side cover decals for 1970 Roadster

I have to repaint my side covers – I had an unfortunate incident when one of them fell off and scraped along the road ruining the beautiful paint job. Possibly a fault with the fastener, but more likely a fault with the person who checked the oil while the bike was jammed up between the workbench and the car…

Before I repaint I would appreciate some advice as to the correct decals or signage to put onto the side covers. My bike is one of the original style roadsters – it came off the production line in June 1970 according to the plate on the steering stem. Number 20M35/138XXX. It has the original style roadster/’S’ side covers (and headlight halo; etc). The bike had been repainted when I got it, and the original decals were long gone.

This particular model appears to have had two versions of signwriting on the side covers; the first the original gold lettering “Commando 750 Roadster” – as per the brochure at http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... 0/70Norton scroll down to the second picture of the green roadster - and secondly black lettering (I think with gold outline – but I can’t tell from the picture) with the more usual stylised “Commando” with 750 above it, and “Roadster” underneath it – as in the picture at Andover Norton’s site http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/Norton%20Girls.htm – the picture is quite small and I can’t get it to expand well.

I don’t know what year the bike in the Andover add is; I think it has to be 1971 or earlier, as I think that at some point in 1971 the model changed to the later version with different oil tank and side covers; at which point they dropped “Roadster” from the side covers (see picture http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Brochures for the 1971 model). I assume that this style is later than the gold lettering as on the green bike.

My bike is not concourse and has some modifications – so I could comfortably adopt either style of signage without feeling bad about it; but ideally I would like to adopt the one that it would have been produced with.

Is anyone able to advise which style of signage it would have had? Or point me to somewhere which might have that information? Ron Bacon’s book is silent on the point.

If it was the later black signage as per the picture of the orange bike does anyone have a decent picture of the side cover that I can use as a guide to placement of the decals? These are available from the usual vendors – the one that I have found easiest to view is Norvil . If my bike should have the earlier gold lettering I think that I can use the “Commando ‘S’ decal and remove the ‘S’ (and if I am lucky I might get a painter to paint them rather than use decals; but in that case I will need good guides for him to do that).

Chris,

Here's some pics of 70 models I have.







Green one is from a brochure, yellow one is most likely a decent new paint job, and blue one is mine which I could see the left over markings of where the decals were when I stripped off the black paint, so they are very close to the original placement. As far as colors go, I'd go with the brochures. My tank decal originally had a much larger gold outline than the one shown, the black outline on the side panel is very thin though. Steadfast has tank decals with the thicker outline. I think you can get some stencils from B+Bogus on this forum if you want to paint it. I think the 70 decals were all gold/black for the tank and black gold for the side panels, except for the yellow which was just black. I think the rub on decals from Andover are pretty close, but they gather dust and come off easily. I'd go with a vinyl or painted.

You have a local guy that can supply vinyl ones. J & C Miller in Christchurch. I can get his email if you like.

I have some artwork I made up for the side panels I can email to you if you want, but it's for the S model.

Dave
69S

Dave,

thanks for that; once I decide (or hopefully find out) which version that I want to use I might come back to you regarding the artwork. My painter has some, but not for the original "Commando" logo that you have on your bike.

The green bike in the photo is the one that I put a link to in my post; but your photo of your side cover is very useful to determine the positioning of the artwork.

Notice if you use the Roadster on the side panel, it's positioned a bit different to get the Roadster part centered more than the Commando part. Yeah, if you want the artwork, I scanned an Andover rub on decal and enlarged it to clean it up and then put it back to original size, so I have it in original size, but at very large resolution as a psd (PhotoShop) or jpg.

I had someone make me some stencils because I was interested in painting it on, but never got around to it. The black outline on the side panels is very small and am not certain it will be easy to line up and paint with stencils, but B+ apparently can do it.

My pics are of the Andover rub ons, but I spilled fuel on them one day so right now they're just painted blue.

A little late probably but have some original side cover decals around here somewhere. Not re-pop decals, the real deal bought long time ago. Will take a look to see if can find. I had two S-Models and one 750 Roadster. Bikes are long gone.