Theres not a huge amount of coverage on this bike despite its impressive performance and usage, like on the isle of man. thanks for taking the time to make this.
@@micahshelton5723 *ROB DAHM!!!!* *The Clickbait King of the Rotards???* The Coked-out Florida drug dealer that sells Tee shirts with his name all over them and claims to be a software engineer??? Rob Dahm the ass clown that pays other people to build his shit and then it blows up??? The Rob Dahm that posts drunk videos about how great it is to mix Cocaine with Adderall??? *That Rob Dahm?????*
@@jijisniet Ford, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Curtiss-Wright, Toyota, Honda, OMC, American Motors, Deutz, Ingersoll-Rand, Alfa Romeo, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Yanmar, Lycoming, John Deere. NASA, The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy..
I remember watching Ron Haslam racing a JPS Norton Rotary, the exhaust pipe was glowing a dull Red ( awesome ). It was rapid on the straight but the piston engine bikes caught up on the corners due to the Norton having to rely on brakes alone ( not a combination of brakes and engine ) to slow down, once out of the corners the Norton left them for dead... amazing engineering and amazing exhaust sound...Great upload VisioRacer, thank You.
The 1990 Isle of Man TT footage with the Norton F1s passing through the narrow tracks is, without a lack of a better word, PURE EARGASM. Also, what a good research for this video! I didn’t know the Norton rotaries were inspired by both Rolls-Royce and Sachs units, and its heritage still lives on to this day under Rotron! Glad to know that there’s more than just Mazda and LiquidPiston actively developing rotary engines.
@@fidelcatsro6948 Wasn't just about the emissions too. Electric power (brushless motor technology, not battery or the charging tech) is already WAY more efficient today in terms of performance and mileage compared to an internal combustion engine and I expect it to improve quicker in the future. However, while I'm still alive I'll be cherishing the internal combustion engine as long as possible, especially rotary engines. Mazda recently patented a three-rotor sports car design with hybrid assist, to which I'll gladly take that knowing I could have the option to hear the braps.
@@Nafeels electric is far from being efficient or effective as IC engines, atleast at the moment. You might live in a place where the conditions favour the batteries but where I live, dust and heat are causing batteries to blow and not to mention the fuel economy and the practicality. Also remember we're still getting a major part of our electricity from fossils, so we're aren't as clean as we think we are. IC's will be here for the next 50 years.
@@Nafeels you fail to take into account that the problem with EV is not electric motor but battery technology. manufacturing batteries is highly polluting process. not to mention that batteries onoy have life of 8 years or even less if you are making miles above 100k miles. city dwellers who like to change cars every 5 years, with good access to electric charging points will be satisfied with EVs.
One Norton rotary was said to have been fitted to an Austin Metro from 1981-1983, the car was demonstrated to Austin Rover who lost interest when they found it out-accelerated their MG Metro Turbo. However from Oliver Winterbottom's book A Life in Car Design, the above was likely connected with a project between Norton and Lotus known as Project Nora for a Norton rotary-engine coupe around the same period that amounted to nothing when it became apparent the rotary engine was not ready for automotive use.
There's actually a good amount of small rotary engines that got stuffed into things like these bikes. Iv also seen single rotor golf carts and a few other things. People use these engines for little swaps. Fun stuff 🤙
Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. It always blows my mind how you are able to source information on sometimes obscure power plants and present it concisely…thank you!
Oh wow, I remember the noise the JPS beasts used to make, a couple of them were brought to a track near me to show them off at a sidecar racing weekend when I was a kid. I swear you could hear the riders screaming as they went past 🤣
Amazing to see this lecture on Norton's rotary engine, I would love to see it coming back again into the bike competition world,I mean just the sound alone makes it to be so desirable 👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻.
Looked for 22 years for a low miles DKW W2000 rotatory found a Hercules with 1,400 miles rusty tank and chrome but not a mark in the rotor housing. 100 hrs of renovation later back to factory spec I use it loads its a bloody hoot to ride.
@@madb132 I believe that was to considered opinion of the W2000 capacity. DKW called it the W2000 as they beloved by the year 2000 every bike would be a Wankle
@@slartybartfarst9737 Not seen one for years They handled really well from what I recall , last time i ridden one. Hope you're enjoying yours to the full. Can't be many left.
@@madb132 Yea it handles real good but Cerini front and rear bouncy bits Grimicia disc brake means its still good for today. Problem I have is getting to talk with thats ridden one. I rebuilt mine and refurbed the carb, it had a corroded needle jet. It fired up almost first try blew smoke to fill the street and has been dead reliable ever since but its always hunted or surged on low throttle openings. Anything below 50mph in top does not put enough load on the engine for the throttle to be open more than an 1/8th and the bike is 4 stroking and surging, the lower the speed/smaller the throttle opening the more it does it. Its like an old BSA Bantam on part throttle. Can you remember if the bike you rode did the same or if it was managable on very small throttle openings?
@@slartybartfarst9737 It was the very same reason rode it. the owner asked me to take it for a ride and if I could fix it. Got it running better but wasn't quite perfect but he was pleased. Played with different carbs from my vague memory can recall. Today tho i would be tempted to go FI. Have you had the carb ultrasonic cleaned? complete strip and then have it done. twice if need be. renew all parts with new. should run better. when I rid 2 strokes I always rid with the throttle partially open , hard habit to break as i still do it now!
