Posted on 02/16/2011 5:37:31 PM PST by Josh Painter
Norton fiends can now officially rejoice – the resurrected bike maker's wares will finally be available here in the U.S. starting in either April or May. The final date depends on whether or not the 961 Commando can swim through EPA testing, though the company is confident that there shouldn't be any issues. A whopping total of 200 limited edition 961 Commando SE models have been built, and of the 50 allotted for U.S. sale, only a handful were still available as of yesterday. Every last one of the UK's batch were spoken for. Buyers can opt between a wire-wheeled version for around $17,999 or a carbon-fiber wheeled iteration for $19,499.
The best part? Those are the discount models.
Norton plans to introduce a Sport model at $19,500, but prices top out at $22,000 for the company's Café Racer. Like the Commando SE, those bikes are slated to land in our neck of the woods as early as April.
According to Motorcycle Classics, Norton is currently working to establish a dealer network in the land of the free. Former Ducati North America CEO Dan Van Epps was recently hired to helm Norton Motorcycles USA, and there's word that Norton wants to have a presence in 50 of America's top population centers. Here's hoping they plan on introducing a more sanely-priced model for the rest of us plebes, too. Hit the jump to check out the 961 Commando SE introduction video.
Young organ donors cannot wait.
22k?
They’re crazy.
During the ten years it was in production it was popular all over the world. In the United Kingdom it won the MCN "Machine of the Year" competition for five successive years from 1968-1972.[1]
Some regard it as the British Motorcycle Industry's swansong, selling well from its introduction in 1967 through the end of the British bike industry as a commercial concern in the mid 1970s.[2]
The wheels and brake set-up says 2011,the engine and transmission case says 1947.
/johnny
British iron ping.
Now bring back the Royal Enfield Trident
I think I still have some Cycle World magazines in the basement with these ads. The Norton Commando was a great bike.
Wonder if the new ones will be as unreliable at most other British donorcycles.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX14 will run rings around it for $14K
With the "whopping 200" being sold already in the UK, I suspect they're nothing but rich collectors gambling on the failure of this ugly thing........
Not so crazy. They’ve got people waiting in line with the cash in their hands. Now if you want to call the buyers who have put down deposits crazy, you might have more of a case.
But an MV Agusta F4 is $18,500, and a BMW K1600 is $21,000.
- JP
I love old bikes but you are right.
The royal Enfied is still being made in India. But why are we talking these girlie wimp bikes? Where is the Vincent Black Shadow?
Its crazy to me.
I could get a lot of truck for the same price.
My brother has 3 of the Indian Enfields, the biggest they make is the 500cc bullet.
Thats fine for Indian roads but NFG for our roads
It’s not aimed at the touring crowd, the cruiser crowd or the crotch rocketeers. There are thousands of retro bike lovers out there with the money who really like the idea of a street bike that looks like a street bike and not something out of a sci-fi movie.
Oh, and although the engine looks like the original and still uses pushrods, it has two valves per cylinder, fuel injection and a balance shaft. 75 hp for a 415 pound bike isn’t going to challenge any crotch rockets, but should be sufficient to keep the rider entertained. Especially if the handling lives up to the Norton name, and according to rider reports, it does.
- JP
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