Norton Aurora petrol tank.

[Nortonash]

The perfect way to start to convert your ugly old Interpol into a beautiful Aurora. I have for sale one of the few Auroroa hand made alloy petrol tanks. It is in good condition with a small dent on the top left that is very easily repaired. The cap requires a new lock insert.£200.

[Nortonash]

Dont be afraid to make a sensible offer guys

[Richard Negus]

C'mon, don't be shy - you'll kick yourself if you miss it!An ideal starting point for an Aurora replica. Get a decent Classic to modify (there's even a bargain on fleabay right now) and all you need to complete a passable fake is the seat and hinge mechanism, rear lamp mount, hinged rear guard, grab rail, number plate light, footrest plates, side panels, air filter covers and tank badges. Probably a few other minor items too. Easy peasy! There was actually an IP2 owner four or five years ago who had a tank and was going to make the rest. I didn't hear any more from him.

[Nortonash]

Thanks Richard, I am so surprised someone hasnt snapped this up to beautify an ugly old Interplod

[Richard Negus]

Ash,Problem is, you young chaps today don't have the vision to make a replica Aurora.To the best of my knowledge, there's only one remaining complete example of the pre-production batch and that, surprise surprise, is in a private museum abroad.There are a couple of other bikes with the correct numbers, but most of the parts have been superceded with later IP2 development and production items.R.

[rustynuts]

At 42, perhaps I just about qualify as one of those young chaps, and yes I am a bit tempted to buy the tank. However, I don't really have the time to research and re-manufacture all the other bodywork. So if I used the tank, the bike would remain an Interpol with a strange looking tank for a good many years before I could get round to making a full blown Aurora replica.Ugly as it may be, for the moment, the Interpol suits my needs as a tourer, although I have sometimes thought about making a classic replica or fitting a commando interstate tank.

[Nortonash]

Well I also have a pair of Classic side panels which with a small amount of work would fit nicely with the tank

[johnbirchjar]

Why an Arora?a Classic is a much better looking bike,('specialy with a Sprint fairing on it )guess who ?

[Richard Negus]

Why an Aurora? It was the first rotary that I rode, and there's no originals left to ride now.It was light, smooth, and quick for it's day. On the down-side, single rotor idle and light flywheel made it a pig in slow-moving traffic, it had a horrible weave at speeds above 90, and the tank was too small. I wanted to keep that one.Talking of Aurora tanks, whatever happened to Explosafe? A good solution looking for a problem?I support John's view; the Classic is a much better bike all round. The Aurora had serious flaws, which is why it didn't make it into production.R.

[Nortonash]

Im just wanting to sell a nice tank

[Dell Boy]

I examined an Aurora displayed by Norton in Douglas at the T.T. in 1979/80? where they were guaging the market for it. I particularly admired the flip up rear mudguard making rear wheel removal a doddle.I took part in a survey/questionaire being carried out by, or on behalf of Norton.I admired the bike & had nothing derogatory to say about it except that it wasn`t faired.Then I was asked how I felt about the proposed sale price which was twice the price of an equivalent Japanese bike at the time. I laughed & said you have got no chance of selling them at that price. The interviewer was quite put out. I said it should be relatively cheap as the engine is so simple & cheap to manufacture compared to a four cylinder, D.O.H.cam multi valve engine.Perhaps manufacturing costs also helped to kill it off as a financially viable project?Derek F.

[gripper]

I thought about the Aurora tank for my IP2 but I like 5 gallon capacity, steel to fit a magnetic tank bag and I can stand on it to look over fences. In addition it doubles as a coffee table/ drawing board.

[ZFD]

To the best of my knowledge, there's only one remaining complete example of the pre-production batch and that, surprise surprise, is in a private museum abroad.

Yes, I offered it to the National Motorcycle Museum, together with most of the parts to build a P41 (Triumph/BSA Oil in Frame chassis, rotary engine, Triumph pre-unit gearbox shell with 5-speed cluster). They offered me 5000 Pounds for the package, so I sold both bikes to a German collector instead. I was skinned at the time, so could not afford to keep the bikes. That collector was far more knowledgeable than the late Mr Richards, and still has them (and a few hundred other rare bikes). The "Aurora", known in the factory as the "Cooke Neilsen" is now in the Hockenheimring Motorsport Museum.I agree with Richard that it was a very nice bike to ride, and in fact preferred it to a Classic! Everything seemed so right about it, and as I mostly rode it out on open roads the single-rotor idle system did not bother me.The P41 was also completed and I rode it before the new owner got it. The exhaust restricted performance. We used the two into one into a twin silencer arrangement we found on the original factory shots of the bike. With that, the engine did not want to rev, so it ran out of steam at about 5.000RPM. That said, it was a nice bike, very small (18" wheels!) and light.Pity I had to sell the pair- I'd buy them back for the money I got for them any day now!

