Norton Commando Interpol 1

From Wikipedia:

The Norton Interpol was a police motorcycle produced by the British manufacturer Norton between 1969 and 1976. The Interpol was based on the company's Commando model. The 'Interpol' name was retained for Norton's later Norton Interpol 2 rotary engined police motorcycle.

Some police forces had expressed interest in the Commando. Norton's chairman, Dennis Poore, recruited Neale Shilton, who had just left Triumph to produce a Commando to police specifications. Shilton had been responsible for the success of the Triumph Saint amongst police forces and as Fleet Sales Manager had made many contacts within various police forces. The result was the 'Interpol' machine, which sold well to police forces, both at home and abroad. The 750 cc machine was fitted with panniers, top box, fairing, radio mountings, police lights, and auxiliary equipment.

The machine was first exhibited at the 1969 Brighton Bike Show and was fitted with an Avon fairing with a blue light and Craven panniers. The tank was derived from the Atlas, but with a modified underside to clear the Commando's top frame tube, and a single seat. Shilton took the bike around the UK demonstrating it to the various police forces. Once production started, the basic machine was assembled in the factory and the accessories such as fairings and panniers were fitted off-site. The exact specification varied dependent on the individual forces' requirement. A disc front brake was offered as an option from 1971 and make standard in 1972. Fitment of this required new handlebars so the master cylinder cleared the fairing. Reverse cone silencers were fitted in 1972, but not upswept like other models in the Commando range so as to give room for the panniers. The larger Interstate tank was fitted from 1972.

Most Interpols were finished in white, but some were supplied in dark blue or black and without fairings to be used as 'unmarked' vehicles.

Police radios were usually fitted to the petrol tank. There was no standard police radio with different forces using different radios. The radios were expensive and were reused when a new bike was brought, leading to a multitude of fitting requirements for the radio. The tank from the previous police version of the Atlas was carried over, with a modified underside to overcome the differences between the Atlas and Commando frames. Four variant were available: plain, with a radio recess, with screwed inserts or with pommels. (The bike exhibited at the Brighton Bike show had a recessed tank with a Cossar radio, with although obsolete was still in common use).

The Lancashire Constabulary were one of the largest forces in England at the time. They pioneered moving the radio from the tank to a rear box behind the rider. When the 5 imp gal (23 L; 6.0 US gal) Interstate tank was introduced in 1972 to give the bikes a longer range, this added further reasoning to use a rear mounted radio. The Pye Westminster was introduced in 1967 and became available in various car and motorcycle configurations as well as offering more features and channels. It was also lighter and smaller than its predecessors. The Westminster eventually became the most used police radio.