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  #1  
Old 11-08-11, 03:25
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Default British motorcycle colors

Hello.
Been a while since I have been in here
Just surfing the net for colors for a 1943 Ariel W/NG. And it seems that most motorcycles is restored using bronze green. Would this be the correct color for a 1943 bike? The truth is that I just want it to be a bit different....
And if any of you have the RAL numbers that would be correct I would be thankful, because then I do not have to search the forum
And all in all, it looks as the Ariel is not the most common british motorcycle on the net.

Rolf
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  #2  
Old 11-08-11, 08:44
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Hi Rolf,there used to be an outfit called Dragonfly Motorcycles in GB that delt with ariel m/c
Its been a while since i owned one,but they were good to deal with.
There also was an ariel m/c club in GB and their news letter was called DER CHEVAL?
(french for iron horse),my spelling of it is not good i think,Do a search on the net as there is probably still an active club that would possibly have the records you need.
Best of luck,those ariels were a very good bike up with ajay and matchless in ww2 bikes.
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  #3  
Old 11-08-11, 15:45
welbike welbike is offline
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Hi Rolf,

Better go here:

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/stat...mid=16&msgid=0

But I can tell you Bronze green was only used prewar and postwar, in 1943 it could have been earth brown or kakhi green, see also:

http://www.wdbsa.nl/colour.htm

Cheers,

Lex Schmidt
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  #4  
Old 11-08-11, 23:56
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Hi Ken and Lex
Thanks for answers. I guess I will manage to figure it out
Did get some RAL 7006 mixed. It is Khaki Grey and at the least I can use it as an in betweene layer of paint so I see what needs to be covered on the next layer. RAL 7006 Earth Brown, or RAL 8000 Green Brown.
I did "shoot" the color inside the braking plate, but Khaki Grey is not the same. I do know the paint darkens an lot as it dryes, so will have a good look at it next time I am in my sheed. I think the Earth Brown must be it. And all the different paint I am geting made, I can use on my jerrycans
I have found Draganfly and will for sure make some orders there. I am in need of many parts. First it will be the brake shoes, and they need to get my old sendt to them before they send me some that are relined. And I also need some engine parts and new seats and so on.
I have never seen my bike other than in baskets.. and I have had it for more than 20 Years, so figured it was time to do something

The framserial number is XG 31682 and the engine serial number is 31682 so it is matching numbers. But the engine has no suffixes in front, only the number..
Here is a picture of the engine parts..



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And a picture after I have cleaned up the crank case housing.



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Rolf



Rolf
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  #5  
Old 12-08-11, 02:40
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
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Default Good project..

Rolf.
I drove and Ariel Square Four back in the early '60's..It belonged to my buddy and I had just bought a news 1964 Honda 300CC Dream..it was a beauty and of course my buddy wanted to drive it ..We switched bikes and it was a heavy brute compared to the Honda ,but it had lots of "GO"!!!

It sounded like a motor cycle also..
But I would rather have my Honda..still wish I had it..

You should contact the Ariel Club..they will be a great help in your restoration..Here is the link..

http://www.arielownersmcc.co.uk/index.html

Keep the pictures coming..
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  #6  
Old 12-08-11, 11:05
welbike welbike is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Blair View Post
Rolf.
I drove and Ariel Square Four back in the early '60's..It belonged to my buddy and I had just bought a news 1964 Honda 300CC Dream..it was a beauty and of course my buddy wanted to drive it ..We switched bikes and it was a heavy brute compared to the Honda ,but it had lots of "GO"!!!

It sounded like a motor cycle also..
But I would rather have my Honda..still wish I had it..

You should contact the Ariel Club..they will be a great help in your restoration..Here is the link..

http://www.arielownersmcc.co.uk/index.html

Keep the pictures coming..
Alex,

I will trade you 5 Honda's for a Squariel any time!!

Usually the one make clubs know surprisingly little about the wartime efforts of their make!! best to start with buying a copy of Orchard & Maddens "British Forces Motorcycles" lots of info in there.

Rolf, RAL numbers are a German invention, and nothing there is close to a British colour!

If you have decided on a certain colour, let me know, and I'll send you a sample, but the Humbrol model paint recepies on the M20 site are very accurate too.

Cheers,

Lex
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  #7  
Old 12-08-11, 16:58
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Ron Pier Ron Pier is offline
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Hi Rolf and fancy meeting you here Lex.
Rolf your frame number is from a contract of 2000 machines ordered in Nov 1941 and delivered by Aug 42.
The frame and engine numbers were never matching on these W/NG's. The engine numbers are prefixed 'BH'. So it looks like someone has stamped your crankcase?
My own W/NG is from a much later contract in 1943. I must admit I probably didn't do enough research when I painted it and the colour I have used is BS 398 British Olive Drab, which is the preferred colour during the latter part of the war.
I suggest you use Lex's advice and visit that site where you can ask and chat to loads of us Bike anoraks. Ron
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  #8  
Old 13-08-11, 23:29
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Hi Alex.
Thanks for the link. I will check it out. Did find a youtube film that had a good sound of the engine. I really like it

Lex
I do know the RAL system is of German origin, but did think it was standarised in Europe, but guess not the English blokes wants to use it ..... And the two small paint shops arround here, do not know much on other than indor housepaint... But I am sure I will figuer it out. I will go for the earth bron color since I think that is what is inside the wheelhousing. What do you guys think? Am I far off??? (picture at the bottom)
If you have a BS code for the colours, I for sure will check out any paint shops here and see if they can read that system, and get some samples.

