AFAIK, my M20 has all original paint. The silencer, gearbox and crankcase have been slathered with black paint. Could that have been a wartime 'blackout' thing? Or the result of some stoned kid in the seventies wanting it to look tough?

email (option): moatjon( at) aol.com

The "original" green paint would probably date from its last Army rebuild which could have been late wartime or any year up to 1970?

The black bits are more likely to have been done after it left service IMHO?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

That's probable I'd have thought...I've never seen black applied to the gearbox/engine on an 'in service ' machine...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

The 1980's was a decade that experienced a style vacuum and a black engine was the height of fashion. Thankfully those days are well behind us. Maybe that was when the black paint was applied?

email (option): cas.vanderwoude@gmail.com

Fair enough, thanks for the input. Before cleaning it off I wanted to see if anyone here was aware of it possibly being a service thing.

email (option): moatjon( at) aol.com

I've seen plenty of post war army repainted motorcycles, going back to a gloss or semi gloss Bronze Green. Often the engine and gearboxes were painted too, even sometimes the complete mag/dyno, carb and cylinder barrel. Which were always done in the same colour green. I can't think of any practical or purposeful reason to "two tone" a WD motorcycle. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

If you give me the number on the rebuilt plate on the valve cover, I can tell you more info on your bike. Also from the factory the exhaust and pipe were Matt chromed or cad plated.

Cheers, Lex

email (option): welbike@welbi🤯🤯.net