Remember the JPS rotaries?

[guest7]

I saw this clip mentioned in Classic Racer and thought I'd view it. It's as mental as they said, see the overtakes at 38 secs in:

[Mark]

I remember watching Trevor Nation riding these in the I.O.M.....if i got my facts right not being a racing fan.

[JOOLZ]

Those rotary Nortons were great

[johnr]

well, of course they were great. forget all the flannel about them being 588cc, that was just the patriotic acu categorising them to allow them to compete with a significant advantage, the simple truth is, using the correct way of assesing the capacity of a rotary engine, they were 1100cc, competing with 750's, corse they were great in that light. i tell you what though, if the rotarys had said honda on the tank, after their first race the acu would have said they were 1100's stunning bikes for all that, but lets not let all this rose tinted patriotism get us to far from reality!

[Richard]

Which may be taken as supporting my long held argument that we need to find an alternative way of measuring engines for competition other than cubic cc, far better to compare energy input to give alternative designs a chance, and enable racing to improve the breed.

[johnr]

possibly, but comparing energy input would most likely have pot the roatarys at a disadvantage to even the 1000 and 1100 conventional engines at the time, such was its thirst for hydrocarbons!

[Richard]

Hence a very inefficient engine.  I remember seeing gouts of flame coming from various orifices from said unburnt hydrocarbons.  Glorious sight.

Cubic Capacity just isn't enough any more, how in hell would we measure an electric bike, or a fuel cell one ?  It won't be long before the best electric bikes could compete with, say, 125's.  How are we going to handle that one ?

[Andy M]

Fat fingers! See below!

[Andy M]

Cubic Capacity just isn't enough any more, how in hell would we measure an electric bike, or a fuel cell one ?  It won't be long before the best electric bikes could compete with, say, 125's.  How are we going to handle that one ?

Capacity is a joke, you might as well say they must all be painted red.

Plan B depends what you want. If it's a test of riders, issue a bike from a central pool with the engine electronically detuned to give each combination of bike and rider the same power to weight ratio (or sit them in front of a games console). If you want development give them each a jerry can of supermarket unleaded, tell them to do X-laps and leave them to it. The electric bike people can use their petrol for the post-race BBQ.

The place that does my sidecar MOT in Leeds is the biggest stockist or Rotary bits in the country. Even they say the Wankel was a gimmick. Uses oil like a 2-stroke apparently but rides a bit like one too. Now an 1100cc stroker, that's going to make you smile.

Andy

[JOOLZ]

Yes unfortunately its true a rotary engine should measure all sides of the rotor to get the correct capacity and they are not very fuel efficient, run extremely hot and I cant stand the sound they make. Those JPS Nortons really stir the patriotic blood

[Steve Lake]

Lovely... I don't give a stuff for all this CC bol*ocks, I was there with #1 Son.... it was an f**kin Great afternoon.... seeing them 2 nortons accelerating from the esses up the start finish straight was just stupendous.... i'd love to see the new norton racer have a similar success

[themoudie]

The DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When they came to Knockhill, they were an absolute treat. Mono-wheeling from the hairpin (Taylor's), up the start/finish straight and finally trying to sort everything out for the right hand dive down Duffus Dip and then left and right to crank it round MacIntyres.

Spray and Nation climbing all over them, trying to keep them heading in the right direction. Combined with the flame thrower exhaust and a banshee exhaust, just what the punters love! 

Most years the Rotaries have been turning up at the Bob Mac meeting at East Fortune, East Lothian. 16th - 17th June this year. Just for a wee canter/parade, but still good to watch.

Whispering BSB and Supersport 600, not a patch! 

Bill.

[guest146]

I was at the Donnington GP when Ron Haslam rode one in as a one off I think he came 14th.
They were great days Nation and Was it ian Simson and then it was Haslam and Robert Dunlop.

You guys should go to the 1000 bikes and see about 12 of them including the Crighton ones out together.

Ken

[guest564]

I was at Snetterton when the Norton was out for its second meeting. They ran it in the Battle of the Twins and a couple of other races -it went past my XBR like I was stationary and it was misfiring on one chamber all the way down the straight!

[Ian]

Article  in the June Issue of Classic Bike with a strip down of the Norton Rotary and " How it won the 1992 Senior TT"