Norton Classic
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| Manufacturer | Norton Motorcycle Company |
|---|---|
| Also called | P43 |
| Production | 1987 |
| Engine | 588 cc (35.9 cu in) air-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine |
| Transmission | duplex primary chain, 5-ratio gearbox, single-row final drive chain |
| Wheelbase | 1,486 mm (58.5 in) |
| Related | Norton Interpol 2, Norton F1, Norton Commander |
The Norton Classic is a rotary-engined motorcycle built in 1987 by Norton as a special edition of just 100 machines.
The Classic used an air-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine that had been developed by David Garside at BSA's Umberslade Hall research facility. Garside, who had been impressed by the air-cooled single-rotor Fichtel & Sachs engine in the Hercules motorcycle, installed a bought-in F&S engine into a BSA B25 'Starfire' frame as a "proof of concept". This proved reliable and smooth, but under-powered. Garside then created a prototype twin-rotor engine (with F&S rotors) which doubled the capacity of the earlier test "mule". This twin-rotor engine was installed in a BSA A65 frame.
Wankel engines run very hot, so Garside gave this air-cooled motor additional interior air-cooling. Air was drawn through a forward-facing filter situated to provide a ram air effect. This air passed through the interior of the rotors and then into a large pressed-steel plenum before entering the combustion chambers via twin carburettors. The plenum (which doubled as the bike's semi-monocoque frame) enabled the transfer of much of the heat to the surrounding atmosphere. The carburation process further reduced temperatures via the heat of evaporation. Even so, at 50 °C the fuel-air mixture was still hotter than ideal, and the engine's volumetric efficiency remained somewhat impaired The eccentric shaft's main bearings and the inlet manifolds were fed by oil-injection lubrication, and the fuel-air mix also carried residual mist of oil from the interior of the rotors, which helped to lubricate the rotor tips.
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