The Norton Commando 961 Mk II is the second modern classic model from the British brand which will be sold in India. The Commando 961 Mk II shares the same engine as the Norton Dominator. Power on the Commando 961 comes from a 961 cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine with a 270-degree crank which has been developed in-house by Norton. The parallel-twin engine puts out 79 bhp and 90 Nm of peak torque. The engine gets new die-cast cases, head and cylinder, with Nikasil bore plating inside the cylinder, and is paired with a 5-speed transmission. The Commando 961 is based on the original design of the Norton Commando to give it a smooth ride, and modern classic aesthetics.
Essentially a cafe racer, the Norton Commando 961 Mk II comes with a dual seat option as standard, offering the rider and pillion seat, as well as a single seat configuration. The pillion seat cowl can be easily removed to make it a single seat option. Suspension on the Commando 961 is also high-spec Ohlins units both front and rear, while braking is handled by full Brembo systems with standard ABS. The Norton Commando 961 Mk II’s closest rival in the cafe racer genre is the Triumph Thruxton R, but the Trumph is almost half the cost of the very exclusive Norton. For the initial lot, the Norton Commando 961 Mk II will only be available as a special edition model, and will be brought into Indiaas a completely built unit (CBU). The limited edition bikes will also have the customer’s name embossed in the bodywork, as well as a special number allotted to each bike. The limited edition model of the Norton Commando SK II is priced in India at Rs. 20.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and only 19 units (all CBU) will be initially offered on sale.