Whatever happened to.......

[Bass]

I have this vague recollection (they are mostly vague these days), when I was in High school (God, that's a lifetime ago) that Norton were playing around with a parallel twin 2 stroke.
It was a stepped piston arrangement, 180 degree crank and the piston step on one side was the charge pump for the combustion chamber on the other side.
The idea was that it allowed a wet sump 2 stroke and so better longevity and reduced production cost.
Does anyone know what became of it and if any examples still exist?

[Paul in NZ]

You mean the Wulf?

Norton Wulf 500

The first modern multi-cylinder stepped piston engine, designed by Bernard Hooper whilst Chief Engineer of Norton Villiers Ltd. The engine was 500cc capacity producing 42 BHP at 6500 RPM, achieving a mean top speed of 103.15mph at the MIRA proving grounds. Group Chairman, Dennis Poore, insisted that the basic engine should be able to allow for a 750cc unit from the same engine block. This means that the 500cc unit shown is of course much larger than it would otherwise be. The air cooled Wulf shown above was further developed at BHE as a liquid cooled Wulf II unit in the interests of low emissions and greater efficiency. The Norton Wulf, Wulf II and Norton 76 (new Commando replacement) are currently on loan to the National Motorcycle Museum at Solihull in England.

[Bass]

You mean the Wulf?

.

Excellent !!!!!!!
Yes that's the beast. Thanks for that.
I think they were trying to bring it out about the same time as they finally threw in the towel.

I always thought it was a rather cunning idea. It allowed: -

1. A degree of supercharging
2. A simpler, stronger crank
3. Separation of lube oil from the combustion, so much cleaner - I actually have mixed feelings about that one - a smokeless 2 smoker, but it might have meant that they survived for longer

Of course those stepped pistons were pretty large and so it was probably a bitch of a motor to try and balance, but I was sorry to see it go down. I thought that it held real promise.

[tri boy]

I'm trying hard to like it,( because it's a Norton), but..........

[pete376403]

Excellent !!!!!!!
Yes that's the beast. Thanks for that.
IOf course those stepped pistons were pretty large and so it was probably a bitch of a motor to try and balance, but I was sorry to see it go down. I thought that it held real promise.

Norton had lots of expertise at, if not stopping motors vibrate, at least keeping it from shaking the bike to bits