Parts general

[Assen]

While reading some old Classic Bike magazines, i came across a story on Rotary bikes. While telling the story of the Classic, they said that the rearlight of a Classic is from a Aston Martin Lagonda??!! Could this possibly be true?? Hope not, as A/N has no rearlight in stock and in the case you ever get rear ended by a car for instance how to get a new rearlight-unit, from the Aston Martin-dealer? NLA i think!
I looked trough the site of A/N and was as surprised at what they have in stock but at the same time unpleasant surprised of many more or less missing very important parts. Isn't there a list in the club of parts that tell you where different parts of our bikes come from? Like for instance the rearlights of a Commander, they are comming from a Vauxhall Nova, or parts from the Yamaha XJ900. If there is no such list, we should as a club make one now i think whilst there are still people around who know these details? Or is A/N replenishing their Rotary-stock? Perhaps Joe Seifert can give us his thoughts about the parts-situation?
Sorry, just my thoughts......

Jannes

[Richard Negus]

There really is a connection between the Classic rear light and the Aston Martin Lagonda.

Norton's own in-house designer, Mick Ofield, did the styling for the '1000'- series rotary, often referred to as the Aurora or Cooke Nielsen. which almost made it into series production.

A car stylist, William Towns, produced the straight-edged design of the Lagonda and was contracted by Norton in 1976 to produce a design for a touring motorcycle based on the Ofield model. This one didn't get any further than a mock-up. Basically a '1000' - series bike with engineering up-grades and a new fuel tank, seat, side panels, and rear light arrangement, it didn't get any further than a mock-up.

Towns styling.jpg

But, the Towns tank, side panels, and part of the seat were used on the Interpol 2.

Later still, Town's rear light arrangement became part of the Classic, where only the fuel tank, seat, and side panels were truly 'new' and the headlamp/instruments date back to Ofield's design.

Mick Ofield (not Oldfield as is variously printed) is alive and well and living in Tennessee.

[Assen]

Thanks again Richard!

Who actually made the rearlightunits? No more to be had?
Any ideas as to why there are no more of the units/lenses? Or, are they all being used up making old Interpol 2's into Classic-replicas?

Best, Jannes

[Richard Negus]

Hi Jannes,
The lenses, and possibly the bulb holders, were made by English company L E Perei; lenses had all the correct 'E' approvals. I don't know if they were made specifically for Norton.
When I enquired a few years ago, they said they no longer had the mould tooling and couldn't make any more.
There was some discussion on this forum about replicating them by 3D printing but nothing happened as far as I'm aware.

The housing was a Norton design.Thirty years ago, the mould tool was used to make new mouldings for the Classic production but I don't know who actually made the mouldings. I doubt the mould tool still exists now. Another opportunity for 3D printing?
R.

[johnbirchjar]

I seem to remember quite a while ago that someone managed to acquire some rear lenses for Classics,(or the molds)but otherwise, I should imagine that they fall into the "Hen's Teeth" dept: ,J.B.

[Assen]

Wasn't there a privat person who could make them at home? He also made them for Suzuki Kettles? I think i've read about it on this Forum?
He made silicon moulds i recall, in wich he made the lenses?
If anyone know who he is, perhaps we could ask him to make a batch.

Jannes

[re5rotary]

If you have an original lens as a pattern then it is possible to make a silicone mould from that and with the appropriate resin cast a new lens. We do this at the car restoration place where I work to make NLA lenses. It really needs a pressure pot and a vacuum tank to get the air bubbles out of the resin and to force the resin into all corners of the mould. So it would be quite possible to make a small batch regards Terry

[Assen]

Is it a lot of work per lens? Or can you make several in one go?
Any ideas pricewise?
I would love to buy a few in case off ever needing them. Red and yellow.

Jannes