Who designed the Hislop bike?

[ZFD]

A mistery is solved at last! In the orbituary for David MacDonald (Cumberland News, 13 November 2009) we read: "In the late 1980s David was appointed by the Midland Bank to sort out the failing Norton motor cycle company which he did and along the way designed the 1992 record-breaking rotary-engined Norton on which Steve Hislop famously won the TT of that year."Though you may be surprised to hear he saved the Norton Motorcycle Company- appearances can be deceiving, factory personell thought he sold everything off too cheaply- I am happy to hear who designed the Abus Norton. Good job he pushed aside incompetent people like Doug Hele, Richard Negus, Bob Rowley, Brian Crighton et al. and got on with the job. We have to thank him posthumously for it.It is surprising he told me much later- after this engineering masterpiece- the rotary engine was crap, and that he had tied up with the legendary Al Melling, reputedly the best engine designer of all times, to create the "F2" with a Melling V-twin in it. For some reason the Melling engine was not ready, so grudgingly the "F2" was exhibited with the crap engine in it.One lives and learns!

[Richard Negus]

Hmmm. - don't hear much of Al Melling these days. I wonder if his V8 porker still graces the foyer of the National Motorcycle Mausoleum ?I recall Bob Rowley and I visiting Hawtal Whiting in Leamington (you know, that well-known motorcycle styling company whose logo is on the back of 1000's of truck bodies) to view, at their request, the clay model of the F2. We pointed out that there wasn't enough steering lock and that the seat was higher and wider than an IP2. They agreed, scraped clay away, and made it much more comfortable to sit on.When MacDonald returned from his holiday, he went absolutely ballistic, ordered us to keep our noses out and instructed HW to put it back to his design. Happy days !I wonder where those two F2 mock-ups are now.

[steve traynor]

wasnt the f2 designed with a monkey trap for security

[ZFD]

I recall Bob Rowley and I visiting Hawtal Whiting in Leamington (you know, that well-known motorcycle styling company whose logo is on the back of 1000's of truck bodies) to view, at their request, the clay model of the F2. We pointed out that there wasn't enough steering lock and that the seat was higher and wider than an IP2. They agreed, scraped clay away, and made it much more comfortable to sit on.When MacDonald returned from his holiday, he went absolutely ballistic, ordered us to keep our noses out and instructed HW to put it back to his design. Happy days !I wonder where those two F2 mock-ups are now.

I recall going there with two jouralists- did they not call themselves "Styling International" at the time? I think I still got their card somewhere. The journalists were not impressed with the styling- which was, apart from the cheap & nasty Yamaha components, virtually the only technical change to the F1 Sports. Looking at it today one realizes how unexciting it really was. Whilst the original Seymour-Powell F1 will always be a design classic, the F2, had it ever reached the market, would be seen as "just another motorcycle".MacDonald, at the Show, promised production including technical approvals within 120 days. I told him that was b**ls**t. He told me "Take your negative attitude elsewhere". I told him I had lots of chairmen seen come and go, and I would see him go. Only weeks later his chairmanship was history......Not that there was any money to ever fully develop and produce the bike. I understand there was a dispute about the unpaid invoices of the design outfit later.