Norton Commander (motorcycle)
The Commander was a Norton motorcycle with a Wankel rotary engine.
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| Manufacturer | Norton Motors Limited |
|---|---|
| Also called | P52 (police), P53 (civilian) |
| Production | 1988–1992; 253 units produced in total |
| Engine | 588 cc water-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine |
| Power | 85 bhp (63 kW) at 9000 rpm |
| Torque | 75.4 Nm at 7000 rpm |
| Transmission | duplex primary chain, 5-ratio gearbox, single-row final drive chain |
| Wheelbase | 1486 mm |
| Dimensions | L: 2200 mm W: 880 mm H: 1470 mm |
| Fuel capacity | 23 litres including a reserve of 3 litres |
The first Norton Wankel motorcycle was the 1987 Classic using an air-cooled engine, built as a special edition of just 100 machines. It was followed by the air-cooled Interpol 2 model.
The Commander was a liquid-cooled successor to the Interpol 2, liquid cooling being adopted for greater power and reliability. The Commander's final-drive chain was protected by a full enclosure. Some cycle parts (such as wheels, forks, switchgear, clocks & brakes) were bought-in Yamaha items from the XJ900.
Two types of Commander were built. The P52 was a single-seat model equipped for police use. The second was the dual-seat P53 civilian tourer. Both the P52 and P53 had panniers integral with their fibreglass bodywork. The P53 bodywork was later revised to have detachable Krauser K2 panniers.
References
- Perkins, Kris (1991). Norton Rotaries. The Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-85532-181-6.
- Magrath, Derek (1991). Norton the Complete Story. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86126-062-8.