1967 Norton Atlas

Hi All
I recently purchase a 1967 Norton Atlas that is engine Number 120,043. The machines records were pulled in 1986 from the Norton Archives housed at the time at the Science Museum Library, South Kensington, London. It was documented on card 887 and delivered to P Dunstall on March 17,1967. Subsequent to this it is my understanding that all Norton records were transferred to the Norton Owners Club in 2005. That said the bike is completely apart and was being prepared to go back together in the early 90’s but this never happened. The bike includes very thick fiberglass bodywork. Tank, central oil tank, fairing, seat, and bolt on fairing lowers. Both left and right lowers each have a pocket in the inside to store tools I suspect. The head is highly polished as is the mag. Has clip-ons, rear sets, alum fenders, the fairing has no dash and uses the standard Atlas speedo/ tack holder. It has swept back exhaust pipes, and Dunstall Decibel mufflers, twin leading front brake. Came with Amal 930 concentric, finned intake manifolds, and lastly chrome friction steering damper with two turned up thumbscrews for tightening. Rockers are polished as are the inlet ports. Akront Alum Rims. That’s all at the moment until I dig a little deeper. Just received it the other day. I purchased this as I was looking for a project and it seemed like it would be fun. I wasn’t really all that concerned if it was in fact a Dunstall Atlas or not. Here’s the question. Could it be a Dunstall? The only thing actually that says Dunstall is the rear set rubbers and the mufflers. No other indication of same

Congratulations on your acquisition !
In answer to your question - of course it could.
Impossible to tell without more info.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Being VIP you are able to post photos

Cheers

I'd like to see the pile too. I know nothing about Dunstall, other than what he was doing was popular in the 80's and 90's. It could be something unique, then again it might be the fun project you were looking for.

Ok I’ll load up some pictures in the morning

Sunny South Kensington!

Trying to load one HEIC apple camera file and the message i get is that the file is too large??? one photo is too large???

Schwany said:

I'd like to see the pile too. I know nothing about Dunstall, other than what he was doing was popular in the 80's and 90's. It could be something unique, then again it might be the fun project you were looking for.

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Dunstall was much more involved with Nortons in the late 60's to late 70's.

I bought a 1970 Dunstall Commando Sleeper in 1970.

Ed

Here's the pile guys

MA

APRRSV said:

Dunstall was much more involved with Nortons in the late 60's to late 70's.

I bought a 1970 Dunstall Commando Sleeper in 1970.

Ed

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Sorry for any confusion. When I mentioned popular in the 80's and 90's, I meant being talked about. I should have said what Dunstall did in the past, and not what he was doing.

I didn't have a Norton myself until the early 70's. I may have heard of Dunstall in the 70's, but did not see a Dunstall Norton until sometime in the 80's at a bike show and swap. When a Dunstall Norton would show up at the coffee stop at the little market on Skyline in the 90's a few would gather around and talk about it some. To be honest all it meant to me at the time was pricey parts I didn't need and probably couldn't get if I did want any.

It's a fantastic project. The exhausts, top yolk, rear set gear linkage, look right. rims should be alloy. Does it have finned rocker covers, brass exhaust pipe nuts, Dunstall modified head, followers & cam, alloy engine plates although chromed steel are also good but heavy, 32mm carbs? Don't reuse those pistons if you can find some new commando high compression replacements. Chaincase should be chrome. I'm not to sure about the colour of the frame.

Best of luck.

Have a recently bought an ex classic racer slimline with a 750 Commando engine. Red top fairing, tank and seat. Black central oil tank. All very thick GRP. Decals on tank marked Dunstall and smaller Norton.
Tank and top fairing looks same as your picture. Can't tell about oil tank, hard to see on your pic. Seat different on mine, rear end goes down making an integral licence plate holder.
A google search on Dunstall Norton pictures indicates that they did different seats.
So my guess is that it is Dunstall. They sold both complete bikes and parts.

Rocker covers are not finned but the intake manifolds are. Rims are Akront aluminum shoulders. Why not use the pistons? Compression too low? More photos not follow

jms said:

Rocker covers are not finned but the intake manifolds are. Rims are Akront aluminum shoulders. Why not use the pistons? Compression too low? More photos not follow

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Those pistons look to be the type that have a tendency to shed the tops. Can't tell for sure from the picture, but worth investigating. Post a larger picture.

Slick

That would be a problem

More photos

Those pistons look the same as the 8.9:1 pistons I removed from my '68 Commando to fit the new , stronger type, so yes, replace them.
Judging by the new photos, the bike is getting much better. Someone certainly likes polishing !

I've just noticed the timing side crankcase, above the cam sprocket area. What's going on there?

Boy that's a lot of polishing. I don't know how that cylinder head could be done, they seem so porous.

hybridracer said:

Those pistons look the same as the 8.9:1 pistons I removed from my '68 Commando to fit the new , stronger type, so yes, replace them.
Judging by the new photos, the bike is getting much better. Someone certainly likes polishing !

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Who makes the new stronger type and what are the actual differences? I know that the bike originally came with the dished pistons which translated to a lower compression engine than the higher compression commando type. Here‘s an oddity these pistons of mine measure at the skirt 2.865 a clear 10 thou under the standard 2.875. To be clear the standard piston size should be 2.875 and the bore of the cylinder 4-5 thou bigger than that correct?

jms said:

Who makes the new stronger type and what are the actual differences? I know that the bike originally came with the dished pistons which translated to a lower compression engine than the higher compression commando type. Here‘s an oddity these pistons of mine measure at the skirt 2.865 a clear 10 thou under the standard 2.875. To be clear the standard piston size should be 2.875 and the bore of the cylinder 4-5 thou bigger than that correct?

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This Is the type of piston you don't want
the weak point is the slot in the piston in the oil control ring groove
The stronger type are drilled