National motorcycle museum in the UK has probably the most comprehensive Norton collection in the world. Not to mention the hundreds of other brand British bikes.
I have always loved & believed that the Wankel design would 1 day become a great platform, it would just take time to sort out its limitations. This 700cc version sounds very promising- I hope that technology is expanded upon soon. A rotary seems like a perfect match for Moto-GP & Superbike racing.
I remember Steve spray and Trevor Nation racing the Norton rotaries! They went up against 500 cc two strokes on the full GP circuit at Brands Hatch. That was definitely one of the best eras of bike racing, the sound those rotaries made flat out was something else! Such good memories!
There's a guy called Mad Mike Widette who's trying his hardest mate, give him and his 4-rotar mazdas a look 👀 he's made the best little drift cars, and thats quite a statement! I noticed his kid has nicked his mx5 drift car and is learning how to drift too, some wholesome family driving content there too 😊
The 1970's were filled with "energy scandals" which forced manufacturers to do things that set them way back, or put them out of business. There was no stinking oil shortage or energy shortage. It was forced by globalists.
@@Toxic88088 yeah I should have tacked Rob on as well, he makes great motors a lot of the fun mechanical parts 🙂 it's just mad Mike drifting quite literally backwards into corners kinda grabs all my attention! There's also a really good ancient police video floating around somewhere of a random Aussie pulled over with a blinged out classic 6-rotar mazda estate, poor guy thinks he's getting a ticket, really its just a couple of car mad cops wanting a better look at his car! I think Mike was making something similar for himself.... but just a cruiser, not a drifter :)
I remember being amazed when I moved to the UK as a 16yo car nerd and finding out the UK police bikes were rotor motors. The constant complaints were in the media all the time. Having cone from Oz where all the police bikes were BMW k100 and super reliable I was amazed they persisted with it. Clearly I wasn’t a rotary fan at the time.
@@carolrowley9868 Watched it and WOW,those Norton's are MOVING!!! A racetrack is pretty much the only place where a rotary-engine shines!!! High-rpm's along with high-speeds!!! Thanks for your comment.
The displacement of 588cc isn't really true. In reality, engineers don't agree on how to calculate the displacement of a Wankel. While some would say the Norton was 588cc, many would say it was really 1764cc. It all depends on how many chambers in the rotor housing you measure. Certainly its fuel consumption was equivalent to a 1.8L engine.
There was a stunningly accurate replica built in Australia back in the early 1990s. It may still be floating around. And yes, it ran a modified Norton Rotary built as close to spec as possible. Norton were very reluctant to provide any assistance, so the builder had to work everything out himself. From what I read at the time, his lack of data relating to the intake manifold length led to superior results over the original engine once he had the length dialled in. Karma, eh?
I did not take into account the fact that 0 °C does not equal 0 °F, but rather 32 °F. Since I am used to a freezing point being zero degrees, it completely slipped my mind when converting into Fahrenheit.
@@VisioRacer I just thought I would let you know. I really appreciate the technical insight you communicate in your videos. Thank you for all the effort! Greetings from Austria.
Ahh yes like it was yesterday. Trevor nation and Steve spray side by side across the line at Donnington. Ohh the JPS Nortons. I was lucky enough to be on the pit wall. 2 wheeled memories for life my little Castrol r lovers. Be good to one another. Always think bike.🏁🏁🇬🇧
Maybe it is nice to know that Midwest developed the Norton 294cc wankel single rotor into a certified aircraft engine. The AE-50R. Most of the Norton technology was still used. My glider, a Alexander Schleicher ASH-26E, has one installed. Rated 50 hp at 7400 rpm. Beginning of the 90s, Midwest was taken over by Austro Engines, who developed this further into a fuel injected variant which is still in use as glider powerplant. Look up ASH-21 Mi, ASH-31 Mi and ASH-32 Mi. At Austro there were even developments of more powerful versions but they never made it into airplanes..
Math error at 3:39 - a drop in temperature by 20°C is a 36°F drop, not a 68°F drop. The math for temperature difference conversion is just F = C * 1.8. There's no offset by 32° since it's only measuring relative drop, not an absolute measurement. This proves itself when you compare a drop from 50°C to 30°C (-20°C), which is 122°F to 86°F (-36°F).
@@VisioRacer no worries! Great content as always! When measuring absolute temperature, 20°C is 68°F. Most websites that convert temperature assume that's what you mean.
Thanks for letting us know about this! I never knew they even exist, it's absolutely incredible why's that they never sold well, i suppose they were too far ahead of their time! It's a real shame they didn't get the proper recognition, but again, wrong country, UK is all about those clasic thumpers, brain shaking out of the skull type of tractor bikes...
@goinghomesomeday1 yeah, i have a thumper myself right now, haha, but I've once driven hard, one healthy Rx8 and never recovered after that experience... Cars or whatever other than motorcycles are absolutely wrong with that concept, but wrenching on it, off a bike, is absolutely desired, at least for some of us...
The rotary engine just isn't as good as a piston engine in the vast majority of applications. They have a total loss lubrication system so they pollute badly and there's no way around it. The apex seals fail early and the fuel consumption is bad. The only application for them is where power to weight ratio outweighs these many problems.
