Re: V-8 sunbeam Alpine

From: Lauri Lehtinen (lauri(at)lorenzo.pp.fi)
Date: Fri Feb 28 1997 - 15:34:59 CST


>I remember seeing a Wankel-powered motorcycle once in the 1970s. I
>think it was an NSU. Very unusual looking!
>--
>T.J. Higgins

There were three wankel-powered bikes, but...
..now I found out that John McEwen told allmost all of them.

Except, that if I remember correct, Norton had aircooled single rotor for
Police and later twin rotor, liqid-cooled for commercial & racing. Racing
bike was about 660 cc and 120+ bhp, was it? They said, exthause flames of
the racing bike were enormous and continuous. Wankel needs no silencer for
noise, but it was needed for three-foot flames. Fire licked the helmets of
other competitiors riding behind Nortons...

And there was a miniature wankel (Graupner?) for radio-controlled model
planes at 70's. It had a continious flame burning at exthause pipe, too.

Larry, Helsinki, Finland
Alpine mkIV
AJS 18S -52
AJS 18S (with Norton 600 cc twin engine) -60



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