Goldstar/RGS Tank paint details

[sprint]

Can somebody please advise what the correct modern available paint color and code is for the metallic silver used on the Goldstar and RGS. Should the neck of the filler tube also be painted or left with the chrome exposed?

What is the correct paint color and code for the red pin-stripe and how wide should the pin-stripe be?

Thanks

[a101960]

I have no idea what the colour codes are, but be aware the lining on the two models are different. The lining on the Gold star is red, and the lining on the RGS is maroon. The filler neck should be painted.

[sprint]

I have no idea what the colour codes are, but be aware the lining on the two models are different. The lining on the Gold star is red, and the lining on the RGS is maroon. The filler neck should be painted.

Thanks for the detail about the filler neck and the RGS lining being maroon, I thought they were both red.

Can anybody help on the colors and/or the codes?

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
I read somewhere recently that the red used on the Gold Stars is "Royal Mail red" but cannot remember where I read this???
I am also looking for a colour code or description for the "maroon" paint for the RGS

Regards
John

[Stephen Foster]

John ,
I have a very small amount of the maroon which Alan Templeton has researched to be correct & used on My "Golden Flash" tank pinstripe .
Send Me a P.M if You wish Me to send a sample ?

Steve ...

[chaterlea25]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the offer
PM sent

Regards
John

[sprint]

Hi All,
I read somewhere recently that the red used on the Gold Stars is "Royal Mail red" but cannot remember where I read this???
I am also looking for a colour code or description for the "maroon" paint for the RGS

Regards
John

Hi John

Do you have any details that can help on a suitable silver code/colour?

What will be the position if you get a sample of the maroon from Steve.

Andy

[chaterlea25]

Hi Andy,
No Silver paint sorted yet ????

John

[BSA_54A10]

1) There is no such thing as "The correct colour" for any BSA that did not have a full baked enamel finish, and even then there were variances.
BSA bought in paint from several suppliers in batches and no two were identical.
2) No matter what colour you paint your bike, 60% of all who look at it will proclaim "that colour is wrong"
3) Very few bikes left the factory with consistant colour from one end to the other.
4) Parts were made ( and painted ) in batches of the same item, not in "bike lots" so different people would have painted each & every part. Some were sprayed, some were dipped and some were brushed.
5) The pinlining was a hand brush finish so no two will be identical in colour, size & shape.
6) Diferent parts were made at different factories and only came together on the production line.
7) some parts will have different base coats and any part that was diverted from the spares division  to the line will generally have a black base coat and this will show through the top coat. It made the golden flashes slightly green ( my favourite finish ) and the maroons really deep tending purple red.

The only original A 10 owner I know has a favourite story when he bought his in 1950 from the first 20 to be sold in NSW.
From the first batch of 20 bikes , only 2 bikes were the same colour from front to back so he made the dealer take his showroom extras off the bike they had fitted them to and put them on the bike he told them he wanted to buy.
The other "single colour" bike went into the window display.
When he came in for his services he noted that the second bach ( about 40 ) were even worse colour wise so he was happy that he had paid the extra premium for a pre season order.

So don't beat yourself up about finding an exact shade. There isn't one.
Find some thing that you enjoy looking at and go for it.
If jibes worry you then just remember "Grea aunty Alice" who worked at BSA and liberated the "original tank on your bike " to replace the one damaged on your father's bike which he did not fit beacuse he thought it would add value when he resold it and you got it from your fathers estate still in its original wrappings.
The enjoy all the crap they come up with to justify their criticism .

Ken used to keep his original sales receipt in his wallet .
He would listen carefully to the "expert morons" going on about how wrong his bike was, follow up with "well it was like that when I bought it" then produce the 1950 receipt and leave the clots where they belong, flattened on the ground with a big hole in their creditability.

[sprint]

1) There is no such thing as "The correct colour" for any BSA that did not have a full baked enamel finish, and even then there were variances.
BSA bought in paint from several suppliers in batches and no two were identical.
2) No matter what colour you paint your bike, 60% of all who look at it will proclaim "that colour is wrong"
3) Very few bikes left the factory with consistant colour from one end to the other.
4) Parts were made ( and painted ) in batches of the same item, not in "bike lots" so different people would have painted each & every part. Some were sprayed, some were dipped and some were brushed.
5) The pinlining was a hand brush finish so no two will be identical in colour, size & shape.
6) Diferent parts were made at different factories and only came together on the production line.
7) some parts will have different base coats and any part that was diverted from the spares division  to the line will generally have a black base coat and this will show through the top coat. It made the golden flashes slightly green ( my favourite finish ) and the maroons really deep tending purple red.

The only original A 10 owner I know has a favourite story when he bought his in 1950 from the first 20 to be sold in NSW.
From the first batch of 20 bikes , only 2 bikes were the same colour from front to back so he made the dealer take his showroom extras off the bike they had fitted them to and put them on the bike he told them he wanted to buy.
The other "single colour" bike went into the window display.
When he came in for his services he noted that the second bach ( about 40 ) were even worse colour wise so he was happy that he had paid the extra premium for a pre season order.