"water cooling was proposed but allegedly would not be well receibed by customers" Customers: yes we want out engines to overheat and burn, fuck cooling.
1:20. The engine shown there is NOT the Rolls-Royce wankel. It is the John Deere SCORE 580 2-rotor engine, which was designed in the mid-1980's. As a young mechanical engineer I participated in the development of that engine. The Rolls-Royce wankel was an engine with 2-stage compression, and true compression ignition. The Deere engine was low compression with spark-assisted ignition. Other than that minor point, marvelous video! There will always be a place in my heart for wankel engines, and the people who create them.
IIRC, Trevor Nation was interviewed after winning one race on the RCW588, and said "It's such a quick bike that they could have put any competent rookie rider on it and it would STILL have come in first. The first place of any competition this bike enters is pretty much already in the bag. The REAL race is for who comes in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th". From what I remember in bike magazines back then, It was only really allowed in the 500/600CC class because in a few EU countries at the time, for racing purposes, the capacity of a Wankel was calculated as only ONE combustion chamber volume multiplied by the number of rotors (rather than the more usual 1.5 combustion chamber volumes). In most other countries it would have been getting trounced in 900CC+ race categories.
They should make a series of 1, 2, and 3-rotor motorcycles that are between 50-70hp per rotor depending on the state of tune and supposed chassis they're going in. That alone would give them a whole lineup of bikes they could make in every segment and for every rider skill level. I'd like a 2 rotor version placed in something like an AAR Alligator chassis with Robert Horn's Virtual Hub Center front end. Either that or the least powerful 3 rotor version purely for the sound of a 3 rotor.
Well, the thing is that yes, I was running out of ideas and could not think about an interesting compilation. Not sure how this concept came to my mind, but I love it, digging the information and creating kind of a document or a story. Thank you
@@VisioRacer it really doesn’t matter what you put out I will still watch. Your commentary and production quality get better with every video. I have watched all your videos at least twice so nothing you make will ever be boring
Sachs KM-914 had two versions, stationary engine and snowmobile engine, both 303 cc per chamber, from a Rotor slightly larger than 294 cc Rotor in KM-24 and KC-27. The gains from a more complex and elaborated Rotor recess in Aixro, charge Cooled Rotor, liquid cooled housing kart and parapente and ultralight airplane engine are impressive. Austro had also gains by adopting the Rotor recess shape of early Yanmar Diesel Wankel. Wankel Rotary Engine still has a lot to say. Who'll have last laugh? Gesund +
very interesting, I never knew this much testing went into a rotary motorcycle I used to have an 04 rx8 manual and it did lack torque so I always said with the rotary advantages of smoothness and light weight it would be better in the lightest vehicle possible such as a bike or the Miata and that the rx8 would've been better with a 4 banger and skinny tires like what they did with the FRS/BRZ.. wonder why they didn't consider forced induction with the early Norton when trying to increase power numbers, assuming the tech wasn't really there yet plus longevity was also already an issue.. anyways I'd love to experience a modern rotary sport bike, mayb they could incorporate some carbon fiber internals somehow
Better than the Suzuki RE5? Suzuki still had engines for the RE5 in stock In some of its warehouses in the US as of six years ago I remember a controversy about the Norton rotary when it was competing in road racing. The officials did not know whether declare it a 500 mL or a 1500 mL engine because of the three sided rotor. I’m not sure about the initial displacement but it was an issue
I have had 2 of them a p41/42 ex police bike I build ad a cafe racer and still got a F1. These engines are so amazing, but people don't believe in them. Brian Crighton got 200+ hp out the old 588 design and have continued. It died to death after FIA (officially) banned them yes, unofficially tho, a lot of money was payed to FIA people from everyone who didnt have wankel race engines (read everyone but Norton and Mazda). I could go on forever on these engines !!!! Sorry for the edits, I have the whole history of the Nortons and all the different people fighting to get from my brain to my keyboard 🤣
I had no idea this even existed. If the oil consumption problem of rotaries is fixed on this engine, is there an emission or efficiency problem? Is it still too complex and expensive to compete with pistons?
It was junk when Wankel designed it, but you have to remember 2 strokes were still street marketable back in the day.....A tuned Kawasaki triple would wipe the floor with it, and not need an edge sealing refresh. True story......I was a mechanic at a Honda-Kawasaki-Suzuki dealership in the early '80's, and this cat came in to pick up his Suzuki Wankel that was there for a new tire. He came in just before closing, so we fished it out and rolled it onto the sidewalk by the parts door. Swear to god, he started it up, and went inside to pay the bill. I walked out after punching my time card to get in my car.....the thing was spewing coolant everywhere so I stood a second to see......He came out and said...."She does that sometimes".....still makes me laugh to tears....
The Wankel was and always will be an engine that never deserved the light of day. Fundamentally flawed in so many ways, the most import being a terrible shape combustion chamber that would never burn the fuel properly..
Great video. Fascinated by this design since I was a teen. Always thought the Wankel shouldn't work. So I got my self a Norton Commander. It works so well. Pulls from less than 1000 rpm, uncannily smooth, brilliant fairing and comfortable. Weakest aspect front brakes and forks as supplied by Yamaha (XJ900). Fuel consumption the same as my 1100 Guzzi Breva and as fast.
