Editing Wankel engine (section)

==Motorcycle applications==
The first Wankel-engined motorcycle was an [[MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk|MZ]]-built [[MZ ES 250]], fitted with a water-cooled KKM&nbsp;175&nbsp;W Wankel engine. An air-cooled version followed this in 1965, called the KKM&nbsp;175&nbsp;L. The engine produced {{cvt|24|bhp|kW|0}} at 6,750{{nbsp}}rpm, but the motorcycle never went into series production.<ref name="Walker 2004 p. 27-28">{{cite book |last1=Walker |first1=M. |title=Mz |publisher=Redline Books |series=Enthusiasts Series |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-9544357-4-5 |pages=27–28}}</ref>

===Norton===
{{Multiple image
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| caption1 = '''Figure 26.'''<br/>[[Norton Classic]] air-cooled twin-rotor motorcycle
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| caption2 = '''Figure 27.'''<br/>Norton Interpol2 prototype
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In Britain, [[Norton Motorcycles]] developed a Wankel rotary engine for [[motorcycle]]s, based on the Sachs air-cooled rotor Wankel that powered the DKW/Hercules W-2000 motorcycle. This two-rotor engine was included in the [[Norton Commander (motorcycle)|Commander]] and [[Norton F1|F1]]. Norton improved on Sachs's air cooling, introducing a plenum chamber. [[Suzuki]] also made a production motorcycle powered by a Wankel engine, the [[Suzuki RE5|RE-5]], using ferro[[TiC]] alloy apex seals and an NSU rotor in a successful attempt to prolong the engine's life.

In the early 1980s, using earlier work at [[Birmingham Small Arms|BSA]], [[Norton Motorcycle Company|Norton]] produced the air-cooled twin-rotor [[Norton Classic|Classic]], followed by the liquid-cooled [[Norton Commander (motorcycle)|Commander]] and the Interpol2 (a police version).<ref name="p1htL">{{Citation |url=http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoraeder/Norton/Motorraeder_Triumph/motorraeder_triumph.html |title=Triumph-Norton Wankel |publisher=Der Wankelmotor |place=DE |access-date=2012-08-14}} ([http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.der-wankelmotor.de%2FMotoraeder%2FNorton%2FMotorraeder_Triumph%2Fmotorraeder_triumph.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 translation]).</ref> Subsequent Norton Wankel bikes included the [[Norton F1]], F1 Sports, RC588, [[Norton RCW588]], and NRS588. Norton proposed a new 588-cc twin-rotor model called the "NRV588" and a 700-cc version called the "NRV700".<ref name="8j5sm">{{cite web|url= http://www.jpsnorton.com/|title=JPSNorton.com when the British rotary engined racers ruled UK superbikes |website=jpsnorton.com}}</ref> A former mechanic at Norton, Brian Crighton, started developing his own rotary engined motorcycles line named "Roton", which won several Australian races.

Despite successes in racing,<ref name="oMPvj">{{cite web|url= http://www.jpsnorton.com/race-results/ |title=Race Results - JPS Norton|first1=Neil|last1=Meads |website=jpsnorton.com}}</ref> no motorcycles powered by Wankel engines have been produced for sale to the general public for road use since 1992.

===Yamaha===
In 1972, [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]] introduced the RZ201 at the [[Tokyo Motor Show]], a prototype with a Wankel engine, weighing 220&nbsp;kg and producing {{convert|60|hp|abbr=on}} from a twin-rotor 660-cc engine (US patent N3964448). In 1972, Kawasaki presented its two-rotor Kawasaki X99 rotary engine prototype (US patents N 3848574 &3991722). Both Yamaha and Kawasaki claimed to have solved the problems of poor fuel economy, high exhaust emissions, and poor engine longevity in early Wankels, but neither prototype reached production.

===Hercules===
In 1974, Hercules produced [[Hercules W-2000|W-2000]] Wankel motorcycles, but low production numbers meant the project was unprofitable, and production ceased in 1977.<ref name="J2L1g">{{cite web|url= http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoraeder/Hercules/hercules.html |title= Hercules W2000 |publisher=Der Wankelmotor |location=DE |access-date=2009-07-03}}</ref>

===Suzuki===
From 1975 to 1976, [[Suzuki]] produced its [[Suzuki RE5|RE5]] single-rotor Wankel motorcycle. It was a complex design, with both [[Radiator (engine cooling)|liquid cooling]] and [[oil cooling]], and multiple lubrication and [[carburetor]] systems. It worked well and was smooth, but it did not sell well because it was heavy and had a modest power output of {{convert|62|hp|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ncNHg">{{Citation |url= http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2006/08/remembering-rotary-suzuki-re-5.html |title=Remembering Rotary: Suzuki RE-5 |publisher=Faster and Faster |date=August 14, 2006 |access-date=2012-08-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120910121723/http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2006/08/remembering-rotary-suzuki-re-5.html |archive-date=September 10, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Suzuki opted for a complicated oil-cooling and water-cooling system. The exhaust pipes become very hot, with Suzuki opting for a finned exhaust manifold, twin-skinned exhausted pipes with cooling grilles, heatproof pipe wrappings, and silencers with heat shields. Suzuki had three lube systems, while Garside had a single total-loss oil injection system that fed both the main bearings and the intake manifolds. Suzuki chose a single rotor that was fairly smooth, but with rough patches at 4,000&nbsp;rpm. Suzuki mounted the massive rotor high in the frame.<ref name="D1mEV">"Cycle World" Magazine March 1971</ref>
Although it was described to handle well, the result was that the Suzuki was heavy, overcomplicated, expensive to manufacture, and, at 62&nbsp;bhp, short on power.

===Van Veen===
Dutch motorcycle importer and manufacturer [[Van Veen (motorcycle)|Van Veen]] produced small quantities of a dual-rotor Wankel-engined OCR-1000 motorcycle between 1978 and 1980, using surplus [[Comotor]] engines. The OCR 1000 engine used a modified KKM 624 engine initially intended for the [[Citroën GS Birotor|Citroën GS Birotor car]].<ref name="sw66B">{{cite web|url= https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/more-classic-motorcycles/van-veen-ocr-1000-rotary-engine-motorcycle-zmmz11sozraw|title=2011 Van Veen OCR 1000 Rotary Engine Motorcycle |website=motorcycleclassics.com |date=September 2011 }}</ref> Whereby an electronic map ignition from Hartig replaced the ignition distributor.<ref name="Der Spiegel (2)">''Der Spiegel'' Magazin, Ausgabe Nr. 38 von 1978, S. 256 ff.</ref>