So don't beat yourself up about finding an exact shade. There isn't one.
Find some thing that you enjoy looking at and go for it.
If jibes worry you then just remember "Grea aunty Alice" who worked at BSA and liberated the "original tank on your bike " to replace the one damaged on your father's bike which he did not fit beacuse he thought it would add value when he resold it and you got it from your fathers estate still in its original wrappings.
The enjoy all the crap they come up with to justify their criticism .

Ken used to keep his original sales receipt in his wallet .
He would listen carefully to the "expert morons" going on about how wrong his bike was, follow up with "well it was like that when I bought it" then produce the 1950 receipt and leave the clots where they belong, flattened on the ground with a big hole in their creditability.

Hi Ken

Thanks for your detailed response.

I am not trying to beat myself up to find an exact original match for the silver and maroon, just trying to find a modern car paint that is a good equivalent.

I have heard that something in the BMW/VW range are a good match for the silver so was hoping that somebody knows one. The same with the maroon, with so many shades available is there one that is a close match?

[BSA_54A10]

OK well here we go;-
from Daniels Bosses Road Rocket site <http://bsa.hailwood.com/paint.html>
From RS paints which is reused by at least a dozen parts shops <http://www.rsbikepaint.com/en-gb/colours.php>
Polly Palmer @ Britie motorcycles used to sell original colour matched paint but the Nanny ( goats) decided this was dangerous so he stopped posting it but you can buy it over the counter, Fell like a nice run to Wales ?
Apparently RAL 3006 ( British standard colour ) is the closest match for the BSA Maroon used on B's , M's & C's so one would suspect that the pinlining maroon would be a similar colour.

[sprint]

OK well here we go;-
from Daniels Bosses Road Rocket site <http://bsa.hailwood.com/paint.html>
From RS paints which is reused by at least a dozen parts shops <http://www.rsbikepaint.com/en-gb/colours.php>
Polly Palmer @ Britie motorcycles used to sell original colour matched paint but the Nanny ( goats) decided this was dangerous so he stopped posting it but you can buy it over the counter, Fell like a nice run to Wales ?
Apparently RAL 3006 ( British standard colour ) is the closest match for the BSA Maroon used on B's , M's & C's so one would suspect that the pinlining maroon would be a similar colour.

Thanks

From: http://bsa.hailwood.com/paint.html it gives the paint as Silver Sheen and the best match as the VW Beetle Silver, which I think many people use for the early Norton range so that seems ideal.

The Maroon that is given (Ford Imperial Maroon) is for C11G, A7, B31/33, etc range rather than specifically for the lining which I seem to remember is more of a brown red: http://bsac10c11c12.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2675.0

Anybody with an original RGS that can confirm?

[sprint]

OK well here we go;-
from Daniels Bosses Road Rocket site <http://bsa.hailwood.com/paint.html>
From RS paints which is reused by at least a dozen parts shops <http://www.rsbikepaint.com/en-gb/colours.php>
Polly Palmer @ Britie motorcycles used to sell original colour matched paint but the Nanny ( goats) decided this was dangerous so he stopped posting it but you can buy it over the counter, Fell like a nice run to Wales ?
Apparently RAL 3006 ( British standard colour ) is the closest match for the BSA Maroon used on B's , M's & C's so one would suspect that the pinlining maroon would be a similar colour.

Thanks

From: http://bsa.hailwood.com/paint.html it gives the paint as Silver Sheen and the best match as the VW Beetle Silver, which I think many people use for the early Norton range so that seems ideal.

The Maroon that is given (Ford Imperial Maroon) is for C11G, A7, B31/33, etc range rather than specifically for the lining which I seem to remember is more of a brown red: http://bsac10c11c12.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2675.0

Anybody with an original RGS that can confirm?

Can anybody advise/confirm if the Form Imperial Maroon is the best match to use for the lining on the RGS?

[trevinoz]

Sprint,
                    Instead of agonising over a minor detail which even the rivet counters won't agree on, why not have a look at some colour chips and find one which you like?
When I had my tank painted way back in the 80s, I took it to a bloke who could hand paint the line and told him to use maroon, which he did.
It looks good to me and I am the one who counts.

Trev.

[a101960]

Instead of agonising over a minor detail which even the rivet counters won't agree on, why not have a look at some colour chips and find one which you like?

I agree with Trev. Back in the day when BSA was making motorcycles there was no such thing as paint colour codes. I sent my tank to Lewis Templeton for a complete professional restoration. I have no idea what colours they used. All I know is that it is silver and maroon, and looks superb. What is more to the point, nobody has ever said to me that the colours are wrong. I doubt that there is anybody around that has such a deep and intimate knowledge of 1950/60's paint that they could state with absolute authority that the colours on my tank are right or wrong. What is probably more relevant is what the tank looks like. By the way, has anyone noticed that all the pre - painted repro Indian tanks have the wrong shape chrome panel? Now they really do look wrong.
John