Rotary Alert! 1985 Norton Interpol 2

For Sale: 1985 Norton Interpol 2

Say you are interested in a rotary-engined bike that is NOT a Suzuki RE5. What choices do you have? Other than a handful of prohibitively rare and prohibitively expensive Van Veen machines, Norton was the only other purveyor of Wankel hardware.

From the seller:
When was the last time you saw one of these gems. This is a extremely rare 1985 Norton (only one known in the US) with Nortons own twin rotary engine. It has been used solely for escort duty in London, such as heads of state and the occasional Royel wedding. Due to the spasmodic nature of this duty the documented miles covered is very low. Amazingly ALL the original equipment is still in place. Flashing blue lights, strobe light, two way radio with speaker. two tone air horns (sounds like a fire engine), “Stop” sign etc. The bike is not a restoration , it is a unmolested original in spotless condition throughout. Riding one of these rotary Nortons is a wonderful experience, smooth as a turbine and sounds like a Turbo Prop plane engine. They rev very freely yet have the low down torque and pulling power of a steam engine. Parts are available from Norton UK. Seller will be glad to assist in transport at buyers expense, or simply fly into Spokane and ride it home.

What really makes this particular bike unique, however, is the full Interpol livery and equipment list. Reading through the resources over on the Norton Owners Club website I found this:

All ex-police bikes have carried a certain stigma with bikers, a fact reflected in their second-hand value. Some were turned into specials and others broken for spares, but many were civilianised. Nearly all surviving Interpols will have lost all trace of their origins as no special engine or frame markings were used. Therefore most survivors look like, and are accepted as, any other civilian machine. Very few examples (perhaps as few as 4 or 5) remain in standard Interpol form, if indeed, a standard ever existed.

So up for grabs today is a pretty rare model by most standards, with equipment not normally found on any Norton Rotary. It is located in the Pacific Northwest area of the US, and appears to enjoy a title as well. I’m thinking this could make the perfect touring bike: smooth, rotary power, a large fairing to protect you from the elements, and lights and sirens to protect you from potential traffic. Mount up!

Bidding is going on right now, with the current price above $6k (at time of writing) and reserve still in place. Action has been very heavy on this one indicating a LOT of interest. I have not idea what it should go for, but I do know that I will be watching it closely. Enjoy!

MI