Under Dennis Poore's leadership, Norton licenses the Wankel design.
Along with most of the automobile industry, BSA was convinced that the Wankel was the engine of the future. So sure in fact, that in 1969 they hired engineer David Garside to begin exploration of Wankel engines for motorcycles. Garside's small band of engine-minded freaks began experimenting with a Fitchel and Sachs single-rotor engine, and with changes to the intake system, gained a mind-blowing 85% more power, to 32 hp. Suddenly the experimental engine looked appealing. But, economic catastrophe at BSA meant that development was put on a back burner. BSA was pronounced dead in 1973 and the British government formed NVT - Norton-Villiers-Triumph...BSA was dropped from the title.
The Wankel rotary engine is one of the greatest near-misses of 20th century engineering. It promised to revolutionize the bikes we rode and cars we drove, but despite decades of work never quite overcame the problems that prevented it from becoming a mainstream hit.
The basic idea of the Wankel is getting rid of all the reciprocating parts of a normal engine – pistons, rods, valves – and replacing them with a design that does the same sequence using purely rotating parts is mind-twisting, but brilliant. Sadly it’s a genius that’s snafued by a couple of flaws, which have effectively ended its challenge to conventional piston engines.
Norton would spend most of the 1970's dicking around with prototype rotary-powered bikes, it wasn't until took until 1984 before it would set the machine shop to gear up production, the 'P42'. Alas, the 'P42' model was never sold to the public. Norton's first production Wankel would be known as the Interpol II. But you still couldn’t actually buy one. Not unless you were a police force or breakdown service, that is.
Norton had a long history of supplying bikes to the police, with the original Interpol Commando built from 1970-77. The Interpol II used Norton's well-developed 588cc air-cooled twin-rotor engine gave 85hp, and was in production from 1984-89, with only around 350 ever built.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
Norton would spend most of the 1970's dicking around with prototype rotary-powered bikes, it wasn't until took until 1984 before it would set the machine shop to gear up production, the 'P42'. Alas, the 'P42' model was never sold to the public. Norton's first production Wankel would be known as the Interpol II. But you still couldn’t actually buy one. Not unless you were a police force or breakdown service, that is.
Norton had a long history of supplying bikes to the police, with the original Interpol Commando built from 1970-77. The Interpol II used Norton's well-developed 588cc air-cooled twin-rotor engine gave 85hp, and was in production from 1984-89, with only around 350 ever built.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
