<p>Burley Classic Vehicle Show 19/08/2012
</p><p>Norton Rotary engined bike. I'm not sure how original this bike is. The wheels and brakes are clearly not original, and all Norton Classics were only available in a silver finish. Still, this is an interesting and very rare bike.
</p><p>History
</p><p>Development of what would become the Norton Rotary engine was started in 1969 by the BSA Group who thought  that there could be a market for this type of engine in motorcycles because of its simplicity, low vibration, low weight, and compactness. However, the early 1970's were a disasterous time for the entire British motocycle industry. BSA  was merged into Norton Villiers in 1972, and the combined company, Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT), failed in 1975. Development of the rotary engine continued during this period, albeit greatly underfunded. 
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Somehow the rotary engine project survived the demise of NVT, and in 1984 Norton produced the rotary engined Interpol II (P41) for sale to fleet customers only. In 1988 Norton made the Norton Classic (P43) for sale to the general public. This used a 588cc air-cooled version of the engine, a Yamaha gearbox and other Yamaha cycle parts. Only 101 Norton Classics were made.
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/57664366@N08">Steve Glover</a> from Bolton, Lancs., England
CC BY 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sg2012/7872426206/">Norton Rotary Classic P43 (1988)</a>