Reynolds

CO T

Joined
May 23, 2015
Messages
8
Does anyone know if the early P11s (not P11A or Ranger) had the Reynolds decal on the right front frame downtube like the P11As and Rangers had?

I'm questioning whether NV had the marketing foresight to put that on the early P11 Cheetahs. Seems like mythology to me.

Any help is appreciated.
 
mine is on the left hand side, I put it there on good knowledge from a reliable friend. I am sure he is right. it is about 30mm down from the welded boss?. there were also 2 types of sticker apparently. earlier and later?
 
Thank you for the information. Any thoughts on the infamous Norton Villiers "Green Ball" on the P11A? I see it listed as a transfer for the fuel tank but I have never seen one with it.
 
This is the only pic I can think of with a 'Green Ball' P11A
Reynolds


I don't know where this was (Australia or UK, I think), but it was perhaps a decade ago. I don't think you'll see that many P11s in one place again.
 
That is how i did it.

2014-04-SixT8-09_zpsre6trs5r.png


From Hycam i got the following information:

The green ball should be 3-4 cm in a straight line behind the gas filler with the silver transfer.
These are vinyl transfers so no clear coat is
necessary.
Hope this helps.

Grn%20ball%20genuine%20300dpi%20PC_zpsiegqqafo.png
 
Last edited:
i have never seen or heard of the green ball sticker, what is it etc?. we have a meeting here in the Uk with up to 15/20 p11s in a group. I will try and find the photos and post.
 
mudplugger said:
i have never seen or heard of the green ball sticker, what is it etc?. we have a meeting here in the Uk with up to 15/20 p11s in a group. I will try and find the photos and post.
Click to expand...

As I heard the story, Manganese Bronze hired a consulting firm to update the Norton brand. After a ridiculous sum was paid, they came up with the green ball. I assume it was an attempt to come up with a trademark as iconic as this:
Reynolds


Anyway, the new logo was a disaster, and The Norton-Villiers logo was quickly drawn up to cover those green balls on the tank and tail section of the Commando. The P11A had the big green blob on the tank, so they stuck a smaller Norton-Villiers sticker next to it. As new models of the commando came out, the N-V silver badge was replaced by the Norton script decal.

The green ball stayed on the clocks until replaced by the NT squiggle arrow, though the ball was given shading in '71 to give the ball more of a 3-D look.

If anybody can add to this bit of apocrypha, please do!
 
Interesting. I had never heard of the "green ball" and silver sticker on any P11/P11A before. I spent a lot of time hanging around Norton shops drooling over the P11's as a teenager, but I do not ever remember seeing any with such adornment. If this coincided with the development of the Manganese Bronze green blob first seen on the Commando, it would seem this could only have been found on the P11A and P11A Ranger series in 1968.

Nothing shows up in the parts lists, and I have never seen it in any advertising or road tests of the era. Are there NOS transfers available or have people been making there own? If so, on what do they base the dimensions? Do photos exist in factory archives?
 
They are in the part list. In the Petrol Tank section page 23.

034058 Green ball transfer Norton
034059 Green ball transfer Matchless

The picture above shows a NOS transfer.
The transfer i got from HYCAM is an exact copy of the original one.
 
Ron L said:
Interesting. I had never heard of the "green ball" and silver sticker on any P11/P11A before. I spent a lot of time hanging around Norton shops drooling over the P11's as a teenager, but I do not ever remember seeing any with such adornment. If this coincided with the development of the Manganese Bronze green blob first seen on the Commando, it would seem this could only have been found on the P11A and P11A Ranger series in 1968.

Nothing shows up in the parts lists, and I have never seen it in any advertising or road tests of the era. Are there NOS transfers available or have people been making there own? If so, on what do they base the dimensions? Do photos exist in factory archives?
Click to expand...

I think just the P11A/P11A Ranger (those leftover P11As dressed up like Rangers). The Ranger 750 brochure, 'color me fun' doesn't show anything on the bike, and the green blob logo on the outside of the brochure is shaded.
 
When I first heard about "the Green Ball" I emailed Leo Goff and asked him what it was all about. Leo's explanation was that in big multi-brand dealerships Norton wanted something to draw your attention to their product so they stuck on the big green ball. It was a paper decal that came off after about the 3rd washing, which is why nobody ever seems to find an original one still intact.

Brian
 
thanks for the info, I like the green dots on the clock face but it seems desperate on the tank, still marketing today is just as amusing.
 
vercu said:
They are in the part list. In the Petrol Tank section page 23.

034058 Green ball transfer Norton
034059 Green ball transfer Matchless

The picture above shows a NOS transfer.
The transfer i got from HYCAM is an exact copy of the original one.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I found the listing in the parts book. However, it is a little strange as the P/N 034058 is listed for Norton "650SS, Atlas, N15". While 034059 is listed as Matchless "G15, P11, P11A". One might surmise that only Matchless badged P11's had this transfer. However, a good friend's '68 P11A (with Matchless badges) did not have this transfer, so if this is the case, it was not found on all.
 
However, it is a little strange as the P/N 034058 is listed for Norton "650SS, Atlas, N15". While 034059 is listed as Matchless "G15, P11, P11A".
Click to expand...

Yes, that is strange.
 
I haven't been on the site to see all the responses to my question. Thank you everyone. Ron L, Classic Transfers makes both the green ball and silver NV vinyl decals. I purchased a set from them.
 
Has there been any period, pictorial research on the 531 sticker applied to P11s?
I have some, but would like to see what others have found.

Reynolds



close up crop of left front tube

Reynolds
 
I was looking at my Mortons photo and can see many great details on RGO45E (a well known early P11). And I can see the edge of a Reynolds 531 sticker, along with other details.

Reynolds
 
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