Silver painted frame on 850.. original paint colour?

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Brewer

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Hi all, I have been stripping some paint on my 850 and have discovered after removing the compliance plate , there is an "original" silver colour paint which was untouched under the plate.

I have also found masses of paint on the frame, when I reached the bottom layers it is no doubt that it was definately silver from original, I have also revealed 2 lots of frame numbers that we very well concealed!

I thought that Commandos frames, were originally painted black!

Does any have any info to help my curiosity?

Brewer.
 
This is a revision, to the original post, the frame number on the right hand side of the headstock reads. 850 F105842. the number on the left hand side reads, 00124.

Does anyone please know what year this signifies??????

Brewer.
 
On the 850's prior to the MK3 the frame number is stamped on the red plate and matches the engine number, for the MK3 there was a frame number starting at F125000 and this was stamped and the frame and the red plate and did not match the engine number. The F number was however present on some pre-MK3 frames and started at F100000, my bike is a MK2A and has this F100000 number as well as the frame number on the plate. The 00124 may be a part number or part of a part number.
 
Brewer said:
This is a revision, to the original post, the frame number on the right hand side of the headstock reads. 850 F105842. the number on the left hand side reads, 00124.
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The F1***** number stamped on the frame headstock is generally found on most '73/'74 850 MkI & II models, as well as some early '75 MkIII frames, and it is generally believed that the F-number signifies that the frame is of Italian origin, - check the diameter of the main spine tube, if it's 60mm, then it is probably one of the Italian-made frames, if it's 2-1/4 inches (about 57mm) then its a UK Reynolds made frame, as Norton didn't actually make their own frames?

I don't know what the 00124 stamp is, but you should also find the frame's part number stamped in small digits on the front face of the left-hand fuel tank mounting bracket?

According to the atlanticgreen website info, frame "F105842" would place the bike's date of manufacture as sometime around early 1974?: http://atlanticgreen.com/commandoframes.htm

It could have been silver from new I suppose, although frames were normally black? Was the original fuel tank/side panel colour Red, by any chance?
 
kommando said:
On the 850's prior to the MK3 the frame number is stamped on the red plate and matches the engine number, for the MK3 there was a frame number starting at F125000 and this was stamped and the frame and the red plate and did not match the engine number.
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As far as I was aware, the 850 ('73-'75) plate number/engine number/gearbox number always matched, I've never known anyone to say otherwise? The F-number was certainly used from '73 (see atlanticgreen link above).

Anyone have an 850 with only the F-number on the plate?
 
Brewer said:
Does anyone please know what year this signifies??????.
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Is there no date stamp on the plate? As that should tell you the month/year of manufacture?
 
silver frame

I have a 1974 ( August ) 850, frame number is stamped into the left side of the headstock, the number does not have an "F" in it, frame / engine / gearbox numbers all match. Just adding to the confusion eh?. James.
 
Re: silver frame

james said:
the number does not have an "F" in it,
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Just as a matter of interest James, what diameter is the main frame tube?
 
Hi L.A.B,

The petrol tank was red, and the side covers also. although that is the faded colour from the under side of these components.

What does this red colour indicate L.A.B?

The oil Tank, head frame brace, and battery tray were also painted silver.

The Compliance plate did have 3/73 stamped on it. and only had the engine number stamped on it also. this number did not mach the frame number

I was not sure if it was a 1973 manufactured frame or not.

I was very curious about the frame colour, and why it was chosen to be painted Silver instead of black!


Brewer.
 
silver painted frame

Hi Les, the main frame tube measures 2.250".
James. PS the original colour of my bike was "candy apple" red, the underside of the gas tank had traces left on it.
 
Brewer said:
What does this red colour indicate
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Nothing significant, - unfortunately, it's just that I vaguely remember either one (or two) silver-framed, red-bodywork 850/s being repeatedly offered for sale in some of the regular UK classic motorcycle magazine ads a few years ago? Or it could have been the same bike offered for sale both times?


Brewer said:
The Compliance plate did have 3/73 stamped on it. and only had the engine number stamped on it also. this number did not mach the frame number

I was not sure if it was a 1973 manufactured frame or not.
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The odd thing is, that the 3/73 plate date stamp doesn't seem to tie in with the atlanticgreen website info? As that dates the frame at around early 1974 production?

Can you give the first few digits of the plate/engine number? As that number would help to verify the date stamp - or not?

The frame part number, which was stamped on the front of L/H fuel tank bracket could also give a clue as to whether it is a MkI or MkII frame?



Brewer said:
I was very curious about the frame colour, and why it was chosen to be painted Silver instead of black!
Click to expand...


If it is genuine, then I've no idea why!
 
Re: silver painted frame

james said:
I have a 1974 ( August ) 850, frame number is stamped into the left side of the headstock, the number does not have an "F" in it, frame / engine / gearbox numbers all match.
Click to expand...


james said:
the main frame tube measures 2.250"
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That would appear to reinforce the theory that frames without the F1- frame number were British Reynolds frames which were made from Imperial sized tubing.
 
The number stamped on the l/hand fuel tank bracket is 4140.

The engine number is 311450.

Thanks guys, for all help.

Brewer
 
Brewer said:
The number stamped on the l/hand fuel tank bracket is 4140.
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Could it be 064140? = '73-7? 850 frame part number.

Later (pre-MkIII) frames were part 065404, but I don't know when the changeover occurred.

Brewer said:
The engine number is 311450.
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That number, and the frame F-number seems to place the production date around early 1974? So I don't know why the plate is date stamped (3/73) which would be approximately one year earlier than the production date, going by the engine and frame numbers?
 
correction, the part number of the frame is 064140. this bike has also been fitted with a RH1O head.

Do you think this is a 73 or 74 model?

Brewer.
 
Brewer said:
Do you think this is a 73 or 74 model?
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Commando models weren't actually identified by the year, they had Mark numbers, and those Mk. numbers only broadly correspond to certain calendar years, or even a period of a few months for some, so for model identification purposes your 850 is either a Mk I, IA, II, or IIA, - according to its (original) specification? Supposedly, the MkII & IIA models started at engine number 307311.
The plate information should give the date of manufacture (for any legal or registration purposes) - unfortunately your plate date stamp (3/73) doesn't tally with the frame or engine numbers which appear to be from either late '73 or early '74 production? Possibly the plate has been changed, or, this is yet another Norton Commando number enigma?
 
Perhaps the date stamp was intended to be 8/73 and the stamp was slightlly tilted and looks more like 3/73???
 
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