Dave Sundquist Nortons (2018)

i think i saw a few demonstrations at bike shows & was quite amazed.

dunno about norton engine cases & this part tho
cracked aluminium engine blocks
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I've had personal experience with Dave and seen some of his restorations done on his customer's bikes. They were totally stock, and restored to mint condition, better than original.
The bikes and the mods shown on his videos, are mostly his personal bikes.
His mods and design of his bikes look similar to some of the new bobbers that are coming out today. He has been doing this work over 40 years, so obviously he is ahead of his time.
It may not be for everyone, but the work is outstanding and certainly unique.
I own a Norton fastback that he restored for a customer over 30 years ago.
I removed the Dunstall exhaust system and put a centre stand on and changed the carbs, which didn't impress Dave, as he thought I ruined the unique style of the bike. He hasn't talked to me since, hopefully one day he will forgive me.
I also installed a Colorado Norton starter and belt drive.
Otherwise, after sitting for 27 years in a basement covered with a sheet, there are no oil leaks and she runs like a new bike.
In my opinion, Redline Dave's mechanical and paint skills are second to none.
Jim
 
With the level of meticulous workmanship exibited on these bikes you would have to be one arrogant S.O.B to think that it is necessary to point out perceived flaws. I am looking forward to seeing the work of those who criticise. It must be spectacular.
 
Thanks you gentlemen, it's as I suspected. This sounds like a product all of us hobbyists/hacks could use.
 
On this forum, it's not cool to use language like this:

"With the level of meticulous workmanship exibited on these bikes you would have to be one arrogant S.O.B to think that it is necessary to point out perceived flaws."
 
More a matter of taste than flaws. Sounds like Dave himself may be a bit arrogant, getting his panties in a knot because someone liked a different exhaust system than the one he provided.
 
Danno said:
Styling aside, the exhaust is beyond words. As someone who rides with high pipes, that slip-on would hold your leg waaayyy out. Everything looks well executed and superbly finished.
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hobot said:
You old fart stick in the mud just bite your tongues, that is a world class execution of elegant mods and inventiveness on clever OIF, that simply taps spine to drain out and pump back with only two holes in spine, not counting the pretty filler cap. Sounds more throaty than most so whats not to love and admire? Its an isolastic Commando, so even delicate mudguard stays are quite sufficient. Ya do know the billet side cover is also an significant oil tank cooler. Exhaust system must weigh half of ordinary common cafe's. Has long travel hi stance forks like Ms Peel so can out lean any ordinary common cafe's or too low slung racers I've seen foul peg to ruin a turn. Single squish small combustion chambers Full Auto can eat heart out over, ignored in put down opinions. Extra oil feed on cam/lobes, so nil damage below 2000 rpm, none the rest of us have. No claim of being a hot rod, just a dam decent pulling please'r. Its got Combat 2S cam so no end to power increase till blows up or pilot says uncle. Smallish hi velocity ports. Art deco chrome header roller coaster are dizzy impressive functional, snarly growly to tingle everyone's groins in authoritative delight w/o mis firing annoyance obnoxious Hogs. Tidy filter before enters rod journals, cool. Bragging rights on crank and tank ventilation w/o a flapper valve in sight! Polished robust Qualfe shell, like Ms Peel had before deciding on blower motor and nary a one ya yoose snubs got. Made frame more robust with lightened cradle I'm eating my holie-ness heart out over. Light headed oxygen flood just now to get past....
Dealt with my own AMC beef, lay shaft sleeve bush oiling over sight. Only one way to understand that issue so doubt only a few here ever will so over heads to recognize superior wisdom, most will not need anyway. Closest fitting swing arm following rear mudgaurd with robust extra vibe dampening fracture resistance no one else even thought about let alone do so elegant nice an ass end to look & stroke. Triangulated swing arm implies he knows about that bugger flexing to onset The Hinge Horror. He's not the first but still one of the few. Aw shit, even polished and red nipple covered the zerk on spindle covers, what a freaking obnoxious trailer queen jerk show off to envy. Air fill shocks like my load lugging car I'd never heard about on a Norton before, the dirty bastard Norton fence jumper should be drawn quartered if seen in public. Kind of a braggart on the front hub machining teasing others to mimic with plain facts to face. He faced solve identical rear hub issues Mz Peel did so up to speed on those trick triple alignment details. He likely measured on a bench, I hung frame leveled vertical from rathers with gear box/sprocket installed to make chain a plumb line everything else referenced too. Mz Peel is rather more intricate complexly simple Water Buffloo vintage bodge, cushdrive changeable sprocket like his and prettier vintage art deco to me. He warns others if rear - cascades of out the box machining compromises perfection plus plain brutal methods I can so appreciate and also advise don't attempt it unless a lugwig, Schmidt, Comstock, Canaga Jves, hobot sort of resources. Not afraid of opinion to use kissing cusion HD parts like me,oooh sinfulness of that. OMG its a freaking camel hump under modifed tank, extra strong stem and Deere under frame extra isolastic, sheeze, over killing me.
I see he's moved lighter kick stand to rear for more vertical stress loading like Mz Peel with lifted forks too. Ruined the iconic Z plates, so would slack him silly on that let down. Alexander The Great Gordian Knot Hog elegant rear loop solution with 1 inch taller shocks wisdom. Wonder plans on butchered frame so time well spent in fantasy land come true. Ain't got half the screwy features of Mz Peel so a laggard w/o much taste to me too eh.
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"You old fart stick in the mud just bite your tongues,"
lol

~ 16:45 talks about 1& only return line from the back of the engine to splash the cams & lifters


 
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worntorn said:
So you liked it......or maybe not??
I'm ok either way, I just posted them as they are all interesting modifications of our beloved Commandos.
And the guy has some serious skills.