Gotta say the smoothness is very alluring, however going forward an electric motor can give some of the benifits as well. I'm not 100 percent convinced on electric yet but there's plenty of development yet to go.
The end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s really was the golden age of the Wankel, both on track and on the streets... with the wins of Norton and Mazda (you can't really do better than the Isle of Man TT and the 24 Hours of Le Mans can you), and the best rotary motorcycles by Norton for sale while Mazda is making this gem of a 3rd gen RX-7... That was really the time rotaries proved their worth, it's just a shame it didn't stick. Maybe in the dying years of the ICE we'll see a short but sweet renaissance? To me the new range extender rotary by Mazda holds a lot of promise, I hope they agree to sell it to other companies, I would love to see it in bikes, or track cars, maybe in a modified twin rotor version?
I rode a Norton rotary during a factory visit and it was brilliant. Engineering wise, it's hard to fault. But it never had a place to go and was marketed poorly. The Interpol was only sold to fleet markets, not the public, so not volume sales. Compared with a BMW comparable machine, the Norton had some silly design fails. Norton also must have been living on the moon to not know how so many companies experimented with wankels and stopped there and those few that went to production failed (DKW W2000, Suzuki RE5, Van Veen OCR1000 etc). It was doomed from the start as a business proposition even if it went well as a motorcycle.
Theres not a huge amount of coverage on this bike despite its impressive performance and usage, like on the isle of man. thanks for taking the time to make this.
im sure we can do a much better rotary engine with current advancement in engineering materials today!
The only thing Norton lost more than races... was customers!
@@fidelcatsro6948 Wankel engines are obsolete technology.
Rotary bikes have been obsolete for nearly a century.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 look up rob dahm
@@micahshelton5723 *ROB DAHM!!!!*
*The Clickbait King of the Rotards???*
The Coked-out Florida drug dealer that sells Tee shirts with his name all over them and claims to be a software engineer???
Rob Dahm the ass clown that pays other people to build his shit and then it blows up???
The Rob Dahm that posts drunk videos about how great it is to mix Cocaine with Adderall???
*That Rob Dahm?????*
Amazing engineering. When certain people get obsessed with an idea, the results can be spectacular.
Rotaries are pieces of art of automotive history, no matter it's a DKW, NSU, Norton or Mazda, it's peak engineering
Not really.
@@talisikid1618 then I don't know why you watched this video 🤔
You don't really know anything about Wankel engines do you?
Dont forget about the other participants of rotary engineering. Lada, Citroen, Mercedes Benz and Chevrolet ;)
@@jijisniet Ford, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Curtiss-Wright, Toyota, Honda, OMC, American Motors, Deutz, Ingersoll-Rand, Alfa Romeo, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Yanmar, Lycoming, John Deere. NASA, The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy..
I remember watching Ron Haslam racing a JPS Norton Rotary, the exhaust pipe was glowing a dull Red ( awesome ). It was rapid on the straight but the piston engine bikes caught up on the corners due to the Norton having to rely on brakes alone ( not a combination of brakes and engine ) to slow down, once out of the corners the Norton left them for dead... amazing engineering and amazing exhaust sound...Great upload VisioRacer, thank You.
If that 2021 bike is too successful the big manufacturers will conspire to have it banned. Great video, superb research, well done.
big companies don't like better competition, smaller netter companies tend to "disappear"
They did get it banned in some classes
The 1990 Isle of Man TT footage with the Norton F1s passing through the narrow tracks is, without a lack of a better word, PURE EARGASM.
Also, what a good research for this video! I didn’t know the Norton rotaries were inspired by both Rolls-Royce and Sachs units, and its heritage still lives on to this day under Rotron! Glad to know that there’s more than just Mazda and LiquidPiston actively developing rotary engines.
sadly strict emission laws today are causing many manufacturers to go electric instead
@@fidelcatsro6948 Wasn't just about the emissions too. Electric power (brushless motor technology, not battery or the charging tech) is already WAY more efficient today in terms of performance and mileage compared to an internal combustion engine and I expect it to improve quicker in the future.
However, while I'm still alive I'll be cherishing the internal combustion engine as long as possible, especially rotary engines. Mazda recently patented a three-rotor sports car design with hybrid assist, to which I'll gladly take that knowing I could have the option to hear the braps.
@@Nafeels yes i agree, electric is very efficient, the only problem is getting the most energy stored in a battery as tiny as possible
@@Nafeels electric is far from being efficient or effective as IC engines, atleast at the moment. You might live in a place where the conditions favour the batteries but where I live, dust and heat are causing batteries to blow and not to mention the fuel economy and the practicality. Also remember we're still getting a major part of our electricity from fossils, so we're aren't as clean as we think we are. IC's will be here for the next 50 years.
@@Nafeels you fail to take into account that the problem with EV is not electric motor but battery technology. manufacturing batteries is highly polluting process. not to mention that batteries onoy have life of 8 years or even less if you are making miles above 100k miles. city dwellers who like to change cars every 5 years, with good access to electric charging points will be satisfied with EVs.
