@Golgotha’s Norton post the other day got me reminiscing of some classics… like the black rotary F1 racers… and this bug-eyed beauty (I love the headlights)
The F1 racer was better looking than the above road going one... saw the team at Barbon hill climb, which was a bonus as I’d only gone to see Steve Burns and his “monster” Anyway, here’s the racer
It was awesome watching those at the TT. I was at Hilberry for the Hizzy/Foggy battle and the Norton exhaust was like looking into the fires of hell as he accelerated away from there
If any bike deserved to win on sound alone it was that Norton Rotary. I used to watch them at Donnington Park and they were worth the admission ticket alone.
Robert Dunlops bike too I put that very bike on a thread here somewhere, top 3 bikes money no object or something like that
Remember watching Steve Spray and Trevor Nation on them at Mallory Park. I wouldn't wanna be following them with those flames coming from their exhaust pipes which were red hot. Amazing bikes.
The police had these for a while in the 80's as the Norton Interpol and Interpol 2. When Norton started racing them there was much debate about wether they were 588 or 1176cc. I seem to remember Ron Haslam racing one at the TT some time in the late 80's - early 90's. http://www.policebikes.org.uk/nortoninterpol2.html
My brothers were both motorcycle patrol at one time and I know one of them frequently rode what was not very affectionately known as the "Interplod". I'm pretty sure that the force that they were in had significant problems with the Nortons and especially in the city as low speed fuelling was, allegedly, abysmal so any city work - which was MOST of their work - was not very pleasant. The rotary handled extremely well but, like most bikes 'converted' for Police or similar patrol use, the handling was hugely compromised by the windsail fairing and a mountain of equipment that was carried in the panniers along with the substantial weight of the radio gear on the rear carrier. I still wouldn't have liked to try to keep up with some of them, though - those guys had 'cajones muy grande' and could REALLY hustle a bike. The controversial subject of the displacement of the rotary engine remains uhmmmmm....... controversial. A single rotor engine is usually considered to develop roughly the same amount of power as a 'normal' 4 stroke engine of approximately twice the capacity.
I remember Peter Williams racing the JPS in the early / mid 70s,,great days. The transatlantic series etc,,
Don't forget his sidekick Dave Crashford (Croxford) a great entertainer. In my youf we used to go to the Brands transatlantic races, that was a great series seeing guys like Dave Aldana over here. It got snowed off once at Brands and it was a nightmare trying to find out if it was on or not. Cant remember the year, anyone ?
A riding buddy of mine, who passed away in 2017, still had a Dunstall Norton Commando from the early 70's, 1972 I think. He also had one of the first Honda CB750K1's, a Norton Dominator and another Norton in bits but not sure what that was. For the last almost 20 years of his riding life he rode '97 Fireblade. He bought the 750 Honda after getting fed up of blowing up and rebuilding his Norton!
I saw the same pair at Snetterton. I have a pic somewhere (film days) of Trevor Nation's bike with the winners laurels on it conveniently parked so everyone could get a good look at it and a piccie. Cracking day out too.
Here’s a couple of photos of the Norton, before it became the JPS, taken outside the Castle Mona hotel TT 1988. The 2nd picture has my T150 Trident in it. We stayed at the Sandringham hotel opposite the Mona that year.
That’s me first time out in Australia. Works Norton RCW588. Rode it through the streets of Adelaide CBD with the F1 cars. First time a works Norton had been rode in Australia.
