hi all, i am just completing my dads old 1975 mk3 850 interpol and after having the paint done i noticed some holes in the left side panel, they are obviously non factory as the are burred on the inside and i saw a picture of a similar year and same spec interpol on line and see the same holes, does anyone know what they were for??????
yes kind of guessed that but…
yes kind of guessed that but what ?? just curiosity really
I have a ‘76 Mk 3 850 ex-…
I have a ‘76 Mk 3 850 ex- Kenya police with exactly the same holes in left side panel. One of 16 Mk 3’s used as motorcade escort for Kenya’s first President Kenyatta from ‘76 to ‘82 when they re-equipped with BeeEms. Lived and worked there for 30 years and got my hands on one after cops got rid of them , and rebuilt it. These bikes were part Interpol models , basically Interstates with some police bits bolted on - flashing red light on a short pole mounted at the rear and alternating horns mounted at the front. No radio. Holes in side panel were for routing cables powering these police extras.
Shipped bike back to UK in 2006 when my African life ended and where it continues to ply the highways and byways here.
My 1975 850 Mk3 Interpol…
My 1975 850 Mk3 Interpol that I got from Norfolk Constabulary in 1979 had these holes too, so it seems it was a standard Interpol side panel configuration. I also wondered what the holes were for but never found out. My side panel did not look like anything had ever been fitted using those holes, as the paint around them had no fastener witness marks, inside and out. There was redundant wiring in lots of places where police kit had been removed, but nothing behind the panel.
Andy
Holes in side panel were for…
Holes in side panel were for routing cables powering these police extras Not for wires. Best option I can see is some small 'gubins' on the inside of the panel with these holes being being bolt holes. The mystery continues. I wonder if the is any retired Policemen about who rode these bikes?
Problem solved ;-)
Having spoken with my grand-daughter, who recently joined the Northampton Police service, I can confirm they were indeed bolt-holes- for where the optional doughnut holder was fitted.
In case this mystery still…
In case this mystery still holds interest reckon the definitive answer can be found in this site's menu under "History - Interpol" with the comprehensive article by Gerry Scott for the 1999 club calendar. Under "Early Examples" Paragraph 6. Various electronic bits (Lucas HC3 horn control unit , 6RA relays and blue light flasher unit) were bolted to left hand side panel. Would imagine this LH side panel with mounting holes drilled was supplied to the end of the Interpol model in all its variants discontinued in '76 regardless if holes were used or not.
The cable routing assumption for mine was wrong (even with a grommet) while a doughnut mounting bracket was the most imaginative ...
Doughnuts....
Now is that with sugar or cinnamon?
Old Jokes.
"A mystery hole has been spotted in a Norton Interpol side panel....The Police are looking into it."
something police equipment related attached to the inside is likely reason.