Glen
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not to mention serious stories!!

Haven't run across anyone else out there anywhere, doing anything near (the customizing part) where he's at & what he does.

Looks like adjustable front air assist forks on the front, started to see that ~ 78 then a factory thing all over, nice easy adjust if/when switching from solo light rides then going heavyweight touring.
 
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Dave's bikes are works of art. There are a couple of you tube vids of his creations out there. He has several finished Nortons in his shop now and still working on Nortons after over forty years and probably still the same guy! He has a two of his bikes on local CL now, an original Dunstall and an 850 bobber.
 
Different strokes for different folks.

...or else, there will be tears...
 
I took my bike to his shop two yrs ago to have him make suggestions on certian issues. Got to check out his three personal machines and they are very impressive. All three were/still are listed on local CL for sale, in the $14k to $16k range. That's CAD, so quite reasonable I would think.
Must have been there more than two hours. He had lots to say on just about anything I looked/asked about.

EDIT: I've placed links to his current AD's over in the CL thread: https://accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/redline-norton-bikes.34495/
 
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Sanquist also has a section on one of his bike videos where he discusses spark plug indexing and how he sets his up using added split type washers if needed to give his desired plug gap orientation.
 
Tornado said:
Sanquist also has a section on one of his bike videos where he discusses spark plug indexing and how he sets his up using added split type washers if needed to give his desired plug gap orientation.
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Spark plug indexing has been around for ever I used to do it I have never noticed any difference personally
 
Gents,

I just visited David's presentation of the Dunstall bike. Pressure lubrication of the camshaft lobes is a nice feature. I know JC also does this on his cruiser. However, David claims that the camshaft metering is to 1/16 thou while head metering is 3/32 thou allegedly.
This would hardly let any oil through (1 thou = 0.0254 mm). He probably meant 1/16" and 3/32". The rocker oil feed line has an ID of 1/4" I guess. Metering jets are required at the rocker feeds as well as the camshaft to prevent over=oiling of the camshaft, which has the lesser restriction. Using the above metering dimensions, and varying the inflow k * 1 L/min at cruise rpm (3000 rpm), p0 = 48 psi = 3.30 bar for a good feed pump, we may calculate a pressure drop of 0.001 bar at each of the head metering connectors and a pressure drop of 0.003 bar at the camshaft metering connector, assuming no line area change. Applying some simplifications (incompressible flow, neglect of height differences) we derive at the following result:

inflow factor (* 100% of feed pump capacity) Flow ratio of camshaft / head
0.1 0.862
0.3 0.836
0.5 0.794

(the columns won't line up unfortunately)

The volume split is almost constant at 0.8 to 0.86. However, by supplying this much oil to the camshaft, supply to the cylinder head is reduced by about 45% vs. the standard configuration. I doubt that's a possibility without increasing the pump capacity.
Hence, I believe David devised a different type of oil pump into his motors with this kind of lubrication system. A custom oil pump would explain how he is able to integrate a pressurized feed filter as well.

-Knut
 
baz said:
Spark plug indexing has been around for ever I used to do it I have never noticed any difference personally
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NGK states this regarding indexing:

"

INDEXING​

Indexing is done by placing (usually copper) washers of varying thickness on the spark plug shoulder, so that when the spark plug is tightened, the plug will rotate a certain amount, and gap will point in the desired direction. In most engines, performance will improve when the spark plug gap opens toward the intake valve(s). However, without testing different index positions in an engine on a dyno, it is nearly impossible to determine which index increases performance. Indexing spark plugs will typically make only a few more horsepower – usually less than 1% of total engine output. For a 500 hp engine, that’s only 5 hp. It is usually not worth the effort.

There are also drawbacks to indexing spark plugs. When washers are added, the spark plug may loosen if the washers don’t crush properly and hold the torque. Also, if too many washers are added, the firing end of the plug will not be as far into the combustion chamber and performance can decrease.

"
So, unless you are racing and trying to squeeze as much power out as possible, then no need I guess.
 
Has anyone had a chance to look inside one of Dave Sundquist's engines to see how he did his pressurized supply filter plumbing?

I am not overly impressed by his top end drain. If it was me, I would have drained the top end directly into the sump. The pressurized cam lubrication by cold fresh oil seems a better idea to me, provided oil pump delivery capacity and pressure is sufficient.

- Knut
 
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