Paint Scheme

Does anyone have a comprehensive color scheme for Commandos? I don't mean a list of matching colors - know that's not available. I want to know what tank/side cover colors were available each year and what color the "Norton" decal (if any) and any lines were.

I think I hear a database coming...

Hi Greg,
The standard options aren’t that hard…on the sales brochures. I would not rule out any exception either the factory or original dealer put together. If I saw a fireflake purple ‘72 I would assume some owner changed to it.

gortnipper said:

I think I hear a database coming...

Commando Paint Colours

Howdy from down under, My yellow roadster is going to morph itself into a blue Interstate with silver pinstripping for long road trips. Can any one tell me were to look or advise me to get the light blue paint colour? Cheers

www.accessnorton.com

What years had what color choices?

Like the thread title reads, what years were what colors available? Somebody is telling my the 72 Combat I have wasn't available in Roman Fireflake Purple...

www.accessnorton.com

Click to expand...

There will be if I get enough info.

ILLF8ED said:

Hi Greg,
The standard options aren’t that hard…on the sales brochures. I would not rule out any exception either the factory or original dealer put together. If I saw a fireflake purple ‘72 I would assume some owner changed to it.

Click to expand...

The brochures I have are not nearly detailed enough to tell much.

marshg246 said:

There will be if I get enough info.

Click to expand...

Jim might be able to help you with the decal info side -- http://norton-decals.letsfixit.info/

marshg246 said:

The brochures I have are not nearly detailed enough to tell much.

Click to expand...

For ‘72…my understanding after 50 years around Commandos…
For the roadster: black with gold “single “D” pinstripe/lettering, signal red/gold lettering, no stripes, signal orange/black lettering, no stripes, canary yellow/black lettering, no stripe and fireflake royal blue/gold lettering, no stripe. All of the gold lettering decals had black surround.

Anyone have a 72 in Orange (not fireflake AKA disco) that can send me a picture. I've seen plain orange which I assume is gelcoat, but I've heard of signal orange and burnt orange and don't know if they were real or someone remembering a different bike.

Never heard of burnt orange as an original color. Signal orange is in the parts manual and on some of the factory build sheet copies I have as
”S-O”.

ILLF8ED said:

Never heard of burnt orange as an original color. Signal orange is in the parts manual and on some of the factory build sheet copies I have as
”S-O”.
View attachment 84668

Click to expand...

OK, so plain orange and plain red are signal orange and signal red?

Yes signal orange and signal red. Are you trying to repaint a tank to original color? The nice thing about orange and yellow is the black vinyl decals look the same as the originals. I like fireflake roman purple, but that ended with the ‘71 roadster.

ILLF8ED said:

Yes signal orange and signal red. Are you trying to repaint a tank to original color? The nice thing about orange and yellow is the black vinyl decals look the same as the originals. I like fireflake roman purple, but that ended with the ‘71 roadster.

Click to expand...

I like only black with gold. A customer wanted red but started thinking about orange but wants originality so I'm trying to determine which were available for an early 72 Roadster Combat. He remembers the 72 he bought new as having orange with silver decals that were lined in black but everywhere I look that have black decals. Doesn't matter to me - just want him happy when done as it costs a lot.

ILLF8ED said:

Yes signal orange and signal red. Are you trying to repaint a tank to original color? The nice thing about orange and yellow is the black vinyl decals look the same as the originals. I like fireflake roman purple, but that ended with the ‘71 roadster.

Click to expand...

I've seen contemporary photos of a Fireflake Roman Purple Combat. I think it was from a Canadian contributor here?

Already posted, but here it is again...

As already said, the brochures tell the story - apart from the 20M3 bikes, where it seems to be a bit sketchy...

From '69 onwards it seems fairly straightforward and covered by the brochures, but this is my take on the '68 bikes (all fastbacks with round tank badges):
The very first bikes seemed to be plain silver tank & panels with no decals on the panels. Orange seats possibly also a feature?
Some very early bikes in candy green & candy red over plain silver tanks. One green one had matching side panels. These were delivered to the customer already painted, but I wondered if these were done by the importer and not the factory. I believe there was customer pushback over the dull paint schemes which the factory later responded to.
It seems they were followed by (or in parallel with?) metalflake silver which was in the gelcoat on the fibreglass, retaining plain silver painted side panels.
2-tone (Metalflake silver panels with candy red or more rarely sapphire blue) bikes were definitely done by the factory. I've seen them referred to as 'export colours' as UK bikes were predominantly gelcoat green or red, which also appeared after the early batches.

Post N-V round tank badges:

Not sure if any candy painted bikes were sold in the UK, but the 2-tone paint scheme continued into the non-round badge late '68'-'69 bikes (still 20M3) and had black with gold lining tank decals. Plain silver side panels still featured, later with the 750 Commando logo. I have no idea when this was first introduced; the US Cycle Sport magazine test bike had no side panel graphics, but did have '750 Commando Made in England' graphics either side of the tail fairing, which also had a Norton logo in the middle immediately behind the seat. It made reference to also being available in '3 solid colors; Red, Green & Silver'.
As far as I can tell, the Type 'R' was only sold with a candy red over metalflake silver gelcoat tank.

B+Bogus said:

As already said, the brochures tell the story - apart from the 20M3 bikes, where it seems to be a bit sketchy...

Click to expand...

I've only found three actual brochures and they are close to worthless to determine colors. I did find the 70 and 71 paint colors charts that show with colors go with which model. Many o the other through 75 have been filled in by books I have. I'm now trying to figure the best way to present it on my web site. There were so many model changes, and colors only going with certain models that it's difficult.

marshg246 said:

I've only found three actual brochures and they are close to worthless to determine colors. I did find the 70 and 71 paint colors charts that show with colors go with which model. Many o the other through 75 have been filled in by books I have. I'm now trying to figure the best way to present it on my web site. There were so many model changes, and colors only going with certain models that it's difficult.

Click to expand...

Just wait until you get into the 'Pacific Blue/Royal Blue' argument

B+Bogus said:

Just wait until you get into the 'Pacific Blue/Royal Blue' argument

Click to expand...

Ya, I'm in the Roman/Royal Purple argument right now. Both the 70 and the 71 color cards say Roman Purple but I'e seen Royal plenty of places. Those two color cards call the disco ball blue Royal Blue but it seems that later, Norton called the blue pacific blue - was is still disco ball blue?

marshg246 said:

Ya, I'm in the Roman/Royal Purple argument right now. Both the 70 and the 71 color cards say Roman Purple but I'e seen Royal plenty of places. Those two color cards call the disco ball blue Royal Blue but it seems that later, Norton called the blue pacific blue - was is still disco ball blue?

Click to expand...

Royal Blue, Roman Purple.
From '69 through to '74 the blue was the same colour on 'S' Type, Roadster and Fastback. The '74 brochure calls it Pacific Blue, so yes, it had two names.
I've colour matched to original samples from '69 and '74 and they were identical (as much as paint 5 years apart and 40-50 odd years old can be!)
I'd assumed Pacific Blue was the very dark plain colour seen on 'pre-'75 Interstates, with silver graphics and pinstripes, but maybe I made a wrong assumption - frustratingly I can't find a name for it anywhere, but it's on the front of the '72 brochure (note the glorious fibreglass shine!)... Colour? 'ask your dealer'

Here's a cut from the 1972 factory parts book. It covers most of the 750's colors except the green metalflake I have seen in some fiberglass tanks.
It's interesting that there is both 'solid signal orange' for the Roadster and 'Tangerine' for the HiRider (and '71 SS). Also Solid Signal Red for Roadster tank but simply Red for the steel Interstate tank.