Ron
Thanks for clearing up the serialnumber on my bike. I have always beleeved it was a 1943 model. Did get a book so I did know the contract number but not that it was a contract placed in 1941. If the bikes got sencusnumbers as they was made, I guess mine is to have C 4851932. Do you think that is correct?
Regarding the engine serial number. I did notice a rebuild plate on the rear fender today, and it has been rebuilt 29.nov 1945 at workshop No. B180
Perhaps it did get a new crank case housing then, or a whole new engine. And they did just stamp in the frame serial number. It does not look as it has had any former engine serial number removed. And there is no trase of any letters there.
And if I can get my bike half as nice as yours look, I think I will be very happy. Boy, that bike looks amazing. More pictures please, so I can have something to reach at

Today I spent some houres dismantling the front fork from the frame, and did almost manage to cleane out the frame. I guess I will have the main frame ready for primer tomorrow.

Rolf



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Last edited by Rolf S. Ask; 13-08-11 at 23:34.
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  #9  
Old 14-08-11, 20:34
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Rolf you are correct with your census number calculation C4851932. I make it the same. Your bike is the 1931th from 2000 built under contract C12450. So it's near the end of that contract and safe I think to date it mid 42.
I'll email you some pictures of my W/NG.
Meanwhile here is a shot of my Flea for a colour example. This is Standard Service Brown BS 499. Ron
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  #10  
Old 15-08-11, 01:04
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Ron

That is the colour I would like. So will check out if any paint supliers here can make it out of that code. Thanks.
And looking ofrward to see you pictures when I get at my other computer tomorrow. I have my e.mails on another computer, since I am at my "net-surfing machine" in my living room.

Did not get time to be at my shead today.

Rolf
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  #11  
Old 15-08-11, 09:33
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Default Norton

This might help

http://www.wdnorton.nl/Colours.html
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  #12  
Old 15-08-11, 09:39
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Default this colour

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Pier View Post
My own W/NG is from a much later contract in 1943. I must admit I probably didn't do enough research when I painted it and the colour I have used is BS 398 British Olive Drab, which is the preferred colour during the latter part of the war.
Ron do you mean this late WW2 British colour : SCC 15 OLIVE DRAB; 5 X H150 + 5 X H159 + 2 X H33 - rather than 398 , I cannot find BS 398 on a search ...MIKE
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  #13  
Old 15-08-11, 10:06
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
Ron do you mean this late WW2 British colour : SCC 15 OLIVE DRAB; 5 X H150 + 5 X H159 + 2 X H33 - rather than 398 , I cannot find BS 398 on a search ...MIKE
That should be 298
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  #14  
Old 15-08-11, 14:57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Farrant View Post
That should be 298
Roger that .. thanks to you I found it ..nice colour ..220 looks good too. The system is BSC 381c
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  #15  
Old 15-08-11, 16:45
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Yes Mike,my fault for the typo. I have used enough of it to remember BS 298. Ron
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  #16  
Old 15-08-11, 23:42
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Managed to clean the frame today. So it is ready for primer. Not the best picture since I used my phone.
And keep the colour discussion go on. It is interesting, and I am sure more than I will benefit from it.

Rolf



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  #17  
Old 18-08-11, 02:11
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Was off and got some paint, BS 499 service brown. It is a bit clossy, so will have to try out to see if I can get it some less shiny. I guess they are supposed to be a bit glossy???
Also found a used, but complete gearbox cover on an austrian site, so did order that. And waiting for new brake shoes from Draganfly. Hopefully the frame and fork will be finished before those items arive.
Will put out some pictures here when I have got som paint on the fra. In the mean time, enjoy this video I did find on the net. many interesting bikes there, and some of the film is in colour. But no sound..
Did notice some exhaust pipes looks very shiny some dont. Was this carried out thrue the war?

Rolf

Link to the video: http://www.yfaonline.com/assetDetail...ue=fromAdvance
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  #18  
Old 19-08-11, 09:01
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Rolf. Ask your paint supplier for a small tin of matting agent. It's a sort of opaque white substance normally. It's surprising how much you need to get the paint mat. Or ask them to do it for you. Ron
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  #19  
Old 19-08-11, 22:23
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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Ron
I do know about that matting agent, but the paint shops here does not
even if they call them selves proffetional...
But today I was off and collected 10 GMC rims and tyres so I did stop at a real paint shop. And sure they knew what I wanted, but did not have it at the time. So they will order it for me, and a friend of mine will collect it next week. And they also had better paint. So I guess I am on to it at last

Rolf
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  #20  
Old 19-08-11, 23:12
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10 Jimmy wheels and tyres? Let me guess Rolf! Ex Ben Hur trailer wheels?

Ron
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  #21  
Old 19-08-11, 23:40
Rolf S. Ask Rolf S. Ask is offline
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nope not from Ben Hur, but from a CCKW 353 closed cab and banjo axles. The owner only wanted the cab, so I could have the rest I wanted. Did get the engine a few years back.



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Rolf

Last edited by Rolf S. Ask; 19-08-11 at 23:46.
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