Black barrels - Siver barrels

PeterJoe said:

While looking through my Norton Commando Parts Book, the cylinder part number is 063823. However, in my Mark II/IIA Supplement Sheets, the cylinder part number is 065074. Could this difference in part numbers mean the difference in color, or is there some other reason?

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That sounds about right to me.
As I understand it (I'm blatantly goading L.A.B. to chime in here ), the first (round badge, points behind the cylinder) Fastbacks seemed to have black barrels, and thereafter I presume all '750s had silver barrels until the Combat came out.
I believe (again...) the black barrels were re-introduced for the Combat - possibly as a means of differentiating? That's what I've always assumed, anyway :?
The first 850s all seem to have silver barrels, and the MKIIA went back to black again - mine is stamped 9/73 with a 308XXX engine number, 90% rust when I got it, but no evidence of them ever having been silver.



They look quite a bit prettier now!
PJ1 did a good job, but I've since discovered that 2-pack black does a good job too.
I need to do some silver ones soon, so I'll find out if 2-pack silver works.

Well, since LAB is uncharacteristically slow to respond, I'll put in my $0.02 worth. There is evidence in 1969 brochures that some fastbacks had black barrels and some silver. I believe all 1969 "S" models were silver. All 1970 and 1971 cylinders were silver. In 1972, Combat engines had black barrels, but the low compression engines had silver barrels. In 1973 all engines had silver barrels. The '74 and '75 barrels were black. Dealers of the day would do whatever it takes to make a sale, so it is not hard to believe that some silver cylinders were painted black at the dealer.

Ron L said:

In 1973 all engines had silver barrels. .

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My MK5 750 (03/73) has black barrels.

my 73 750 (stamped date is Nov 72) had silver barrels. i painted them black cause i liked the look and thought it would look better longer as well