1989 NORTON F1 ROTARY PRE-PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE

It's not often that a factory test bike escapes the crusher. Luckily this preproduction Norton F1 Rotary missed its date with destruction. It was one of five test units out of total 1990-91 production run believed to number just 116. No VIN plate was ever applied as this motorcycle was never intended for sale, but stamped into the beautifully hand-welded twin-spar Spondon aluminum frame are the numbers #004, and included in the bike's provenance is the original title made out to Norton Motors in Shenstone, England.

According to research, #004 was the first F1 prototype used by the Norton factory to log actual test miles. Still visible today, numbers were written in pen on white pieces of paper and gel-coated inside the bodywork to identify which version of the fiberglass mold was being used for evaluation.

Norton Rotary expert Graham Wilshire at Startright Cycles in Leeds, England, acquired the bike in the confusion of the factory ceasing its motorcycle operations in the late 1990s. He carefully rebuilt the motor with new rotary seals after moly-coating all swept surfaces. This latter procedure is the single most important change that can be done for reliability and longevity of rotary engines. Another important upgrade was installation of a concave aluminum factory World Superbike radiator and larger fan. This was done using existing mounting holes so no damage was done to frame, and the original radiator could be re-installed if desired. Rotaries are known for running warm and this modification made #004 much more streetable

Among the bike's awards are trophies for Best Rotary at the 1996 International Norton Owners Rally, Best Technical Interest at the 1996 Steamboat Springs Concours, Best Rotary at the 1998 Norton Pacific Rim National Rally, First Place British Motorcycle Future Classics at the 1999 AMA/AHRMA Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days and First Place Modern European at the 2004 Sandia Classic bike show.