Other Rotary Power, Norton Motorcycles

[Norton]

Hi, i found this site while looking on the web for a picture of a 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport and i noticed that your 'Other Rotarys' section didnt have any pictures of Norton motorcycles on so i thought id put a picture of my bike on here thinking it might possibly be of interest to some of you. It started life as a 1984 Norton Interpol 2 police bike (one of only 360 built) but has been considerably visually altered since. I hope you dont mind me putting this on your car site.

[Norton]

This is the engine that the Norton was developed from, the 294cc single rotor DKW 2000 Hercules. The Norton is a 294x2=588cc twin rotor.

[Norton]

One more... this is the rare Norton F1/ F1 sport. Only around 210 were built between 1990 - 1992. It is a road going 'replica' of the very successful race bikes on which Steve Spray won the 1989 British Formula 1 title, Steve Hislop won the 1992 Isle of Man F1 race and Ian Simpson won the 1994 F1 title.

[Glenn Butcher]

Excellent stuff!

Please keep the information/pics. coming, I find these bikes fascinating.

I would love to hear a race version going.

Any idea what rpm they rev to?

[clive]

Thanks for posting these pics as we have people in the Club that like all things Rotary and along with myself find other Rotary's interesting

[any more pics of other stuff]

[Carl]

Originally posted by gbutcher
Excellent stuff!

Please keep the information/pics. coming, I find these bikes fascinating.

I would love to hear a race version going.

Any idea what rpm they rev to?

About 11500 revs Glen,
I have the video of the Norton rotary winning the Isle of Man TT and the on bike footage is amazing,you can see the rev counter.

Thanks for putting that stuff up about the Norton rotaries,NORTON?.
Kind regards
Carl

[Martiny]

Did you mean ROTON, Carl?

Yes, its wonderful to see this pics, I thought we would have far more posts from Norton owners, where are they all?

Surely we are going to invite them to Brooklands, and especially ROTORSTOCK?

On another note, any Rotary engined aircraft owners in the UK?

[Dan Norton]

I remember watching ian simpson win the british superbike championship when i was 14 years old.

I'm a big big bike fan, and jus before christmas, the guy who owns the national motorcycle museum bought the last 3 race norton f1's to start to rebuild the collection after the place burnt down.

Ian simpsons bike fetched 42,000 quid:eek: , the others was a spare bike and a non running show bike.

The auction was for Norton's remains from the old factory.

Dan!!..... with quite an appropriate surname:cool

[Norton]

Blimey... thanks very much for the warm welcome.
Us Norton Rotary Owners are alive and well. There are two clubs for us in the U.K. (in addition to the Norton Owners Club), one is called the Norton Rotary Enthusiasts Club and the other is the Rotary Owners Club which is not just for Nortons. I think i have seen a previous invite to Brooklands in one or other of the club magazines. The NREC hold a Rotary Day at Stanford Hall and in 2003 we were joined by five RX7s from the owners club. This will be on Sunday July 4th in 2004.
For anyone interested in the racing side i can highly recommend the JPS Norton website, http://www.jpsnorton.co.uk
Also we have recently started up a forum, http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/nortonrotary

Oh well, if the moderators say its ok i will use up a bit more of your web space... heres a picture of a friends Norton Rotary Streetfighter Special

[Norton]

Originally posted by gbutcher
I would love to hear a race version going.
They sound awesome!
I remember a while back i had a motoring channel on, on the telly, but i wasnt watching it. Suddenly there was the unmistakable sound of the Norton Rotary race bike, i looked up and to my great suprise it was in fact a Mazda drag race car, it sounded exactly the same.
The early air cooled 588cc race bikes made about 135bhp and by the end the water cooled bikes were close to 160bhp. Another picture coming up... ex- Steve Spray JPS Norton race bike. This particular bike now resides in Australia...

[Norton]

Originally posted by Martiny
On another note, any Rotary engined aircraft owners in the UK?
The Norton 588cc engine lives on in fuel injected 110bhp aero engine form manufactured by Mid West.
The bikes in the picture are a DKW and a Norton Commander.

[MikeLMR]

Originally posted by gbutcher
I would love to hear a race version going.

There are some vids on that JPS site quoted above ... the flames out the exhaust are superb !