Probably one of the best short videos on the Norton rotary, well done 👍
One Norton rotary was said to have been fitted to an Austin Metro from 1981-1983, the car was demonstrated to Austin Rover who lost interest when they found it out-accelerated their MG Metro Turbo. However from Oliver Winterbottom's book A Life in Car Design, the above was likely connected with a project between Norton and Lotus known as Project Nora for a Norton rotary-engine coupe around the same period that amounted to nothing when it became apparent the rotary engine was not ready for automotive use.
Norton used Sachs engines
The engine was not the Problem, It was the crap ass car they stuck it in!🤣
@@madb132 Sachs saw the writing on the wall, sold everything to Norton cheap.... Norton management was obviously not very bright.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Yeah, I know. me is 62 old biker. Fun watching them Race, tho too claim they were only 580cc was taking the piss.
@@madb132 please explain your thinking behind that taking the piss claim
5:57 Norton should have concentrated on developing the time machine that enabled them to get PCs and CAD software in the 1970s
There's actually a good amount of small rotary engines that got stuffed into things like these bikes. Iv also seen single rotor golf carts and a few other things. People use these engines for little swaps. Fun stuff 🤙
Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. It always blows my mind how you are able to source information on sometimes obscure power plants and present it concisely…thank you!
My pleasure, mate
Oh wow, I remember the noise the JPS beasts used to make, a couple of them were brought to a track near me to show them off at a sidecar racing weekend when I was a kid. I swear you could hear the riders screaming as they went past 🤣
Amazing to see this lecture on Norton's rotary engine, I would love to see it coming back again into the bike competition world,I mean just the sound alone makes it to be so desirable 👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻.
Looked for 22 years for a low miles DKW W2000 rotatory found a Hercules with 1,400 miles rusty tank and chrome but not a mark in the rotor housing. 100 hrs of renovation later back to factory spec I use it loads its a bloody hoot to ride.
300cc if memory serves me right.
@@madb132 I believe that was to considered opinion of the W2000 capacity. DKW called it the W2000 as they beloved by the year 2000 every bike would be a Wankle
@@slartybartfarst9737 Not seen one for years They handled really well from what I recall , last time i ridden one. Hope you're enjoying yours to the full. Can't be many left.
@@madb132 Yea it handles real good but Cerini front and rear bouncy bits Grimicia disc brake means its still good for today. Problem I have is getting to talk with thats ridden one. I rebuilt mine and refurbed the carb, it had a corroded needle jet. It fired up almost first try blew smoke to fill the street and has been dead reliable ever since but its always hunted or surged on low throttle openings. Anything below 50mph in top does not put enough load on the engine for the throttle to be open more than an 1/8th and the bike is 4 stroking and surging, the lower the speed/smaller the throttle opening the more it does it. Its like an old BSA Bantam on part throttle.
Can you remember if the bike you rode did the same or if it was managable on very small throttle openings?
@@slartybartfarst9737 It was the very same reason rode it. the owner asked me to take it for a ride and if I could fix it. Got it running better but wasn't quite perfect but he was pleased. Played with different carbs from my vague memory can recall. Today tho i would be tempted to go FI. Have you had the carb ultrasonic cleaned? complete strip and then have it done. twice if need be. renew all parts with new. should run better. when I rid 2 strokes I always rid with the throttle partially open , hard habit to break as i still do it now!
Amazing sound from those rotaries. Excellent video!
Watching the Norton rotaries racing back in the day was something else.
This is on my mind one of your best videos ever. Lots of research done, and i love how you followed Crighton after his Norton days.
Brian Crighton really hasn't done anything since his Norton days...
Thank you, Martin, I appreciate it!
National motorcycle museum in the UK has probably the most comprehensive Norton collection in the world. Not to mention the hundreds of other brand British bikes.
Seeing that JPS logo brings back some memories 👍
🐱🚬
Amazing video! That Crichton 700 is simply amazing. Love to see one for myself.
I have always loved & believed that the Wankel design would 1 day become a great platform, it would just take time to sort out its limitations. This 700cc version sounds very promising- I hope that technology is expanded upon soon. A rotary seems like a perfect match for Moto-GP & Superbike racing.
Nothing more than wishful thinking...
Wow , a serious engine and bike for shure, This channel always delivers .
I remember Steve spray and Trevor Nation racing the Norton rotaries! They went up against 500 cc two strokes on the full GP circuit at Brands Hatch. That was definitely one of the best eras of bike racing, the sound those rotaries made flat out was something else! Such good memories!
Utterly magnificent, thank you Mr Crighton.
wow bring back the rotary engine to the masses!!...i heard Suzuki also almost went bankrupt dwelling into Rotary R&D in the 70s
There's a guy called Mad Mike Widette who's trying his hardest mate, give him and his 4-rotar mazdas a look 👀 he's made the best little drift cars, and thats quite a statement!
I noticed his kid has nicked his mx5 drift car and is learning how to drift too, some wholesome family driving content there too 😊
@@mor4y will do that!
Also "rob dahm" he also has a AWD 1700HP 4 rotor in the works!
The 1970's were filled with "energy scandals" which forced manufacturers to do things that set them way back, or put them out of business. There was no stinking oil shortage or energy shortage. It was forced by globalists.
