The recent auction of an F1 Sport prompted an RC regular to comment that Norton's rotary-repli-road-racer was 'slab-sided and bland.' Once we'd recovered from the shock of such a suggestion, we dug out some photos so you can make up your own mind...

Superbike magazine said:

'The noise it makes is unique in modern motorcycling. The seductive twin rotor noise makes you act like a kid on a 125 at the traffic lights, winding it up and letting it fall, just to hear that sweet jangling mechanical crescendo peaking in the middle.'

'Mid-range acceleration is fierce. Throttle response is decidedly lively. The rotary has the poke of a stroker and the width of a four. It's not peaky and the power spread is as broad as it's long. It's torquey and flexible.'

'The riding position is very comfortable. Steering response is light and sharp. A lot of thought has gone into weight distribution, steering geometry and suspension. You simply can't fault the way the excellent individual cycle components have been brought together.'

'Housed in a hand-crafted Spondon aluminium twin-beam frame, riding on 17-inch wheels with multi-adjustable WP suspension, it exudes poise, balance and a barely-concealed keenness for a fast, twisty road.'

Rotary Norton Stuff on

Performance Bikes said:

'The F1 weighs 215kg, sits in a very posh rolling chassis, makes 77.5bhp at the rear wheel and does just over 140. The handling's brilliant, braking ditto, and even a casual inspection will tell you the bike's beautifully made.'

'At £12,700 it's not a rip-off. This is what it costs to build a high quality motorcycle in the UK - engine development and all - from the ground up. What is amazing is that puny little Norton, with their tiny R&D budget can, in a world dominated by Japan's megabucks, produced a finished motorcycle this good.'

Motorcycle International said:

'The F1 is a devilishly good-looking motorcycle and there are few who'll disagree with you on that.'

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