Norton Dunstall
Norton Dunstall
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Norton Dunstall

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Norton Dunstall

The Dunstall Norton was a Norton motorcycle made by Paul Dunstall, a specialist tuner of the 1960s and early 1970s twins originally using some parts from Norton's Domiracer project when the Birmingham factory was closed in 1963. In 1966 Dunstall Motorcycles became a motorcycle manufacturer in its own right so that Dunstalls could compete in production races, and set a number of world records before sales of the Dunstall Nortons declined in the 1970s consistent with the demise of the British motor cycle industry and a corresponding rise in Japanese imports.

Paul Dunstall had already turned his attention to modifying Japanese marques before the collapse of Norton (then part of the fated NVT) in 1974. After several more successful years, he left the bike scene to concentrate his attention on property development.[citation needed]

Paul Dunstall sold the name in 1982. The name is now owned by Burton Bike Bits Ltd, and trades under the name Dunstall Motorcycles.

Dunstall started modifying Nortons in 1957, at the age of 18, when he converted a Norton Dominator into a competitive racing motorcycle. As well as fitting a Norton Manx gearbox and wheels, Dunstall balanced the crankshaft and installed the Dominator engine into a Manx Norton frame. With places and two outright wins at Brands Hatch in his first season, after graduating to a higher level with places in his second season at other circuits, Dunstall retired from racing to work in his family's scooter shop and develop performance motorcycle parts

Initially, Dunstall conceived simple 'bolt on' modifications such as 'Goldie' pattern straight-through replacement silencers which he called 'Hi-Tune' and exhaust pipes, creating his first catalogue in 1961 and gradually growing the business.

Dunstall built engines for other racers and purchased parts leftover from Norton's Domiracer project when the factory closed in 1963, using his know-how to further develop high-performance motorcycles built to order.

From 1966, Dunstall's customers could choose from a standard catalogue offering a range of speed parts, race-styled accessories and complete ready-modified bikes from Norton, BSA, and Triumph in capacities from 500cc upwards

In 1966 Dunstall Motorcycles became a motorcycle manufacturer in its own right so that Dunstalls could compete in production races and the Auto-Cycle Union, which is the governing body for motorcycle racing in Britain, approved Dunstall Dominators as a marque for the production race in the 1967 Isle of Man TT.

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