as long as you still observe the rev limits.

Thanks

Simon

Click to expand...

Simon, I was very pleased with the way the bike ran. No problems with the throttle response as I went up and down through the gearbox. The few 'snatchy' low rpm moments were mainly me getting caught in the wrong gear at the wrong time. My starting problems have been since I swapped the Yuasa battery over to a Shorai and I haven't put my finger on why that would be. I am truly looking forward to running her as is for the next 500 mile (I will call it 'stealth mode') and wait for exhaust swap at 1st service.

BLIGHTYBRIT/SF said:

For sure it’s a great looker, this was at a classic bike show in Surrey

Click to expand...

The flat track kits have been a popular style over the lifetime and evolution of the sportster. Easy to spot a 'real' XR as they are the only H-D engine to have exhausts ports on the left side of the motor and twin inlet ports on the right, thanks to the unique 'Branch' cylinder heads.

The xr is a great looking bike with decent power but at 562 dry it loses appeal.

Speaking of weight, has anyone put their 961 on the scales?
An ordinary ( good quality) bathroom scale will get you close. I use two beveled 2x6 blocks, one to lead into the scale and the other for the unweighted wheel to climb on such that the bike is level front to back when on the scale.
Weigh the front then rear and add em up.

Cycle World measured 490 lb without fuel on their scale. Others have measured a little higher.
Norton says 415 dry, but the definition of dry sometimes does not include items such as tires and battery!


Glen

I thought this was a Norton 961 site.

From Cycle World:

WEIGHT (TANK EMPTY) 490 lb.
WEIGHT (TANK FULL) 517 lb.
FUEL CAPACITY 4.5 gal.
WHEELBASE 55.7 in.
RAKE/TRAIL 24.5º/3.9 in.
SEAT HEIGHT 31.7 in.


I have never been able to get 4.5 gals. of gas into my tank. I would say 3.85 Gals. maybe bone dry ? Anybody have the same experience ? I don't think the fuel pump can get to all 4.5 gals of gas if there is 4.5 gals. in there.

I weighted mine a few years ago using scales under both wheels on a level garage floor with full tank of fuel:

Front 239
Rear 249

Total 488 lbs.

Which surprised me quite a bit.
I accidentally dropped the bike in the garage a few days before - it landed right on the left bar end mirror.
The ball end of the clutch level shot right past my face and hit and bounced off the wall.
I freaked out, cause I knew that stuff would be scratched, may be the tank would be damaged........
I bent over grabbed the left clip-on, and the frame under the seat and pulled the thing up and put it on the stand.
I couldn't believe it but nothing was scratched, dented or cracked on the left side other than the clutch level.
The mirror had folded nicely and there was barely a scratch on it.
While all this was going on in my head, I never realized just how easy it had been to lift the bike back up.
It was actually a pretty easy lift compared to 4 cylinder bikes, and even my Hinckley Bonnie.

The 961 appears to carry its weight quite low, and this may be why it gives the impression of being lighter than it is.

The SE model with BST carbon fiber wheels should be 15 or so pounds lighter.