Welcome Norton :wave

[spondonash]

Not strictly true, the bike that Steve Hislop won the Isle of Man on was a Harris framed bike and was very different to the Spondon framed earlier bikes including the F1 road bike. :-)

Originally posted by Norton
One more... this is the rare Norton F1/ F1 sport. Only around 210 were built between 1990 - 1992. It is a road going 'replica' of the very successful race bikes on which Steve Spray won the 1989 British Formula 1 title, Steve Hislop won the 1992 Isle of Man F1 race and Ian Simpson won the 1994 F1 title.

[spondonash]

It's nice to see my race bike getting around the web, my bikes photos turn up in the most unlikely places sometimes :-)
I still have plans for a Mazda engined bike someday, I wonder if it is possible ?

Originally posted by Norton
They sound awesome!
I remember a while back i had a motoring channel on, on the telly, but i wasnt watching it. Suddenly there was the unmistakable sound of the Norton Rotary race bike, i looked up and to my great suprise it was in fact a Mazda drag race car, it sounded exactly the same.
The early air cooled 588cc race bikes made about 135bhp and by the end the water cooled bikes were close to 160bhp. Another picture coming up...

[clive]

We were lucky enough to have Les Bensley and his mate of the Suzuki Owners Club turn up at Brooklands in 2003

( see events attended for Bike pics )

lf we can get enough Bikes along l would love to see a special stand set up at Rotorstock but we would need an idea of numbers attending.

Just maybe The NREC would like to hold their Rotary Day with us at Rotorstock ?
just thinking out loud!

__________________

[Martiny]

"Oh well, if the moderators say its ok i will use up a bit more of your web space"

Ok, lets get the Moderator to say its not only Ok, its bleedin' Fantastic!

What's happened to Mid West, I regularly check the Website, but it never seems to be updated :-(((


Clive, can I think aloud, too? How about a Rotary Engined Aircraft flypast? I think the yanks have managed it in the past.

[Carl]

And Rolls Royce should bring a couple of their rotry engined Tanks along,
They could do the fire work display at the end of the day.
We could end with a bang!

On a more serious note it would be REALLY great if the Norton Rotary Owners club could come along,I bet they ought to be pretty quick up the 1/4 mile too!
Kind regards
Carl

[20B_boy]

Originally posted by Martiny
to Mid West, I regularly check the Website, but it never seems to be updated :-(((
My dad flys microlights and hassing a passing interest in the rotary power options. I showed him this thread last night; he seemed to think that Mid-West were based in Bristol? and that they were relocating their factory to some where in germany?? Dunno how correct this is, he gets all the ML and pilot maggies and spends nearly as much time on the internet as I do so I imagine its not made up...any one??

[clive]

Hi Rich,


Mid-West relocated around 3 years ago so we haven't much chance of their involvement unless they fly something across !,
please all feel free to invite ANY type of Rotary to Rotorstock and we will run a special non Mazda show area big enough to take a Tank if need be!.

[Norton]

Originally posted by clive
lf we can get enough Bikes along l would love to see a special stand set up at Rotorstock but we would need an idea of numbers attending.
Just maybe The NREC would like to hold their Rotary Day with us at Rotorstock ? just thinking out loud!
Thanks Clive, ive posted it up on the Norton Rotary forum, will let you know what response there is.
I think it is probably too late to move the NREC Rotary Day for this year but it would certainly be an interesting idea for next year. Do you know Alan of the NREC and have his contact details? Likewise, David of the ROC?

[Rota_Motor]

wow, does anyone know a website where I can get some real good info about the norton rotorbikes?

I stumbled across them one day when browsing online, and I decided I would like one, but I gather they are hard to find in the UK let alone finding one downunder :(

oh and someone mentioned building a mazda powered rotary bike, I have seen a few, but they are sand drag bikes :) have seen I think a 13BT sand dragger, and a supercharged 12A methanol normal drag bike, top fuel style.

[spondonash]

There aren't that many Norton sites unfortunately, www.jpsnorton.com is just devoted to the race bikes. There is very little information available for them online.
I have a couple of them here in Australia and you are right they are pretty few and far between over here, where are you located ? It was me that mentioned building a Mazda engined bike, I reckon it would be a blast but I'm not sure how good you could make the engine look in a bike and what to do about a gearbox, one day maybe.

