Norton 961 Commando Café Racer MK III 2024 — Specifications

It took an Indian firm buying Norton's ashes for the Commando to find some semblance of life again. TVS pulled the Donington Park manufacturer out of bankruptcy in 2020, and among the models once thought condemned to remain in the archives, the 961 was lucky enough to be resurrected. Fourteen years after its first appearance, it returns under the MK III badge with a reliability program as its modernization, its essential silhouette intact.

The Café Racer version distinguishes itself from its Sport twin with a detail that changes everything about the riding position: clip-on handlebars, bolted low beneath the top yoke, thrust the rider forward into a radically committed stance. You find yourself nose into the wind, wrists extended, shoulders aligned with the front wheel. It is this lean that separates the two Commandos, far more than any mechanical difference. Up against a Triumph Thruxton or a Honda CB 1100 RS, the Norton plays the British authenticity card, making no attempt to modernize what already works.

The 961cc parallel twin, with its 88mm bore and 79mm stroke, develops 77 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 81.4 Nm at 6,300 rpm. This is not an engine that wins races. It is an engine you hear, that you feel vibrating through the steel tubular frame, and whose character alone is enough to justify the purchase. The five-speed gearbox suits this temperament without pretending to rival Japanese or Austrian mechanics in terms of raw output. The claimed 200 km/h is achievable, but that is not where this machine thrives.

What does surprise, however, is the quality of the chassis package. The 43mm Öhlins inverted fork with 115mm of travel, paired with twin rear shock absorbers from the same Swedish manufacturer adjustable in compression, rebound, and preload, gives the Commando a serious working foundation. The four-piston Brembo front calipers complete an ensemble that clearly exceeds what you would expect from a retro-focused machine. Norton put the budget in the right places.

The problem remains the weight. At 230 kilograms fully fuelled, the Commando Café Racer is no lightweight, and that mass makes itself felt in low-speed manoeuvres. The 15-litre tank offers decent range, but the whole package remains a tool for the seasoned enthusiast, not for a beginner seeking a docile neo-retro. The target market is the experienced rider who wants a motorcycle with a loaded history, a distinctive mechanical soundtrack, and who accepts coming to terms with a sizeable chassis. For now, sales remain limited to the United Kingdom, which frustrates more than a few continental enthusiasts ready to write a cheque.