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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.〔http://www.nortonmotors.co.uk/Rotary%20Racing2.htm〕 Initially sponsored by John Player & Sons, the Norton Rotary achieved significant racing success with riders Steve Spray, Trevor Nation and Ron Haslam, followed by a win at the 1992 Senior TT race by Steve Hislop,〔http://www.jpsnorton.com〕 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.〔''Motor Cycle News'' (UK weekly newspaper) 12 September 1990, p.25. ''Go ahead for Norton GP attack'', Mat Oxley. Accessed and added 26 October 2015〕 ==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,〔 http://www.jpsnorton.com/the-team/〕 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. 〔''Motor Cycle News'' (UK weekly newspaper) 12 September 1990, pp.cover, 25. ''Crighton shock for Norton Team'', Mat Oxley. Accessed and added 23 October 2015〕 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.〔''Motor Cycle News'' (UK weekly newspaper) 24 April 1991, p.9 ''Roton's on right track''. Accessed and added 23 October 2015〕 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. File:Ron Haslam on a Norton motorcycle.jpg|Ron Haslam on a JPS Norton RCW588 racer File:Crighton Norton Rotary RCW588 Duckhams cropped.jpg|Brian Crighton with his Spondon-framed, rotary-engined twinshock Norton at Donington Park in 1993 (ridden by Jim Moodie) File:Norton Rotary 2009 cropped.JPG|Michael Dunlop's updated Norton NRV588 rotary racer with Spondon frame and single, side-mounted rear suspension unit developed for the Norton company owner Stuart Garner, seen at the 2009 TT races〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Norton RCW588」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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