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If you’re out of fuel there’s no point in having your hand on the throttle, but you may want to pull the clutch in whilst faffing around finding the fuel tap… in the dark… with gloved hands… etc.
My original '75 Roadster tank has a Reserve sticker on the left side of the tank, I have had that bike since 1988. I also have an original Interstate tank that was in a Norton box, it did not have any stickers. Both have original factory paint and do not appear to have been altered in any way.The reserve tap and sticker were usually on the right-hand side up to about 1975 when the reserve tap was moved to the left hand side and had no sticker as the tap type was marked on the tap plate.
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The same reserve decal is in the 1968 parts book onwards to '74.
Probably why they changed it around 74 ish. The riders pack came with a typed slip of paper which advised the change.
As it says in various parts books "All the above (tanks) are less decals".
The "wear away" part is probably the reason for the question. I have has several original paint tanks that did not have the transfer but the transfer was probably removed after it mostly wore away. When I bought my 72 roadster from the original owner it had original paint but the "d"s and the reserve transfer were both missing. I am working on a mk 2 850 now that has original paint but no reserve transfer. Probably was once there but did not survive over the years. THX.
Les,As it was in the parts books from '68 to '74 apparently for all (not Mk3) then it should have been there. Could some bikes have left the factory without it then yes I suppose so but after this time it would seem to be an unanswerable question.
Could have been fitted by a previous owner then especially if they'd changed the useless easy-break nylon pin type taps that were fitted to the Mk3 (middle below). I had one on my Mk3 I don't know how it lasted that long assuming it was original and it was broken.
