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The Norton RCW588 is a works racing motorcycle with a twin-rotor Wankel engine produced for the 1989 to 1994 racing seasons.
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Initially sponsored by John Player & Sons, the Norton Rotary achieved significant racing success with riders Steve Spray, Trevor Nation, Robert Dunlop and Ron Haslam, followed by a win at the 1992 Senior TT race by Steve Hislop, and Ian Simpson winning the 1994 British Superbike Championship. The unique Wankel engine configuration measured at a capacity of 588 cc was accepted by the FIM in 1990, allowing the Norton to enter the 500 Grand Prix premier racing class.
Development
Tracing its origins to the motor from the Norton Classic devised and developed by David Garside in the 1970s, the racing engine was nevertheless the creation of Brian Crighton, who joined the Norton factory at Shenstone, Staffordshire in 1984 from a background in electronic engineering to oversee the service department's maintenance of the Norton Commander for the Police Force, and was responsible for establishing Norton's return to racing.
After recognising the engine was capable of producing much more power, Crighton firstly received no backing from Norton management, instead developing the engine in his own time, until sanctioned by the factory in late 1987 with the prototype race bike debuted by Malcolm Heath at Darley Moor. The team won the British Formula One Championship with rider Steve Spray in 1989.
Crighton left Norton in September 1990, following the appointment of Barry Symmons (previously chief of the Honda Britain motorcycle racing squad) as Race Team Manager in early 1990, with Crighton retained for consultancy work. Crighton subsequently developed a shadow-project which he named Roton, again with Spray, which competed in the Australian GP held at Eastern Creek circuit, placing 15th with one World Championship point.
Crighton aspired to pursue backing from Chris Oldfield, an Australian businessman and a potential investor who intended to manufacture the machines and run his own race team with Australian riders Grant Hodson and Wayne Clark.
A limited-production road-going version, the Norton F1, was subsequently derived from the RCW588.
Racing results
The RCW588 had a number of racing successes at circuits including the Isle of Man TT, Cadwell Park, Mallory Park and Thruxton.
Ian Simpson won the British Superbike Championship in 1994 on a Team Crighton Norton rotary machine with Duckhams sponsorship, an oil brand name owned by BP.
Legacy
Brian Crighton continued to develop the Rotary Norton NRV588 concept for Stuart Garner, owner of Norton Motorcycles Ltd based at Donington Hall, again using an aluminium twin-spar beam frame and swinging arm by Derbyshire-based frame specialist Spondon Engineering.
Crighton has further-developed his own machine, designated CR700P, with engine chambers enlarged to 700 cc, and using a sealed, pressurised-gas cooling system powered by an external, belt-driven pump circulating the gas through an intercooler mounted in the seat-tailpiece. This allows the engine, designated Rotron RT700, echoing the earlier 1990s era when he also used the term Rotron for his semi-works Norton rotary, to produce 200 bhp and remain within safe working temperatures.