Originally posted by Rota_Motor
wow, does anyone know a website where I can get some real good info about the norton rotorbikes?

I stumbled across them one day when browsing online, and I decided I would like one, but I gather they are hard to find in the UK let alone finding one downunder :(

oh and someone mentioned building a mazda powered rotary bike, I have seen a few, but they are sand drag bikes :) have seen I think a 13BT sand dragger, and a supercharged 12A methanol normal drag bike, top fuel style.

[Norton]

Originally posted by Rota_Motor
wow, does anyone know a website where I can get some real good info about the norton rotorbikes?
I gather they are hard to find in the UK let alone finding one downunder
NO! & YES! As Ashley said theres not much on the web and they are rare. Only around 975 road bikes were built (figures vary).
1982-1987 Interpol 2 x360 built for the UK Police, M.O.D. & R.A.C.
1987 Classic x105 built. The first civilian model.
1987-1992 Commander x240 built, some for Police, some civilian.
1992 Commander Krauser x60 built (detachable panniers model).
1990-1992 Norton F1 x140 built. Cost 12,700 UK pounds new.
1992 F1 Sport x70 built. Slightly different bodywork to the F1.

[Norton]

The 1987 Classic

[Norton]

x3 White Interpol 2s, Turquoise Commander Krauser, F1 Sport, Red Commander Krauser and an F1.

[Norton]

White Interpol 2s, My modified Interpol 2 (Black), Grey Commander, F1 Sport and Green Commander.

[Rota_Motor]

hey spondonash, I am in adelaide, so a fair way away from you up in brisbane :(

I love all the info I can find about any rotor powered vehicles, and I didnt even know of any late model rotorbikes, only the RE5 and the hercules, that all were put to rest not long after they were concieved, but then I found these nortons, such a pity they arent still made :(

also cant really remember how the trans was setup on the mazda powered bikes I have seen, although I do remember they are belt driven from the crank, not direct drive.

anyways these norton bikes rate right up there in my wants, it seems want just about any early rotor thing, 110S, R130 mazdas, and would be good if i could find a citroen rotor, or the russian lada rotarys...

anyway, enough for now, loving the pics of nortons in this thread.
if anyone hears of one for sale in adelaide australia, let me know. and I guess I will have to get my bike license then.

[Norton]

Hi folks... Having read a 'tutorial' on my internet suppliers site on how to write html code i thought id have a go, the results can be seen at...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/derek.nicol/

[Norton]

Click here for Norton Rotary sounds mp3 (http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Sounds/Norton%20Rotary.mp3)

Click here for Norton Motors web site (http://www.nortonmotors.co.uk/)

Click here for Rotary (Motorcycle) Owners Club (http://www.rotaryownersclub.co.uk/)

Click here for current Norton Rotary engine production - unmanned aircraft (http://www.uavenginesltd.co.uk/)

Click here for current Norton Rotary engine production - manned aircraft (http://www.diamond-air.at/en/index.htm)

[Norton]

Re: the manned aircraft link... its not easy to find the bit about the rotary engined version, so this is what it says...

New Version of Katana
The Katana will now be equipped with the 110-HP Wankel engine. This engine, formerly made by Midwest, has belonged to the Diamond Group for some time and is now called the Diamond ENGINES. The airframe, based on the DA20-C1, has a single :censored::censored::censored::censored:pit, is equipped with a COM NAV and fixed-pitch propeller as standard equipment and will be certified next year. In terms of operating costs, the 3,000-euro basic overhaul is extremely favorable, due to the small number of parts that need to be replaced. The aircraft is to be operated with 90 or 95 octane aviation gas.

[Norton]

Happy Birthday to my bike
squashed tomatoes and stew
you look like a Norton Rotary
and you act like one too
:D

Happy 21st Birthday to my Norton 01/04/05

[Norton]

This very tasty Norton F1 'Sport' has just been rebuilt by Norton Motors at Rugeley, Staffs complete with a twin headlight fairing.... v.v.nice!!

[Norton]

A fully restored Interpol 2 showing how they looked before they were civilianised...

[Norton]

Another F1 sport...