SR in gray from new ???

[Viking]

The dating officer from BSAOC Machine Dating, has issued a certificate on my SR

it was delivered in: Gray    ????

Do any of you have a gray BSA SR, I have never seen one.

Is it same metallic gray as the RGS ?   

Pictures ???

[a101960]

Do any of you have a gray BSA SR, I have never seen one. Is it same metallic gray as the RGS ?

Hi Viking,
In Roy Bacons book BSA Twin Restoration the RGS petrol tank is described thus: Petrol tank matt silver with chrome plated side panels lined red. So, taking that statement at face value the answer to your question would seem to be no. The super Rocket petrol tank was described by BSA as metallic grey. However, I am not sure that Bacon’s description can be relied upon because the RGS  tank lining was not red. It was maroon.  I have never seen a matt paint finish on either an RGS or Gold Star. It was the Gold Star by the way that had red lining on the tank. The paint colour that is most often recomended as being a close match for the RGS, and Gold Star petrol tanks is a VW Beetle colour called Silver Mist.

The information relating to Super Rocket petrol tanks in the BSA spares manual says this:

Suffix numbers to be used to identify varying finishes.

Example: Oil Tank, Devon Red, 42-8367/034

A Group petrol tank part number is 42-8118 so to order a petrol tank in a specific colour this is how BSA showed (below) in the parts book exactley how to order a petrol tank in the correct colour.

A10S/R    Royal Red & Chrome…… .  42-8118/109
                         * Black & Chrome ……….... 42-8118/120
                         * Metallic Grey & Chrome..42-8118/127

* indicates alternative finishes

So your bike was very likely to have been supplied new from BSA with metallic grey paint, but as you can see this was an alternative paint colour and would probably have been  specially requested by the original owner when he placed his order. The Metallic Grey is described in Roy Bacons book as "Princess Metallic Grey" BSA do not use the term "Princess" in the parts book. Note The tool box, oil tank, and mudguards should also be painted in this colour.

John

[Viking]

 Excellent  answer   :-).    Thanks..

For the time beeing the bike is Black on Black.

Black tank with chrom. Black oil tank
It has divers helmet nacelle.
It was my dream when restoring it 20 years ago.
To keep the bike fast bike disguesed as a std. A10. :-)

But I am planing to change it to original paint plus stainless mudgards...

Tank will be RGS / Goldstar type, I do not fancy the late type tank batch.

Do any of you have a gray SR ?   Pictures ?

[Viking]

My SR is a MY58
Delivered in Gray.

Princess gray.  Whatever that is.

Bacon says: Same as A7 for year 58, checked yesterday,
same as A101960 is commending:
"Princess Metallic Grey"  The tool box, oil tank, and mudguards should also be painted in this color”.

Hmm.  Gray in gray, is just as bad as black in black….

I am considering changing from black to:
Gray petrol tank (RGS style, with GS batch)

Stainless mudguards

RGS headlamp and stays ( in stainless )

Stainless mudguards stays

Chrome plated chain guard. ( would like a stainless guard, but can´t find it. ) 

Black open type number plate holder ( like Triumph T110 )

Keep black oil tank and black tool box.  They are in excellent condition, and I like them being black.

I will keep the old mudguards and tank as a spare back up for my iron head A10 Golden flash.

I just fancy a fresh and more original look of my SR. Has been black in black since the 90ties, and with another black in black A10, It is a bit too much, the dark 50ies  

[coater87]

 Grey didn't happen to be an alternative finish for the 58 flash did it?

[bsa-bill]

Used to be a Grey A10 around about Seahouses area Northumberland not sure what variant it was, this maybe about 15 years ago.

[Viking]

Gray was an optinal finish for MY58 SR.

They must have looked at T110   :-)

http://www.go-faster.com/TriumphT110.html

They came in blue or grey

[bikerbob]

I can remember seeing  a Flash some years ago at a show in Northumberland and it was Grey the owner insisted that it was grey when it left the factory my flash at the time was 1957 this flash was later but I do not remember the exact year. Roy Bacon's book on the twins lists a grey A7 for 1958-59 it was called princess grey. From memory I do not think the grey flash that I looked at was a metallic grey but I may be wrong it was at least 10 years ago.

[a101960]

If this is of any help to you the colour picture is of a 1958 500cc Shooting Star with princess grey petrol tank and mudguards although the tool box and oil tank are painted black. Is this the colour scheme that you are thinking about? The mono chrome picture is of a Super Rocket showing the oil tank painted in princess grey. As a matter of interest I bought a stainless steel front mudguard for my RGS, and the over all finish was not that good. The mudguard itself is OK, but the brackets have been over polished and as a result they are very thin. Like you I am very fond of stainless steel for a number of reasons, and I would love to find some good quality mudguard stays in stainless. As far as my stainless steel front mudguard is concerned I am not happy with it and I am going to replace it with a chrome guard.

[Topdad]

Been looking at this post since day 1 thinking that it held a memory for me and that last post was it  . Thanks A101960 you've just done it with the picture. I acquired my first A7SS from the bike company I worked for in bits as it was earmarked for full resto by the apprentices . All tinware in primer. But.......... I'd originally seen the bike looking very forlorn and unloved in the "Bargain basement" I'd never seen a BSA in met grey before and just assumed it had been done by the PO , so wasn't the case after all . I had other ideas so when I painted it she ended up Light met jaguar blue and the frame dark met blue, she looked great ,to me , but I 'm sure the grey wasn't to bad either come to think about it, Bob

[bsa-bill]

From memory I do not think the grey flash that I looked at was a metallic grey

Think we're possible talking about the same bike bikerbob, it was more like battleship grey but gloss

[bikerbob]

That show I was talking about used to take place at Belsay Hall and it ran for a few years until the organisers fell out with English heritage because they wanted to charge the marshals an entrance fee a bit mean I thought, anyway the show moved Wallington Hall which is National Trust but after a couple of years it was advertised as going back to Belsay but when I turned up on the day along with others we found that it had been cancelled no explanation given and it never ran again, pity really because it was a good show and well attended.

[Viking]

I have an early MY54 Triumph T110, swing arm.

Finished in polychromatic gray. ummm

With sports mudguards.

A fantastic beautiful machine. Delicate, quick and light.

Sorry to say, BSA newer came close to the early T110 in style and “nice ness”

Fantastic nice tin ware, nice mudguards and stays. Nice machine (to look at) in pre unit form.

Do I prefer the T110 machine in favor of the BSA ? NEWER 

I can´t live with the T110 machine !.  It is fantastic beautiful thing.
Color scheme: Spot on.
But it is not a pleasure to ride, repair or handle.
It is way too small for me. The sitting position is cramped, and it is stressful riding it.

It´s place is best on the ornament shelf in the workshop. To admire and newer to ride.

Triumph frame: Oh dear
Triumph oil pump: oh dear, oh dear
Triumph push rods oil tubes: oh dear, a leaky lot….
Triumph chain guards: Oh no a leaky lot…..


The BSA is the opposite. A bit heavy build, not that many delicate details. But handles in A1 star class. Pulls like a train, is dead reliable and its frame is in same high class as the Norton feather bed.

The BSA is my darling and true friend  

The T110 is my “mistress” you can´t live with, but is nice to look at.
  
I would like to make my SR back to factory delivered colors, with stainless shallow mudguards and RGS tank or metallic gray painted steel mudguards with black pinstripes.
This will lighten the bike in look keep my “mistress” on its shelf.