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chocolate brown livery

Hi,i picked up an engine and gearbox at weekend,they still bear the original green livery,however they are overpainted in chocolate brown,is this a standard military colour?and where in the world would such a dark colour be used, engine number is stamped 11273 WM20 B ,any info appreciated cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: chocolate brown livery

My Norton 16H left the factory in brown. It's because of a shortage of one of the colour paints that goes to make green, so I was told. My bike is late 1941. I'm sure someone will confirm if this is correct. I've also just bought so NOS 16H foot rests, and under the grease they're brown.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: chocolate brown livery

cheers john,have sent you a payment for dvd

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: chocolate brown livery

Sorry to go party crashing but paint shortage was not the cause for the change of colour. An army directive changed the colour from KG3 (Khaki Green #3) to Dark Earth which is chocolate colour. I am sure that Rik could give you an excat date but it is somewhere in 1941.

Regards,
Leon

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Re: chocolate brown livery

Ah ok, It was Rob Van den Brink from the WD Norton site, who told me it was a shortage of paint, but 1941 would tie in with the year of my bike.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: chocolate brown livery

hi leon,cheers for that,cheers john,has anybody got a colour picture of a genuine brown earth bike,or even a restored one so i can see how they look? cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: chocolate brown livery

The colour in question is SCC (Standard Camouflage Colour) No.2 brown. According to Mike Starmer, there was an increasing shortage during 1941 of the chromium oxide compound used to give KG No.3 its green tint and alternative schemes were therefore sought.

The change to SCC No.2 seems to have been officially mentioned during November 1941. This gives us some lee-way as the official documents usually reflect changes that had already occurred but also state that existing green stocks were to be used up first and we just don't know what sort of stocks the motorcycle manufacturers had.

The colour continued until the introduction of British Olive Drab during early-mid 1944 which means that most British and Canadian manufactured vehicles which went to France in June 1944 were brown.

Lex has a whole restored Big4 in SCC No.2 - It's an acquired taste but accurate for a large proportion of WM20s when new.

Re: chocolate brown livery

cheers rik ,i hope to see a photo soon,i quite like the colour

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: chocolate brown livery

in vistors bikes tenth picture down there is a brown bike i dont know whether it the right colour

Re: chocolate brown livery

Here a picture of the bike, that now has to come apart to be resprayed!! at the time of spraying the parts, (10 years ago!) there was not so much detailed info!!



And the official colours from the manual from 1942



It all depends on how you screen is showing the colours, but you get an idea of it anyway.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: chocolate brown livery

wow ,thanks lex,now all is clear cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: chocolate brown livery

Lex, have you chosen your new paint yet ?

Re: chocolate brown livery

Rik, Well there's only one colour, Khaki green No. 3!!
Can choose from 2 suppliers, both 2 pack paint, and very matt!!

But I'm waiting a while, first want to restore B4 #2, and that should be gloss Bronze Green!!

Is that slightly darker then the postwar Bronze green?

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: chocolate brown livery

I think that I want some Lex !

I don't know post-war DBG well enough to say but I have pre-war 'Service Green' on an MCR1 base.

Re: chocolate brown livery

rick
cheers rik ,i hope to see a photo soon,i quite like the colour


Look at the post called "New acquisitions for John Tinley" Aug 24th, one of the bikes is a brown 16H

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: chocolate brown livery

Post war Bronze green came in both 'light' and 'dark' versions...Ian

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

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