@@Toxic88088 yeah I should have tacked Rob on as well, he makes great motors a lot of the fun mechanical parts 🙂 it's just mad Mike drifting quite literally backwards into corners kinda grabs all my attention!
There's also a really good ancient police video floating around somewhere of a random Aussie pulled over with a blinged out classic 6-rotar mazda estate, poor guy thinks he's getting a ticket, really its just a couple of car mad cops wanting a better look at his car! I think Mike was making something similar for himself.... but just a cruiser, not a drifter :)
Rotaries make even more sense in a motorcycle than in a car. the downsides less important and it's positive attributes maximized.
Yo Visio!! Try to make a video about Mercedes M275 engine. This one has amazing sound and is a monster of torque. Congratulations on the content mate!
Was that the Mercedes C111 with gullwing doors?
@@quartusbuys6831 This engine equiped the SL/CL/S 65 amg, and Pagani Huayra
I remember being amazed when I moved to the UK as a 16yo car nerd and finding out the UK police bikes were rotor motors.
The constant complaints were in the media all the time.
Having cone from Oz where all the police bikes were BMW k100 and super reliable I was amazed they persisted with it.
Clearly I wasn’t a rotary fan at the time.
The problems with Wankel engines aren't only unreliability and lack of power at low revs. The Wankel is a fundamentally flawed design.
4:47 *Brap Brap*
Loved the video man, been a subscriber for some time now. Keep up the good work ❤️
Wow,NOT UNTIL THIS VIDEO,did I even realize that "Norton" ever made a rotary-powered motorcycle!!! Impressive!!! Thanks for the video!!!
Check out Snetterton Race Of Aces 1989
@@carolrowley9868 Watched it and WOW,those Norton's are MOVING!!! A racetrack is pretty much the only place where a rotary-engine shines!!! High-rpm's along with high-speeds!!! Thanks for your comment.
Sweet! Have always been in ❤️ w/ these Norton's! Finding out about the Crightons is fabulous! GR8 vid and many thanx 👍👍
Great video! Got to love those Norton's 😁
The displacement of 588cc isn't really true. In reality, engineers don't agree on how to calculate the displacement of a Wankel. While some would say the Norton was 588cc, many would say it was really 1764cc. It all depends on how many chambers in the rotor housing you measure. Certainly its fuel consumption was equivalent to a 1.8L engine.
There was a stunningly accurate replica built in Australia back in the early 1990s. It may still be floating around. And yes, it ran a modified Norton Rotary built as close to spec as possible. Norton were very reluctant to provide any assistance, so the builder had to work everything out himself. From what I read at the time, his lack of data relating to the intake manifold length led to superior results over the original engine once he had the length dialled in. Karma, eh?
As the temperature of 20°c is referring to a temperature difference rather than to an absolute temperature the correct conversion would be 36°F.
I did not take into account the fact that 0 °C does not equal 0 °F, but rather 32 °F. Since I am used to a freezing point being zero degrees, it completely slipped my mind when converting into Fahrenheit.
@@VisioRacer I just thought I would let you know. I really appreciate the technical insight you communicate in your videos. Thank you for all the effort! Greetings from Austria.
Ahh yes like it was yesterday. Trevor nation and Steve spray side by side across the line at Donnington. Ohh the JPS Nortons. I was lucky enough to be on the pit wall. 2 wheeled memories for life my little Castrol r lovers. Be good to one another. Always think bike.🏁🏁🇬🇧
The only thing Norton lost more than races... was customers!
Sounds just like my rx7, love it!
That was a quite excellent👍 Very well done👏 Thank you
Suzuki also had the RF 5 rotary. I had one for 5 months, japanese crap. A firend of mine has 2 Nortons, still running today.
Thats because Norton used Sachs engines.
Great upload, this was News to me.
Greetings from Sweden
Maybe it is nice to know that Midwest developed the Norton 294cc wankel single rotor into a certified aircraft engine. The AE-50R. Most of the Norton technology was still used. My glider, a Alexander Schleicher ASH-26E, has one installed. Rated 50 hp at 7400 rpm. Beginning of the 90s, Midwest was taken over by Austro Engines, who developed this further into a fuel injected variant which is still in use as glider powerplant. Look up ASH-21 Mi, ASH-31 Mi and ASH-32 Mi. At Austro there were even developments of more powerful versions but they never made it into airplanes..
Now I'm very interested in Crighton bike(s).
Math error at 3:39 - a drop in temperature by 20°C is a 36°F drop, not a 68°F drop. The math for temperature difference conversion is just F = C * 1.8. There's no offset by 32° since it's only measuring relative drop, not an absolute measurement. This proves itself when you compare a drop from 50°C to 30°C (-20°C), which is 122°F to 86°F (-36°F).
Sorry, I am not sure how I got that number
@@VisioRacer no worries! Great content as always! When measuring absolute temperature, 20°C is 68°F. Most websites that convert temperature assume that's what you mean.
Sounds beautiful. Love this!!
Thanks for letting us know about this! I never knew they even exist, it's absolutely incredible why's that they never sold well, i suppose they were too far ahead of their time!
It's a real shame they didn't get the proper recognition, but again, wrong country, UK is all about those clasic thumpers, brain shaking out of the skull type of tractor bikes...
