Classic Bike Guide - Real rides, real riders

New rotary - Bring it on!

Sometime in the late 80s, I was a PC working in Traffic Division of the Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard. I was on good terms with the Transport Department, who, among other things, evaluated various vehicles submitted by manufacturers for possible inclusion in the fleet.

I got wind of the first Norton rotary that had been delivered for that purpose and tried to get a go on it. The transport team were not ‘dyed in the wool’ motorcyclists and were very unhappy if it rained during any of their activities with motorcycles. So, one rather wet Friday, with a wet weekend forecast, I happened to be in their office and asked who was having the Norton for the weekend. “It stays in the garage, due to the weather,” was the response; “Unless you want to take it?”

Later that day I headed to my parents’ place in East Sussex, along the road from Eastbourne to Seaford, which passes through the smuggler’s village of Alfriston. Just past the village the road drops through an ‘S’ bend then down a one-in-four hill, a sharp bend and a sudden climb up another one-in-four hill around a long right-hander, followed by a steep rise to the summit.

On a normal bike, I would be in second gear at the foot or even first if it was wet but the Norton pulled well from practically zero mph in top. I determined to do this valley switchback in top, just to see if it would do it. It was raining hard so no heroics were possible. I descended on the brakes in the top of five gears, (no engine braking with the rotary) crept around the ‘S’ bend at the bottom and slowly opened the throttle. The engine responded smoothly and powerfully.

Completing the bottom bend around five mph and accelerating gently all the time, I commenced the ascent around the long right towards the top. At the foot of the hill, I was expecting a ‘pop’ and stall, but no, this wonderful machine steadily and with an almost unbelievable smoothness, gathered speed with each yard covered. Finally reaching my normal 60mph or so halfway up the hill.

On the way back I did it all again with the same result.

I’ve never had a machine which could repeat that feat and lusted after a rotary of my own but sadly could never afford one.

So, no gearbox sounds a wonderful idea, especially at my age!

Derek Marrable
Orpington
Kent