NORTON 961 ENGINE

NEW NORTON 961 ENGINE.    A brand new old stock Norton 961 motor. Comes complete with Fuel injection bodies. generator etc.   Do you know much of the story of this engine and bike design ?    Here`s a very brief overview.  Once upon a time in the USA. a motorcycle "Guy" called Kenny Dreer had a business creating hopped up Norton Commandos.  He liked to update them . especially the MK3 Commandos. with modern forks and brakes. and add improvements to the engines.  Going one step further. he eventually found the funding to design and build a new improved " Norton Commando " bike. This included a modern engine. as he envisaged an updated Commando engine would have been.  The motor now for sale is the end result of his designs.  A 961cc pushrode. aircooled twin cylinder fourstroke. ( None of those new fangled overhead cams for this boy !! )   Being an American. he called upon the US motor racing manufacturers for their expertise and technology. Menard racing. a well known player in the NASCAR arena. were engaged to build the motors. With all the products sourced within the USA. ( CRankshafts made in Florida etc )    Tapping into the nascar knowledge. obviously helped the devlopments. Similar to the old NVT Concern when they commissioned Cosworth to build the Challenge motors over here . perhaps.                                                                                                               Anyway. cash funding for smallscal manufacturing of specialised products being what it is. eventually the Funding dried up. and the Oregon Factory of Norton USA closed down. Then the rights for the bike . and the crucial rights to use the Norton nam on the bike floated around for a while ( I`m out of my depth here !! I`m sure many of you know much more about the very complicated goings on with naming rights ?!! )                                  Long and short of it. A UK based Company has now appeard securing the  rights to use the Norton name ( Hooray !! ) and also the rights to manufacture a new version of the Bike with this style of engine.  And good luck to them .  Now somewhere along the line . Menard set up a small Factory in the UK to supply thes engines to the new Borton. And then again. shortly ( ? ) after . packe it all up and shipped the equipment and parts they still owned back to the USA. This included a couple of these engines.  I know at least one has ended back in the USA with . if not the originator. a close enough friend of his. ( We have talked at length . That knowledge. including access to  black box info. can be provided to this engines buyer. )                                                                Now. I cannot tell you why the original builders are no longer supplying these engines. And I cannot tell you any further modification that have been made to the engines currently in use. All I could say is I am unaware that there were ever any faults recorded in use . with these original motors.   So . to my offer.   Here is an ?original? brand new 961cc engine. branded as a Norton.   It is new. and has never run.  You will need to add an ignition box to get a spark.   It does have the injector system fitted with all the standard electronic plug in points. It`s been checked over by a Car Electronics whizz. who reeled off a number of technobabble names and numbers. then basically said " Yeah. all common stuff. You get this and that. plug it in. 20 mins with a laptop to programme it. and off you go. It`s all pretty basic stuff ! "   Well. sure is to you. Me ? I like carbs !!!  I shoul imagine somebody will see this and envisage matching it up with a new replica Featherbed frame ?    ( I did see a Flat-tracker/Chopper custom  using a 961 engine last year. I think it came from a UK produced bike. So it is possible. )Whatever. It needs to go to somebody who will use it. I have way too many other things to do . and realisticlally it will sit on my coffee table forever !!FYI I don`t want to swap it for a guitaar. or listen to anybody phoning me and telling me how difficult and expensive it will be to build such a bike. I know this already !! So . call me with questions about delivery or something sensible . not with a silly offer please !!   It is VERY heavy. So I will not ship.  Although. if bought and paid for. I could deliver it to the April Stafford bike show . Thankyou for looking.   Neil   07785 115559.   Please call weekdays and daytime hours.                                                                                                                             I`m in Wakefield. Viewing by appointment.  

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