@goinghomesomeday1 yeah, i have a thumper myself right now, haha, but I've once driven hard, one healthy Rx8 and never recovered after that experience...
Cars or whatever other than motorcycles are absolutely wrong with that concept, but wrenching on it, off a bike, is absolutely desired, at least for some of us...
The rotary engine just isn't as good as a piston engine in the vast majority of applications. They have a total loss lubrication system so they pollute badly and there's no way around it. The apex seals fail early and the fuel consumption is bad. The only application for them is where power to weight ratio outweighs these many problems.
They never sold very well because they kept breaking and were too expensive for the masses.
Man even Wikipedia, would not have all these info, love the RnD of this engine.
"water cooling was proposed but allegedly would not be well receibed by customers"
Customers: yes we want out engines to overheat and burn, fuck cooling.
1:20. The engine shown there is NOT the Rolls-Royce wankel. It is the John Deere SCORE 580 2-rotor engine, which was designed in the mid-1980's. As a young mechanical engineer I participated in the development of that engine.
The Rolls-Royce wankel was an engine with 2-stage compression, and true compression ignition. The Deere engine was low compression with spark-assisted ignition.
Other than that minor point, marvelous video! There will always be a place in my heart for wankel engines, and the people who create them.
No, it is not a Rolls-Royce engine. I overlooked it in the post-production otherwise I would have put the info title.
My friend restored A Norton Comando with the combat engine. He rode it for years.
That rotary race bike sounds awesome.
IIRC, Trevor Nation was interviewed after winning one race on the RCW588, and said "It's such a quick bike that they could have put any competent rookie rider on it and it would STILL have come in first. The first place of any competition this bike enters is pretty much already in the bag. The REAL race is for who comes in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th".
From what I remember in bike magazines back then, It was only really allowed in the 500/600CC class because in a few EU countries at the time, for racing purposes, the capacity of a Wankel was calculated as only ONE combustion chamber volume multiplied by the number of rotors (rather than the more usual 1.5 combustion chamber volumes). In most other countries it would have been getting trounced in 900CC+ race categories.
The only thing Norton lost more than races... was customers.
The Wankel engine was ultimately a failure that destroyed the company.
You should get in with audible to do book narrations. The accent is lovely and calming.
This is rather interesting and super informative.
They should make a series of 1, 2, and 3-rotor motorcycles that are between 50-70hp per rotor depending on the state of tune and supposed chassis they're going in. That alone would give them a whole lineup of bikes they could make in every segment and for every rider skill level. I'd like a 2 rotor version placed in something like an AAR Alligator chassis with Robert Horn's Virtual Hub Center front end. Either that or the least powerful 3 rotor version purely for the sound of a 3 rotor.
Very nice video. Excellent subject matter with great research. Those are cool machines.
Just as I think he’s running out of ideas makes a new video and always teaches me something new
Well, the thing is that yes, I was running out of ideas and could not think about an interesting compilation. Not sure how this concept came to my mind, but I love it, digging the information and creating kind of a document or a story. Thank you
@@VisioRacer it really doesn’t matter what you put out I will still watch. Your commentary and production quality get better with every video. I have watched all your videos at least twice so nothing you make will ever be boring
Sachs KM-914 had two versions, stationary engine and snowmobile engine, both 303 cc per chamber, from a Rotor slightly larger than 294 cc Rotor in KM-24 and KC-27.
The gains from a more complex and elaborated Rotor recess in Aixro, charge Cooled Rotor, liquid cooled housing kart and parapente and ultralight airplane engine are impressive.
Austro had also gains by adopting the Rotor recess shape of early Yanmar Diesel Wankel.
Wankel Rotary Engine still has a lot to say.
Who'll have last laugh?
Gesund +
Obsolete technology
hey mr. cool.......... thank you for this GREAT video..... that last part engine.....i want in MX offroad.
very interesting, I never knew this much testing went into a rotary motorcycle I used to have an 04 rx8 manual and it did lack torque so I always said with the rotary advantages of smoothness and light weight it would be better in the lightest vehicle possible such as a bike or the Miata and that the rx8 would've been better with a 4 banger and skinny tires like what they did with the FRS/BRZ.. wonder why they didn't consider forced induction with the early Norton when trying to increase power numbers, assuming the tech wasn't really there yet plus longevity was also already an issue.. anyways I'd love to experience a modern rotary sport bike, mayb they could incorporate some carbon fiber internals somehow
wow i have been wondering about this bike for a while, THANKS
Just wonderful, love the video! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Suzuki did dabble into the rotary idea with the RE5 but so be it very briefly, not compared to Norton which sort of affected its reputation.
These bikes are fantastic. Great video!
Thats amazing no wear on the rotor. Sounds too good to be true.
Yo my build guide made it in the video!! I love rotaries!
Wankel engines... rotary engines are completely different.
Epic bikes 👌 the last one is legendary!!!
Epic failure, destroyed Norton
Better than the Suzuki RE5? Suzuki still had engines for the RE5 in stock In some of its warehouses in the US as of six years ago
I remember a controversy about the Norton rotary when it was competing in road racing. The officials did not know whether declare it a 500 mL or a 1500 mL engine because of the three sided rotor. I’m not sure about the initial displacement but it was an issue
The Dutch company Van Veen also made rotary motorcycle (2-rotor)
Where did you found all of this info, just want to read more about it
Thank you for putting this up..........can you please do a piece on the Norton Wolf step piston.?
