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[Scalyback]

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Part 17 - "I have a dream"



There's one thing that I've learnt from life,

some hopes and dreams don't last,

but sometimes if you 'want' enough,

it just might come to pass.



I have this dream, my dream you see?

it comes in Chocolate Brown,

two wheels, two pipes, two pistons too,

a double 'Bullet' sound.



A bike that's so original,

it's rare to see another,

the only main departure is,

that someone's changed the colour.



First paint was polychromatic,

the shade was Copper Beach,

but someone's done it service brown,

Last seen on Dunkirk beach.



Some might prefer a different shade,

But me? I've won the lotto!

that brown's just like my favourite food,

That's it! I'll name it Chocco.



Chocco is a Meteor,

from nineteen fifty three,

He's powered by two cylinders,

seven-hundered cc.



With front and rear old number plates,

White letters raised on black,

plus, once that throttle's had a twist,

there's no point looking back!



This bike does not belong to me,

as it's owned by another,

but if my hopes and dreams come true,

Tornado gets a brother.



Tornado, bullet number 2,

has five hundred cc.

Olive green in army trim,

he WON'T be sold by me.



I need a real boost you see,

my life has had a jolt,

sadly because of circumstance,

I must sell Thunderbolt.



Now 'Thunder' is my first RE,

A Woodsman strong and true.

Now if you knew him like I do,

then you would be sad too.



But things are slightly better now,

promised to sell the bike,

to someone who'll look after him,

which helps to ease my mind.



So all my pics and memories,

will help to keep my smile,

and maybe if new owner could,

post pics once in a while?



Well, none of this has happened yet,

it's between me and you,

But sure as hell, I'll try my best,

to make this dream come true!

















tabellarius de verbis ostensor gaudium

[Norm]

Simon the brown on Marks bike is exactly the same as the one I am working on here

[Scalyback]

British colours BS 381 C - or finding your bike colour.



The easiest way to get a colour for painting your companies bike in the fifties was to use the British Standards chart and then order the shade you liked, Thus the 250 Continentals GT's being Cherry red. I may be wrong but from memory, the earlier "RE" green was mid-brunswick green (Same as Lister Stationary engines).



You would be surprised at how much stuff came from the BS chart, old telephone exchange equiptment (631), 70's exchange equiptment (384). Cammo and general paint for the army, airforce, even that terrible British rail blue from the 60's is in there (114). Government and civil service were all BS 381C inside



As usual, being British, there was a strange twist to the colour chart and what was included. This has been a damn pain for people researching colours for years.



If the British standard colour WAS included in the chart, it would numbered as (example)

BS 381C Colour 631 Light Grey.



If the colour was not actually included , then it would just be

BS 631 Light Grey.



These excluded colours are known collectively as "Other BS colours" Their numbering always fits in with BS 381 C even if they are not included. It can also be hard to find a chart of them all.



If we were to list the BS 381C and the "BS other colours" in numerical order, it would go like this...



BS 410 Light Brown

BS 381 Colour 411 Middle Brown

BS 381 Colour 412 Dark Brown

BS 413 Nut Brown

BS 381 Colour 414 Golden Brown

BS 415 Imperial Brown



So you see what a pain it would be, if you only have the BS 381 C chart, without the BS other colours.



But after a lot of work, we have the "Scaley BS 381C and BS Other Colours Combined Chart."which after much research.contained all of the known extra colours, in a numerical order with colour patches to boot!


For the first time, it is possible to look down a single chart and hopefully find a match for your 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's stuff. (sometimes the colour not correct on all monitors or printers, but best I could do.)



Those of you who like telephone exchange stuff, notice that "384 Light straw" actually looks correct, where as countless other BS 381 C charts, it looks like tea with too little milk. This is because i used the correct "Munsell" system of luminance, chromaticity, hue values and all that to get the colour samples as near possible to correct.







click on the link below, it's the chart on the right side of the page.



Scaly's junk

I might do this as a new topic?

[Scalyback]

Hi Norm, forgot to ask, does your bike colour look anything like the stuff on the chart in the post above?

[Norm]

Scaly this one is a dead ringer for Marks one, including the colour, except his is 53 this is 54, airbox on this one is oval, Marks, square and his has alloy top yoke and this one nacelle. Pipes and mufflers identical