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[Adrian]

For Steve T, as promised, this is the latest version seem from the other side:







A.

[Adrian]

Seen, even! A

[Steve T]

Thanks Adrian it's a lovely looking bike, love the colour what is it?

[Scalyback]

WOW!



This frame really does frame the engine well. Usually, frames work better when black (Green for military) but this colour really does work well.


Another RE that can proudly hold it's headlamp up high wherever it goes!



There's a song there somewhere, "I have a black frame, and I want it painted red."

[jefrs]

A dolt is what you become if you grow up.



Really nice red frame. Is there not something 'odd' going on with the rear of the frame, centre stand and swinging arm?

Dunno where the idea that military frames were green, most were black but that doesn't show in old B&W photos :- any colour you like so long as it's black. RAF had a process that, "if it moves salute it, if it doesn't paint it white".



They have kept changing the rules for MoT. I have had a fail for no chainguard - safety issue.

No front mudguard, at noted, gets you pelted with stuff at very high speed in the face, lack of a rear one results in what looks like a tyre track up your back. Instructions for tyres offers advice to avoid speed bumps to prevent damage, sorry what? - have they seen what we ride bikes over?

The concept of (trying to) riding a bike that will rest on its foot pegs is, interesting.

[Scalyback]

[center]

I don't think I have ever seem a British military bike with a black frame, google didn't show one up either.








They all look sand or green to me!

[Adrian]

"Is there not something 'odd' going on with the rear of the frame, centre stand and swinging arm?"



No jefrs, that's a 1960 Redditch Royal Enfield frame, as used on the later British built Bullets and twins. The swinging arm is standard Indian Bullet which will fit the Redditch frame with the right bits and a couple of spacers, centre stand is also standard Indian Bullet (a big improvement over the Redditch cast alloy effort, eh Scaly?). Possibly the battery mounted under the swinging arm pin (with the terminals well protected against road muck/wet counts as odd, but apart from that it is all royal Enfield, just not all from the same factory. The plan was to build a sort of kick-start only version of the Electra-X in the British frame, for no reason other than the fact that someone had to attempt it, and I rather felt that it should be me. After some playing with the styling a bit, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.



That colour is (I think) classic burgundy Sandtex garage door paint, with the tank sprayed with as close a match as my paint sprayer could manage...



Blame this steam roller:





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[Lee B]

I like that. Now that is a bike I can actually ride. Rather than just look at it (or have a physiotherapist handy when I get off!

[Adrian]

I just have to remember my right leg is a no-go area for plastic over-trousers or boot tops with that exhaust.



Scaly, I once had an army BSA B40 as a project, in some of the more protected areas instead of the matt olive drab paint there was a lovely green gloss factory finish still intact. I'm not sure but I think it was mid bronze or chrome green rather than the deep bronze (Landrover) green that some restored versions have appeared in. The same colour might also have been used on the AFS/Civil Defence bikes of the period. More GWR green than battlefield.



A.

[Scalyback]

[center]


Adrian, that will be Bronze Green.



Up till 1939 an overall gloss colour of Deep Bronze Green No.24 which is now BS 381C No. 224 and was the usual finish for all vehicles. In photographs often appears as almost black. In the late 40's Deep Bronze Green was re-introduced as service colour on British armour, it was used up until the black and green spotty scheme came along in the 1970's

Due to the colour being a little hard to get right, there were all sorts of shades!