Norton, the iconic British Motorcycle manufacturer is making its India debut with its premium offering ‘The 2018 Norton Commando 961’ cafe racer. Commando 961 will come with a price tag of Rs. 23 lakhs (ex-showroom, Pune). The British Bike will be shipped as a CBU. This explains the high price tag. Currently, only one unit of the silver painted Commando 961 has been shipped onto Indian Soil. The British manufacturer will make further shipments as per orders. The company also has plans to set up a local operational unit by the end of 2018.
With no local operational units, the delivery chain will follow the CBU route. This means that the delivery time for the Norton Commando 961 cafe racer will be between two-three months. Pre-Bookings have commenced and potential buyers can book the motorcycle for a sum of Rs. 11.5 lakhs. Let\'s delve deeper into the design and other specifications.
Classic Cafe Racer Design
The Commando 961 take design cues from the mass popular British classic cafe racers. It carries a small fly screen on top of the mass loved classic round headlight. The design element that sets apart Commando 961 from other competitors in its segment is the stylish tail. A discerning factor is that both the mudguard and the fly screen are carbon fiber dipped.
Power and Safety
The cafe racer is powered by a 961cc parallel-twin motor coupled to a 5-speed gearbox. It churns out 71.9 HP at 7500 RPM and 67 Nm of torque at 6500 RPM. On the other hand, its UK sibling makes 80 HP and 90 Nm. The vehicle uses Ohlins 43mm inverted forks up front and Ohlins twin shocks with remote reservoirs at the rear. The Brembo made twin 320mm discs with a 4-piston caliper at the front and rear wheels ensure unmatched safety standard. The combined support of 120-section tire at the front and a 180-section tire at the rear provide stability to the overall heavy muscular body.
The Norton Commando 961 has a fuel tank capacity of 17L. On the Indian roads, it has no direct competitor in its segment. Triumph Thruxton R with a price tag of around Rs. 11.92 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) comes closest to it. However, in a price-driven automobile market, the Triumph Thruxton R stands to gain a lot from almost half the price tag of its supposed future rival.