On a 1954 polychromatic silver beige pearl pre-unit S/A Golden Flash, does anyone know which shade(s) of red should be used on the petrol tank red lining and tank badges? Also which years should the piled arms on the timing cover be red (presumably the same red) as this does not seem to apply to all years. Thanks for reading.
Following on, I may have stumbled on at least part of the answers. On the net I found a BSA colour code list from the Swedish BSA club and originally from BSAOC. Roy Bacon has my colourcode as 026, which is shown on the BSA list as having red lines to BSS 540. Colour code 034 has BSS 540 as Devon Red which is the maroon. I cannot see that BSA would use a different coloured tank badge to that of the red lining, so I believe my machine should have a beige tank with maroon lines and maroon tank badge. Added to this is the fact that when I bought my wreck, one of the tank badges supplied had a maroon centre. Studying all the info I can find including pictures, I think that in 1954, the timing case did have a red piled arms. If anybody knows me to be wrong, can you please let me know. Incidentally, JulianS, my info could be wrong because in the same colour coding list, Nutley Blue is shown as being available in 1956 (code088) and in USA in 1957 (code112) and I have never seen you offer incorrect info before.
Dont confuse Devon red with maroon, They are different colours. Maroon is 37 on BSA list. I know RS bike paint list them as the same but that is not correct.
Parts bulletin below gives the BSA (but not BS codes) issued in 1956.
The first blue A10 I can see is from the 1957 US East Coast brochure, described as sapphire blue tank for the Golden Flash.
An advert from May 1957 in the US also described the new Super Rocket as sapphire blue tank. This advert is not a very good copy.
Better copy of the 1957 Super Rocket advert. It was not a colour advert.
Thanks JulianS, I don't know why I thought it was a maroon but will refer to it as Devon Red BSS 540 from now on as that seems to be the shade I am after. Is that your nutley blue machine on the front of Haynes, published 2006?
Yes my A10 as photographed at Haynes in 1980. Not the bike they stripped down.
The paint we used on it was Ford Electric Blue.