Norton.rider

Looks good Ron

Driving me nuts as well Ron just letting it properly dry off so I dont disturb the edge on the main circle. Think itl just flick off or a bit of rubbing compound gently or as you say thinners

Decided to get the proper camera out today and snap a few pics

Finished the Raf roundels today super humbling seeing them + her original wartime Raf number. They have really dried back since these pictures an are a superb deep dull matt! I'll get the camera out tomorrow an take some propper pics. Thanks again to everyone who's been giving me advice Got into the engine tonight an shes had a new oil pump at some point an it all looked pretty good bar one bit of damage to the timing cover that I've gotta look at fixing. Tomorrows job is to paint the rear stand an my headlight if it turns up although that might take a few days an start working out what screws an bolts I need to order that I'm short on.

Awesome Ron was wondering how you were getting on with the enquiry great to see another Raf one being worked on. Yep I still can't belive how lucky I was some things are meant to be I guess. Interestingly there was a batch either side of mine as well Ron think it was 3 one side and 5 the other of my number. They were actually running in sequence so I don't think it'd be that far fetched for Royal Enfield to have done the same when the Raf marked them up. Couldn't see them working differently for different Marques. I'll have to have a hunt though all the Raf bike pics ive hunted out Ron an see if there are any RE ones. The material Sarah at axholme did the masks for the roundels might be a shout but I'm not sure how long you could leave them on very low tack though.

Spent today putting the Norton waterslide transfers on and hand painting the Raf roundels on shes really starting to come to life now!! Emotional moment seeing her original Raf number an the roundels starting to go on! Thanks again to everyone that's been advising as I go along

Video that goes with the recent pictures on my Norton Raf ww2 16h Painting the original wartime Raf number onto the tank an starting the roundels had a few hickups along the way but getting there with it Been really interesting learning how to do the tank number painting. Hope you all enjoy. https://youtu.be/I2vmGliCBpE

Super happy with how her original Raf wartime number came out brush painted with a stencil. Next step is roundels thinking of just the one on the front mudguard seen a substantial amount of raf Nortons with the roundel on the front guard both solos and sidecar combinations like mine. + the wartime number and no Norton logo. 1 picture with the wartime norton logo an the roundel on the tank. An a few with just the roundel an a few with just the wartime raf number

Midnight an I'm peeling stencils off lol

Jumping the gun here slightly as the video isnt uploaded yet but was excited to show you all started to put her original Raf numbers back on! Super exciting an humbling moment. Brush painting and well for that extra bit of detail

Quite a decent workshop day today on the Norton got the new tyres fitted with the original levers from my 650ss feels great to see her sat on the wheels again! Next step is to paint the Raf Erm and roundels on + the Norton logo that'll be exciting!!

Painting the rear wheel really happy with the result 3 coats of Simoniz Red Oxide Primer, 3 coats of War Paint Farrant Brown and 3 coats of Hycoat Matt Lacquer. At the same time I touched my mudguard up where it had picked a few chips up. Hope you are all safe and enjoying the lil mini videos feel free to subscribe an check out the other 20 mini videos in the series playlist.

Just been going through all the Raf pictures I've been building up thanks to everyone as reference for doing my markings, Got 7 separate pics with RAF roundels on the front mudguard including two combo's. Got 3 pics with the RAF original wartime Number on the Petrol tank one with the Roundel below where the Norton logo sits with the RAF original wartime number. Two of these are potentially from my contract I say potentially as only part of the number is visible on one of the pictures. One That Steve posted in the other thread that has the RAF original wartime number on the number plate + One Rob an Rik posted with just the RAF number on the number plate. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205448328 Interestingly a document Rik showed me relating to RAF vehicle markings mentioned in 44' the roundel was a transfer. Another post on Hmvf mentioned after speaking to the RAF Museum the roundel size was 3.5 inches which seems to add up with what I set my test one to comparison wise to what they look like in the pictures size wise. Seem's to be a bit of variance seen a few with an without the Norton logo as well both on solo's an combo's. Just hunting for somewhere that can do a waterslide think that's the type to use for a RAF Decal an which exact roundel to use least I've got the size sussed. http://woodair.net/Aviation/roundels/RAF_Roundels.htm Stumbled on this which was interesting that shows an original decal down at the bottom from a car. No Progress on bits today although I used some of the brush on primer on the rear wheel so I can sand that smooth tomorrow for paint an lacquer. Hopefully have her back on her wheels mid next week ready for me attempting to do the Raf Number. Seeing I removed the number plate (was the wrong plate size anyway) I'm gonna stick the RAF number on the tank. Some Red Oxide spray I ordered a few weeks ago is actually shipped so hopefully I can do the front wheel with the spray rather than brush on. Am I right in saying the clutch an brake levers for 44' on are the pressed type with the gap at the back? Gonna start hunting for some. Tend to remember Ron showing me at some point but I've forgot. Just wanna say thanks again to everyone that's been advising and helping with bits huge help.