I have had 2 of them a p41/42 ex police bike I build ad a cafe racer and still got a F1. These engines are so amazing, but people don't believe in them. Brian Crighton got 200+ hp out the old 588 design and have continued. It died to death after FIA (officially) banned them yes, unofficially tho, a lot of money was payed to FIA people from everyone who didnt have wankel race engines (read everyone but Norton and Mazda).
I could go on forever on these engines !!!!
Sorry for the edits, I have the whole history of the Nortons and all the different people fighting to get from my brain to my keyboard 🤣
12:10 what a great sound!
Last one is too good 🆒🆒🤠🤠🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩👏👏👍🏻🤘🏻 thanks buddy
And now Rob Dahm has a need to own one of these eccentric beasties.
I had no idea this even existed. If the oil consumption problem of rotaries is fixed on this engine, is there an emission or efficiency problem? Is it still too complex and expensive to compete with pistons?
It would be cool if u did a video on all the aluminum 32v v8s
It was junk when Wankel designed it, but you have to remember 2 strokes were still street marketable back in the day.....A tuned Kawasaki triple would wipe the floor with it, and not need an edge sealing refresh.
True story......I was a mechanic at a Honda-Kawasaki-Suzuki dealership in the early '80's, and this cat came in to pick up his Suzuki Wankel that was there for a new tire.
He came in just before closing, so we fished it out and rolled it onto the sidewalk by the parts door.
Swear to god, he started it up, and went inside to pay the bill. I walked out after punching my time card to get in my car.....the thing was spewing coolant everywhere so I stood a second to see......He came out and said...."She does that sometimes".....still makes me laugh to tears....
The Wankel was and always will be an engine that never deserved the light of day. Fundamentally flawed in so many ways, the most import being a terrible shape combustion chamber that would never burn the fuel properly..
Well done on this video 👍👍
Love the sound of these things.
Check out the Liquid Piston X. It's a revamped rotary that overcomes all the downfalls.
Thanks for the video.
that f1 sounds amazing
I've been in the market for a Norton an NRV588 or CR 700. Amazing bikes
Old obsolete junk
@@sandervanderkammen9230 tell me how you really feel lol? It's all good. I know it's obsolete but rotaries have a special place in my heart.
@@juniormeghji2551 Norton never made a Rotary bike.
Suzuki also had a rotary engine'd bike in the mid seventies. Suzuki R5
I have to say that the rotary engine technology has been suppressed for many years but but wouldn’t be today !
I like the way you pronounce devil-elopement. 😄👍🏻
NICE vid! 🤸💪😎🦸
Great video. Fascinated by this design since I was a teen. Always thought the Wankel shouldn't work. So I got my self a Norton Commander. It works so well. Pulls from less than 1000 rpm, uncannily smooth, brilliant fairing and comfortable. Weakest aspect front brakes and forks as supplied by Yamaha (XJ900). Fuel consumption the same as my 1100 Guzzi Breva and as fast.
The Norton bokes were absolutely horrible... so bad people simply stopped buying them.
Have you ridden one?
Gotta say the smoothness is very alluring, however going forward an electric motor can give some of the benifits as well. I'm not 100 percent convinced on electric yet but there's plenty of development yet to go.
I trust the electric motor. The battery not so much.
A Big woooow and thanks 🙏 🇮🇩 for the review
VAZ also used a rotary at some point?
Yes
The end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s really was the golden age of the Wankel, both on track and on the streets... with the wins of Norton and Mazda (you can't really do better than the Isle of Man TT and the 24 Hours of Le Mans can you), and the best rotary motorcycles by Norton for sale while Mazda is making this gem of a 3rd gen RX-7... That was really the time rotaries proved their worth, it's just a shame it didn't stick. Maybe in the dying years of the ICE we'll see a short but sweet renaissance? To me the new range extender rotary by Mazda holds a lot of promise, I hope they agree to sell it to other companies, I would love to see it in bikes, or track cars, maybe in a modified twin rotor version?
The Wankel engine was in steep decline I the 1970s and was an epic failure in motorsports and commercial production
Mazda canceled the MX-30 in June
Very interesting video. 👌
What exactly is the "sealed gas cooling system"? Anyone can elaborate?
like a fridge or heat pump
Can you do one on buses like gillig mercedes neoplane sentra ect
That norton was such a beautiful motorcycle. Too bad they did not keep producing it.
Is it possible a 2stroke rotary?
*NO.* All Wankel engines operate using the same 4-stroke principle.
The Wankel engine is not a Rotary type engine.
thank you.
I rode a Norton rotary during a factory visit and it was brilliant. Engineering wise, it's hard to fault. But it never had a place to go and was marketed poorly. The Interpol was only sold to fleet markets, not the public, so not volume sales. Compared with a BMW comparable machine, the Norton had some silly design fails. Norton also must have been living on the moon to not know how so many companies experimented with wankels and stopped there and those few that went to production failed (DKW W2000, Suzuki RE5, Van Veen OCR1000 etc). It was doomed from the start as a business proposition even if it went well as a motorcycle.