Mick Grant replica Norton21st December 2015 Commando | Cafe racer | 961 | #7 JPS ◄PREVIOUS STORY NEXT STORY► 
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 their 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. 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 its appeal is centred upon a single digit (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 NOTE: Follow this Mick Grant 961 Commando cafe racer link for more images ◄PREVIOUS STORY NEXT STORY► | 
