Mick Grant replica 961 Norton racerDecember 2015 Commando | Grand Prix champion | TT winner 
If you're a Mick Grant fan, and a Norton fan, and if you've got £18,000 plus change in the piggy, this might interest you. Announced earlier this month, it's Norton's limited edition 961 Commando Cafe Racer dressed up as a #7 JPS Norton replica. The bike, we understand, pays homage to Grant's successes as a Norton factory rider (along with the likes of Peter Williams and Phil Read). He signed up in the 1970s, and he's maintained his association with the brand. He's currently working with Norton on its TT racing programme. But he wasn't exclusively a "Norton man". Grant also raced for Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki, and he's had his moments with Velocette and Yamaha. He's a 7 times TT winner, and he's a 3 times Grand Prix champion. More to the point, he's said to be a very nice bloke even if he hails from Yorkshire. 
▲ To many, Mick Grant is British motorcycle racing royalty. Here he is on another Norton touring his kingdom. Make sure you bow as he passes. Features of this replica motorcycle include Brembo brakes front and rear, a 43mm Ohlins inverted front fork, and Ohlins rear shock absorbers/dampers with remote reservoirs. The 961cc Commando engine is good for around 80bhp and churns out a claimed 66lbs-ft (90Nm) of torque. Only seven of these bikes are to be built, says Norton, and if you buy one, you get to tour the factory and shake hands with Mick Grant—and you get his moniker painted somewhere on the bike. There's no word on how many people have bought into this particular two-wheeled franchise. But Norton Motorcycles clearly thinks that the take-up could be very limited (follow this Mick Grant Norton Commando 961 link for a larger view). And here's a thought: the standard "designed and built in Britain" Norton Commando 961 costs around £16,000 (plus or minus a few bob), which begs the question of why this limited edition special (at just £18,000 or so) is not much more expensive. Is someone selling Mick Grant short? www.nortonmotorcycles.com — Sam 7 | 
December 2015 Classic Bike News Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister: 1945 - 2015 "Motorsport" CBE for John Surtees Rare Vincent 2-stroke Uniflow Engine Mick Grant replica 961 Norton racer Old Biker's Mantra T-shirt from Sump Evel Knievel's XL1000 movie bike H&H Chateau Impney Sale results Broughs of Bodmin Moor to sell Flying Tiger Moto Man poofy soap Petrol drops to £1 per litre Porsche Sunbeam S8 special to sell Ural gets on the scrambler trail Anthony Valentine: 1939 - 2015 Huge UK government tax disc loss Optimate 5 Voltmatic charger on test Watsonian Squire T100 sidecar Popular Sump features Bike guides and reviews (new stuff and classics)
BSA Golden Flash eBook. £4.99.
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