[Malc]

Aug 08 030.jpg

Fitted this Aurora petrol tank to this bike. The problem was getting a seat to match in with the contour of the tank and then making the oil tank accessible.Tried the suzuki seat and then had to fit a rail on the frame to mount the hinges. Had to modify the frame to take the tank as this early one has different front mounts. I left the tank in its original paint as it has the original screw on badges.At the time I also bought another Aurora tank that had been alloy welded to fit a standard IP2 frame. Had this resprayed in the same silver and was going to fit to another bike.I had no interest in making a replica Aurora, just fancied a different tank and it was one of a number of options.Started to build this as a road bike but they make such good track bikes, it has the Aurora Astralite wheels. Fitted radials and altered the feel completely compared to the other track bike on crossplies.Sadly, now for sale.

[Richard Negus]

Malc,That tank looks different to other Aurora tanks I've seen:.recessed plastic cap (like IP2/Classic/Commander) rather than the hinged chrome Ceandess type.sharper edges around the rear profile.is it me, or is it bigger?Do you have another to compare?R.

[gripper]

I'm guessing that the astralite wheels are much lighter than the IP2 "flywheels". Are they 18 inch or 17?

[ZFD]

Firstly, apologies- the Oil in Frame bike was named "P39", not "P41". "P39" incidently being the same project number as an oil in frame Triumph. Astralite wheels the P41 (Cooke Neilsen/Aurora) did not have, they had the cast wheels similar to the IP2 (P42), but nicely lined... The Astralites came off a later design exercise based on the rolling chassis of an "Aurora".

[Nortonash]

I like the look of that Malc, how do the Laser cans hold up to the heat ? I want to use something similar on the Spondon framed bike I hope to build.

[johnbirchjar]

Having now seen a "proper" Aurora tank, the one I looked at on the Classic at Popham was nothing like that,more sort of rounder,and with a differant filler cap to mine,probably a "one off"? (and to think, this all kicked off with "What's an Aurora tank worth?"J.B.

[Malc]

Mines probably not an Aurora tank then. Cant get to it to check or photograph it or even the spare which is boxed up with a set of Suzuki side panels cut down to fit around the SU carbs.The underside is the same as Ash's but from memory, one of the tanks has the anit explosive mesh inside so could be of the model as said by ZFD.They were hanging up in what was the service dept (L/H side of factory when going through gates) in the early 1990's, some had pieces cut out of them but these two were ok. I was going to fit one to the red race bike as I have never been happy with the back of the std tank. BUT the tank had to be easily and cheaply repairable if crashed, (something that had happened previously, in over 340 races on 17 different bikes), so I kept the std tank on.

[Malc]

Gripper, the bike runs 17 inch wheels which meant raising the footrests a bit more but it 'rolls' into corners more like a modern bike but has less feel than the red bike on std wheels with dunlop race crossplys.While I have not been able to ride I have let a number of other riders use the bikes and all but one prefered the crossplys.Ash, the lasers work well but are too noisy for racing without the decibel reducers fitted. The stainless lead in pipes 'brown' as soon as the bike warms up after polishing them but so far they have not burnt the baffles out. When I first put the bike together in the early 1990's, I just fitted a pair of chrome megas on some longer pipes to see what it sounded like but it burnt the chrome off on warming up!Malc

[Nortonash]

I am reducing the price on this piece of Norton history to a mere £150. I dont particularly want to sell it but I just dont have the space for all this stuff and it is better than someone gets to use it.

[Nortonash]

Tank is sold, thank you.

[Bob]

Tank is sold, thank you.

Tanks for the memory

[Rotor 1]

Hello All,In my memory, visited in 1998 the norton day at NNM.There had Graham a stand and there stood an Aurora with some missing parts?I have this on picture an video ( will put it on youtube), demonstrating an pound on the back when reving the bike.Am I correct Graham? Do you have this bike?Quote; Pity I had to sell the pair- I'd buy them back for the money I got for them any day now!I think ZFD is here a bit lieing, I visited him in june 2004 an there he has still standing the first rotary.I have pictures of it.At that time he had already sold the Norton name for millions to America.greets Rotor 1

[ZFD]

Rotor1,Had I sold the name before the bikes I'd not sold the bikes. Therefore, even if the bike (which one? The P39 Oil in Frame surely!) was still there, it may have been. I sold it on the understanding we'd get the various bits I had collected together to a rideable bike for the buyer. Which took quite a while, with parts coming from 4 different sources and other parts had to be manufactured along the press photos I had. Hence, this bike probably was still there though it was already sold.My main reason for the sale was that I was practically pennyless after my "New Norton" adventure with the BMW-engined bikes.As for the "millions"- wish they were! I did get good money, but not "millions" in any currency but probably the late Italian Lira.... not even a single one. The rotary world still profits from that trademark sale. It gave me the money to buy all the rotary leftovers at the Shenstzone auction and to set Norton Motors Ltd up with Richard Negus.

[ZFD]

I think ZFD is here a bit lieing

Though I have heard lots of tall stories from many characters in the Norton game over the last 35 years, and continue to hear more, I know some people who I have yet to catch lying. Two of them are respected contributors on this forum, ex-management of Norton Motors/Shenstone- you know them. I fondly imagine myself to be another one. I may err occasionally- Shenstone is twenty years ago now, the sale of the trademark a decade ago, and I have since been involved in Nortons every day on other fronts- but I do not lie intentionally.