Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Norton bulletin board 850 FireFlake Blue

Rather a different shade of blue.
No suggestion anything to do with FireFlake.
https://scontent.fbne5-1.fna.fbcdn....3fdb30a633a380b88010f3e1&oe=61B8CA98

Purple 1970 in E Sussex.
Not really FF though.
Sez new paint ...

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3tIAAOSw1WNhrJdW/s-l1600.jpg

Tank and sidecovers above are steel.

And a fibreglass FFBlue tank near Brighton
https://scontent.fbne5-1.fna.fbcdn....11ba3b7688f1fc8bacb24c32&oe=61BB2A6B

And a Cobalt Blue bike up near Norwich.
May have seen this one before, different pic.

One of said steel sidecovers, in closeup. So painted.




And a FireFlake Roman Purple tank (on a bike !) in fibreglass at a Mecum auction,
in all its purpleness - flakes in the gelcoat.
Unfaded - and rare to see (?).



And a very smart looking Blue on the forsale list.
So likely a repaint - and not very FireFlake (its VERY fine in the closeups)
And, no mention of Dunstall pipes


And an exceedingly original looking 850 Mk2 in Milwaukee
He's calling it Pacific Blue.
https://zcarsales.com/images/motorc...commando-850-mk-ii-roadster-192248-1.jpg

And a FireFlake Golden Bronze 750 Roadster.
More golden than bronze this time ...

A 69 for sale by Donington Auctions
Said to be the original fibreglass tank.
In very nice condition.


[img]https://online.doningtonauctions.com.au/images/lot/2517/25177_0.jpg?1604640363[/img]

A 69 for sale by Donington Auctions
Said to be the original fibreglass tank.
In very nice condition.


[img]https://online.doningtonauctions.com.au/images/lot/2517/25177_0.jpg?1604640363[/img]

A dark metalflake blue 750 out in Arizona.
Dual dunstall disks, 34mm carbs
Said to be a 72, but lower number and earlier type.



Lotta sparkle there
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/i~EAAOSw1Tph301e/s-l1600.jpg

A sidecover on a project bike from H&H Classics.
The genuine article.
Tank is a different blue ... (so we won't view it here)

In the not-quite-fireflake-blue dept.
Here's a new one on me - Dunstall Metalflake Green.
One of possibly very few on the planet.
Owner sez the restorer (recently) took great care to match this finish.
(I would have thought the colour would have been in the gelcoat, I wonder how that works ?)
Out in Arizona.



https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jWYAAOSwBylh6yKt/s-l1600.jpg


And a reminder of how the 850 Mk2 appeared in the brochures

And anothery, for the 850 Mk 1A, perhaps less seen ?

Beaten up oem (?) 850 tank in FFBlue out in Wisconsin.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/aL0AAOSwEOhf66IN/s-l1600.jpg

Don't know what the significance of the model is ?



And one on Reddit
[img]https://preview.redd.it/zaorw6l2a5q...c31a6dffe60c75ed3bef1e99d3c7734de27f1542[/img]

Something a bit different - a green 850 HiRider



Roadster tank and 16 inch back wheel and modded front brake though, so its not exactly a std bike.
And no suggestion that "new paint" is Fireflake either.

A 72, likely a Combat. A strong blue.
Alloy rims.
http://www.bikesrestored.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nortoncommando-1972-3-1024x768.jpg

And a plain metallic blue (?) 850 in Stowmarket. Alton starter.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UH4AAOSwG8NiHnV7/s-l1600.jpg

Not sure if we have seen this one before either ?
Mecum auctions Good pics sell bikes ?
https://cdn1.mecum.com/auctions/lv0122/lv0122-489542/images/[email protected]

Fireflake Roman Purple 1970, near-ish to me. $$$ too.
Black head. Strange looking peashooters ?
Tank faded slightly more than the sidecovers. ?

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NVYAAOSwM59iLcNr/s-l1600.jpg

Baby radial engine inside the door there too. Something Czech ?

NORTON Commando 750 1971 sparkly blue in Arizona
Not sure if its big flakes, or just sparkly.
Quite a dark blue.
Lotsa Dunstall bits - in the front end - as was common back then.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IrwAAOSwKpph300y/s-l1600.jpg

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vs8AAOSw0P9h31BA/s-l1600.jpg


Polychromatic blue bicycle frame detail.
Fairly large photo
VERY fine particle detail.
Barely visible to the naked eye.
Nortons blue paint type in the 1950s, well preceding FireFlake paint/gelcoat types.
Not quite the shade that Nortons used.

https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/No-16-Blue-Polychromatic-.jpg

Blue 71 out in Texas.
Sez they are a new steel tank and sidecovers, so a repaint obviously.



https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ov8AAOSwvzliUwVy/s-l1600.jpg

[quote=Rohan]
Lotsa Dunstall bits - in the front end /quote]

I'm using one of those front 'guards on my Dominator - more an homage to Dunstall than a serious attempt at weather protection.

Bought it in 1970.

Yes I've got a couple of them - sitting on a shelf.

If you've ever ridden on really muddy roads, or in heavy rainfall,
then the need for real mudguards becomes immediately apparent.
And rainfall is something we seem to have had a lot of lately.
The monsoon shifting southward ?

The bobber craze of late has seen some REALLY skimpy front guards,
from manufacturers even Obviously fair weather bikers only need apply ?

P.S. There is currently another part-Dunstallized Commando also up for auction,
that has been through Mr Dunstalls hands.
In glorious BRG.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7noAAOSwjcZiTgK-/s-l1600.jpg

Again a reminder that if anyone has a factory color/colour chart for 1972, 1973, 1974 or 1975
it would be a most welcome addition to our knowledge on this subject.



These seem rather elusive to see or find ...

And the question has arisen as to which year(s) and models had candy red tanks.
I recall someone buying a Roadster with a candy red tank, it'd have been a Mk 2 850.
This one is an Interstate, for an 850 by the pinstripes. And a Mk1 850 by the decal ?



We diverge from FF Blue, a little.

We diverge from FF Blue a little more, to Fireflake Bronze.
This one an 850, done out as a 900 Fastback SS Special !
That is quite special - all the fruit ...
Flake is very fine, very fine indeed.



And this dark blue project is on UK fleabay
Metallic paint rather than metalflake.
And no pinstripes, so (obviously) not a factory scheme.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/180AAOSwi7piWZW8/s-l1600.jpg

A 72 FF Roman Purple Combat out in NZ.
Very fine flake, tank decal looks a bit out of kilter ?
Always put yer decals on with the bike assembled ...




Strange plug caps ?
https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/plus/1745348585.jpg

plug caps look like parts store automotive style