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P41 Interpol II 1985-1989
The Interpol II was a development from the
few P39 "Cooke Neilsen" type prototypes that had been converted
to a prototype Police specification, utilizing a BMW "RT" type
front fairing and the typical Craven pannier Police equipment known from
the old "Interpol" Commandos. These bikes had been loaned to
some local police forces and had served to iron out bugs in the
development that were not aparent to experienced motorcycle testers, but were to
become obvious in the not-so-caring, not-so-knowledgeable hands of the average police
patrolman. The main difference to the "Cooke Neilsen Interpol"
type lay in the new tank/seat units, and in
motor management- the electronic ignition now switching from the in-house
"Sparkrite"-system to Boyer Bransden. The "single rotor
idle" tickover system switching one carburettor off for a slow
tickover gave way to a new ignition curve that made slow tickover possible with a
heavier flywheel. As Ernie Bransden once complained to the author
"They wanted it to run like a tractor at tickover"- which meant
he had to take the full advance the engine needed for starting back to
full retard immediately for low reves, then advancing rapidly again, which
makes for a highly original advance/retard curve!
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There were several stories
why the BMW fairing was copied- to "disguise it in the early
stages of testing", to "make an assembly of police bikes,
part BMW, part Norton, look homogenous"- we suspect it was
first used on prototypes because it worked and was available, and
then Norton stuck to it until they did their own on the
"Commander". Police equipment hung off the bike in
bolted-on, afterthought-resembling lumps as on the "Commando
Interpol" of old- again, this was taken at least a full generation
forward on the "Commander". |
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