Hi guys I'm the worst for going off topic haha so don't worry about it whatever keeps us sane + I'm interesting in getting along to all these things with you guys if you don't mind a tag along when the time comes:) That's good that you can change your date on the ferry Ron. Who's everyone using for control cable components in the uk ? Gonna have a go at making my control cables next week if I can get some bits ordered. Gonna need one of the clutch/brake adjusters as well got one I can remove from an original toolkit I found in the toolbox. Waiting on primer turning up again so trying to sus out the next steps on the bike while I'm at a total stop managed to fix the fisheye issue with the primer on the rear paint. Is it worth buying a full kit like the Venhill ones or another supplier? Having a hunt for the waterslide transfer for the raf roundel an which type to use. Saw a document via Rik that mentioned 44 they started using a transfer. Thanks in advance

Decided to try some sizing on the original wartime number for my World War 2 RAF Norton. She's Raf167554 pretty amazing to put her original number against the tank for the first time possibly since ww2. Not sure on the roundel yet have seen original pictures of earlier contracts with it on the tank an two pictures from my contract with just the raf lettering. Originally the sidecar would have had the raf roundel on the sidecar. Hence the earlier pictures which were solos having it on the tank. Pretty sure the roundel was the type without the yellow ring. Ensign tyres came today as well an I spent some time today working on fixing a paint issue with fish eyes in the primer on the rear wheel pretty sure I've got that sussed now.

Hey everyone on the hunt for the following bits in no particular order rear later rack. 1" bar end cap. x1 1" clutch lever assy. Or parts later type lever blades 1" brake lever assy. Or parts later type lever blades 1" Norton throttle grip. Fuel line. Full set of control cables. 1" horn button. Du42 Headlight with blackout. rear panniers. Late type oil tank. Field stand. Passenger footrests. Wouldn't mind a vokes as well but that's further down the line Cheers, Tom

Made a bit of progress today had a workshop day inside an did some more work on the wheels the rear is ready for red oxiding now. Re fitted the mudguards to. Screwed up at first as I followed the original pics I took of my bike an put the front stays to the outside oops! Was chatting with Horror when I noticed it thanks for the reference pics mate. Got a bit emotional talking about the Raf numbers on her. Still so happy that I managed to find them out. Not to sure on my throttle grip now least I've got something to use if I need to, think its a Matchless Bowdon one think I know what you were mentioning now Ron. Rather hunt for the right one before I get the Canvas grips onto her an need to sort the remaining levers as well. Need to sus out the screw size for the doherty air an advance levers. Gonna inspect the oil pump tomorrow an then I can get the magneto back on to an start looking at timing the engine up while I'm waiting to sort the remaining parts. Just weighing up Raf roundels the ones that I've seen within my number range seem to have RAF+number on the tank or on the front mudguard blade. Then the RAF roundel on the sidecar. With my Sidecar missing I had a look at a few of the solo's. Seen a few with roundels on the front mudguard and seen a few with them on two locations on the tank on multiple raf pics. Seemed like it varied a bit. Then saw an Ariel with the roundel on the mudguard and the tank and a bsa with a white part of the mudguard blade with the raf number painted on that so it's visible from above. Then the tank Keith showed me on Rob's website in scc.2 with the raf roundels on. Thinking most likley I'm gonna go with the R.A.F. on one line then my number just below on the tank like in two pictures I've seen then see what rooms left. This was quite a cool pic of some early RAF bikes. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205448328

Thanks Ron appreciate the info do look smart.

Thanks Ron that's a ace ref pic What Tyres are you guys all using gonna look at ordering a set and some tubes an rim tape this week

Exciting news thanks to the help of Geoff Fletcher via the Raf. I've got the original wartime Raf number for mine to put on the tank shes RAF167554 Exciting stuff didn't think I had a cats chance of finding it out. Been interesting as Steve S put a picture up on the bsa nl forum of one 103 away from mine numbers wise with a vokes filter on the tank. Ron's shown me some to an Rik of some sidecars with similar numbers. Really awesome to see. Just curious guys how do the vokes filters mount on the Norton tanks?

Got the nos rear light painted an lacquered yesterday just about to start red oxiding the rear wheel

Yep that is what I'm thinking myself Ron doing her true to being an Raf bike it's been really bugging me my dads mentor Cliff when he was in work as an apprentice back in the day was a dam buster gunner he used to wear his tie every day to work used to call my dad son. May he rest in peace. He actually ended up working for dad in the end amazing how things go full circle an he was an amazing guy from what I heard so be cool to honour him to as well as my dads dad my Gramps who was in the ra. You know what this means Ron I'm doomed I'll have to get some of the Japanese stuff sold an get a second one!

Today's video

Huge progress today got the matt lacquer applied to most of the bike was really hot out with low humidity an the forecast looks really bad for next week so decided to go for it! Seems like it was the right choice. From where she was the other week to where she is now learnt loads on my painting technique with aerosol cans. Just gotta decide on which way I'm going with the tank markings now.

Thanks super6 I've got the decal for the engines census number ready to go on but I've been having an internal dilemma that I'm not paying homage to the chassis' raf history. Really matters to me doing the right thing although I know that's down to interpretation tricky one for sure! I have seen a period picture thanks to one of our members that I could base off an I've got a little theory I'd like to try an confirm hence hunting for any other bike pics potentially from that contract starting with a 9 on the tank. This is all so exciting love researching and learning things. I guess by doing the thread if anyone else in the future wants to find stuff on this contract there will be a resource for it. Was interesting on Robs website that it mentions the late raf bikes retaining the 1" bars which is good as I'm fitting those to mine thanks again to a few of our other members.