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Norton Rotary Development (4): Norton
Prototypes
We must assume that development in the years
up to 1978 used the P39Mk1 prototypes, as the bike that came in 1979 was
in many respects a totally new concept that broke with the
"established practice" up to now. Obviously, BSA/Triumph had
merged in a "reverse takeover" shotgun wedding with
Norton, and tiny Norton faultered under the heavy load that the bankrupt
giant on its shoulders represented. The only good thing the giant had to
offer was the rotary motorcycle development. This was seen as an elegant
way out of the rat race of the industry greats, utilizing a high-price,
highly individual niche for the marketing of future Nortons. This explains why Dennis Poore, the head of Manganeze Bronce, supported the
Norton Rotary motorcycle development for nearly a decade.
The new bike was designed with a view to marketing a production ready
motorcycle. It used a right-hand primary drive with Commando Mk3 type hydraulic
primary chain tensioners; an improved 5-speed Triumph T140 gearbox; a
box-section frame doubling as airbox and oil tank; and used many
bought-in components that could be purchased as and when needed.
According to reliable sources 25 sets of components were purchased and a
number of bikes built. The only one surviving in the form pictured here
was the legendary "Cooke Neilsen", named after the man destined
to road test it as a worldwide first- Cooke was editor of "Cycle
World". However, in a last-minute change of mind the market entry was
stopped and the road test never was. There was even publicity material
already manufactured, that could be found in a certain corner of the
Norton spares stores years later and sometimes mysteriously found its way out of the
Norton factory!
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But for the one
"Cooke Neilsen" that was to remain in this form destined
for a later works museum- that never was-, all other bikes built
were converted, mostly to a "Mark 1" version of the later
"Interpol II" (P42). Why this bike was stamped
"P39", the same as the BSA/Triumph Oil-in-Frame bike, is
one of the mysteries of Norton Rotary prototype history. The
original Cooke Neilsen is now, too, with that private German
collector, as the NMM declined to buy it....... |
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