Painting my '74 Commando side panels

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
140
Time to paint the tank and side panels on my stock '74 'Commando'. I've trawled through the archives here and determined that the '850 Commando' script on the side panels should be parallel to the ground, not to the top of the side panel. What about the stripes along the leading edge of the panel and across the top. It strikes me that they should be parallel with the edge of the panel, not the ground, or they would look weird. If I do that, however, the stripes and the '850 Commando' decal won't be parallel to each other. Is that weirder still......?

A further question: I'm trying to keep the bike as close as possible to original specs. What I cannot determine is whether the '74 Commando even had stripes on the side cover from the factory. Google images seems to show both. Mine seems to have had the stripes added later because the lettering seems original, but the stripes a nasty later addition. Here's my side panel:
Painting my '74 Commando side panels


My plan is to mask and hand paint the stripes on the tank and the side panels (assuming side panel stripes were stock). The problem i foresee is that the colour may not be an exact match to the script decals--though I have access to the original factory gold coloured paint. Are there stencils for the 'Norton' script on the tank and the '850 Commando' script for the side panels so I could use paint for those instead of decals? Is that a better option? If there are stencils, can anyone steer me toward a supplier.
 
Pinstripes yes for 1974, twin pinstripes like only the 850 had.

A rijjinal sidecover, taken off in the 1970s because of damage.
Still the original factory finish.
Decal and pinstripes are only subtly different to be parallel to ground and to the top edge.

Painting my '74 Commando side panels
 
Nielsen said:
My plan is to mask and hand paint the stripes on the tank and the side panels (assuming side panel stripes were stock). The problem i foresee is that the colour may not be an exact match to the script decals--though I have access to the original factory gold coloured paint. Are there stencils for the 'Norton' script on the tank and the '850 Commando' script for the side panels so I could use paint for those instead of decals? Is that a better option? If there are stencils, can anyone steer me toward a supplier.

As you may be able to see, above, the decals and the pinstripes were never quite the same shade of gold.
In this example, anyway.

Someone on ebay is selling a decal and pinstripe stickon kit, all in one.
An oddity is that it is for 750 Commando only though, it seems.
When the 750 never had twin pinstripes....

Some sellers do offer them as a stencil, may need a bit of searching, don't recall where I saw them.
Hopefully someone will chime in...
 
One thing I did when I painted mine was to make diagrams of the originals with dimensions to get them back as close as possible. The decal kits are not quite the same as the original hand painted covers though.

This is a pic with dimensions I made.

Painting my '74 Commando side panels
 
Thanks for the info. I've measured out the stripes and the decals on both the tank and the side panels just as you did. My '850 Commando' side-panel decal is certainly not parallel to the ground, being higher at the front--which makes me think they aren't original after all. The stripes are closer to parallel to the top of the panel.

Dennisgb: from your diagram I can't tell whether the heights are consistent right across the strips/decal.
 
Its perhaps also worth noting that it has been mentioned here before that its about ESSENTIAL to
apply the decals and pinstripes, or the marking out for, with the tank and sidecovers installed on the bike.
If applied off the bike, they are likely to look to be heading uphill or downhill when installed.

This pic, said to be still original paint (but otherwise restored) you can see the sidecovers pointing slightly upwards,
but the decals/pinstriping is parallel to the horizontal, as you mentioned.
Yes we know its red not black, but the layout is same same.
Painting my '74 Commando side panels

There is a slight affect from the centrestand which also needs to be allowed for, for perfectionists...
 
Nielsen said:
Thanks for the info. I've measured out the stripes and the decals on both the tank and the side panels just as you did. My '850 Commando' side-panel decal is certainly not parallel to the ground, being higher at the front--which makes me think they aren't original after all. The stripes are closer to parallel to the top of the panel.

Dennisgb: from your diagram I can't tell whether the heights are consistent right across the strips/decal.

The right side often looks worst IMO. Maybe something to do with being attached to the oil tank... I relieved the front spacer a bit and added a washer to the back one to help. The tops of the z-plates are a good reference for getting the decals/stencils level.
 
I did these with stencils for both the lettering and the pinstripes.
Both with or without the different coloured border on the lettering

Painting my '74 Commando side panels


Painting my '74 Commando side panels


Here's the WIP - the black border went on first, followed by the silver - turned out just fine :)

Painting my '74 Commando side panels


It got quite addictive in the end...

Painting my '74 Commando side panels


And finally - black & gold - apologies for the picture quality

Painting my '74 Commando side panels


If you need stencils please PM me.
Incidentally, due to going Interstate I now have a black & gold Roadster tank & panels (all new) which are surplus to requirements if anyone is interested.
 
So it does look as though the best bet is to have the lines and the script parallel to each other, and parallel to the ground (when the bike is off its stand). Your pictures are sooooooo inspiring, I gotta say. .....or is that intimidating :wink:
 
Nielsen said:
Dennisgb: from your diagram I can't tell whether the heights are consistent right across the strips/decal.

The measurement is to the outer edge of the striping. The one thing that is funny in your picture is the stripe seems to roll over the edge of the radius and is not straight. The stripes are on the flat facing surface next to the radius on all the factory covers I have seen. Also, If you look at the MKIII compared to the non-MKII the Commando logo is positioned slightly different. I'm pretty sure the striping was the same bike to bike though. There are some slight differences as the stripes were hand painted.

Edit: Nielson yours are not stock, because the stock stripes come together at the tips at the back end...yours are cut off straight and open...they also look raised like a decal. The factory stripes were almost the same level as the paint because they were hand painted.
 
Well observed, Dennisgb. On closer inspection I realized that my stripes were, in fact, simply nasty gold tape! I long suspected they weren't original, but I hadn't noticed the the tips come together at the end. I went to the Vancouver bike show yesterday and spent a long time chatting with a professional tank-painter. He turned me on to a German line of masking tapes designed for people doing stripes. The company is called FBS, and the tape is 'proband Fineline', comes in three types depending on curves or straight lines, and a multitude of thicknesses. Hopefully this info might be useful to someone. Looks like fabulous stuff.
 
Quick update.... My stencils for the side cover script and side cover strips, plus the stencil for the 'Norton' script are now ordered.

I had a thought: anybody used real gold leaf instead of paint for the stripes and script? I've now watched several Youtubes on it, and it strikes me that this may be the way to go--and doesn't look impossible for newbies. I have, of course, never worked with gold leaf, so this may be a dumb idea best left for experts. Any thoughts/experiences with this application, and how the end product looks if done well?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top