Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all. I'm thinking of a new project, it is to do a 500 Bullet in War Department colours & insignia from D-Day. Can anybody give some hints & tips re appropriate colours and markings?

Thanks, Wallace.

Check out the new issue 4 of Pauls Bullet magazine.

Hi WALLACE ---- Bearing in mind that the swing arm Bullet wasn't in mainstream production 'till the 1950's (and also the casquette fitting for that matter)--- you might want to consider a slight change of period to base a bike on ?? ........... I've been going through just this problem with wanting to create a WW2 "Desert Rats" homage machine..... My stock bike is a 2005 Bullet Classic 500 and, much as I admire Mr. H's solid rear-end conversion, there's no way I'm investing that kind of money on a fanciful whim !!---So have decided to base it on the mid-1950's which accommodates my swing arm bike.---- However, there is available a conversion upper yoke which has the speedo aperture in it and is available UN-polished ie ready to paint (either sand OR green)..... As the RE Fling Flea was supplied to the troops just after D-Day, you might start there for colours and insignia ???........... On the actual landing zones there were various "Beech-masters" who may well have been issued with a motorcycle for mobility reasons...... You might also try GOOGLE for the regiments involved on the day...then trawl the net for their regimental colours, insignia etc.......... There are on E-Bay some companies who sell vinyl stickers of such things----- I have some for my "Rats" .... Good luck.

Hi Alan,
My fiancée and I were at the 65th Anniversary of the landings in Normandy and I was in awe at all these old bikes. They blew me away and just re-ignited my dream project. Thanks as always for your advice, much appreciated. Lots more research to do before it gets of the ground methinks! I'll keep you posted on my progress. Cheers, Wallace.

Nice project idea, Wallace. Will be great to see it in the flesh when you're got it sorted. I wouldn't worry about originality too much, it's not a genuine wartime bike so anything you do will always be a pastiche for fun. Just do whatever feels good for you!!