Norton Commando 961: All You Need To Know

Everything important about this other iconic British twin

Norton has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, with the iconic British brand going into administration some months ago. Now, though, it’s been bought by our very own TVS. Though Norton’s lineup of bikes has been on sale in India before, we expect the brand to have a much more widespread presence in the future, courtesy of its new owners. So today, we’re taking a closer look at the muscular looking and sounding Commando 961, and here’s everything you need to know:

A History Lesson

Norton has a knack for macho model names like Dominator and Commando. The latter can trace its roots all the way back to 1967, when the first Norton Commando was rolled out. Back then, it was powered by a 745cc twin cylinder motor, which then grew to 828cc in 1973. Unfortunately, a while after that, the company went bust and the Commando was consigned to the history books. Or so we thought, until the brand was revived in 2008, along with the revival of the Commando model name.

Traditional British Heart

Like most British classics, the Commando is powered by a great big twin. The motor in question is a 961cc parallel-twin belting out 80PS at 6500rpm and 90Nm at 5200rpm. Despite the healthy displacement, this engine manages to be air-cooled, and power is sent to the rear wheel via a 5-speed gearbox and chain drive.

Two Variants

To make sure that you can find exactly what you’re looking for in your Norton, the company offers the Commando in two variants: Sport and Cafe Racer. The former sports a neo-retro roadster appearance with flat, wide handlebars and a right-side-up fork, while the latter gets race-y clip-on style handlebars and an upside-down fork.

Old Meets New

Though the Commando may look retro, its underpinnings are modern and right out of the top drawer. Braking hardware comes from Italian specialist Brembo, with twin 320mm discs providing anchorage up front, assisted by a single 220mm unit at the rear. The conventional fork on the Sport variant and the USD unit on the Cafe Racer both come from Swedish pros Ohlins, as do the twin shock absorbers on both variants.

Competition

It’s not yet clear exactly when these Brits will land in India (deja vu, right?), but as and when they do, the Commando lineup will take on competition from fellow British icon Triumph. The Sport variant will go up against the T100 and T120 modern classics, while the Cafe Racer will take on the Thruxton and BMW’s R nineT Cafe Racer. So far, the Norton offerings have been priced significantly above par thanks to their CBU status, but future plans could include local assembly, which would bring down prices to around the Rs 15 lakh mark.