Gauge cup color, 76?

[Norton7d]

Might try my hand at doing some small parts powder-coating, anybody done a gauge cup before?
If so, I feel the shade is somewhere between Satin Black and Semi-Gloss Black, opinions?

 

[DogBunny]

The 1976 gauge cup is chrome. I'm pretty sure that black cups only came on 1978 and later "Special" models.

However the 1976 bezel is black. Somewhere between satin black and semi-gloss black sounds right. But I wouldn't open up a gauge just to powdercoat the bezel. Instead, I'd carefully mask off the glass, and I'd lightly spray paint it. Which I've done several times.

 

[Norton7d]

I was going to take the gauges out anyway during some other winter " spring cleaning" so while I'm there, no big added work.
I have yet to see any of the variations of a 76 paint scheme have chrome cups.
Please see the 76 Brochure pics.

 

[DogBunny]

Looks like I was wrong regarding 76 cup color. I was going by one of the 1976 parts manuals. It showed the same part # s for 1976 cups as 1977-1979 Standard model cups, which are definitely chrome.

Powdercoating the cups will be no big deal. However, I was saying that the bezels are a different matter. It is not fun to remove the bezel from the gauge, and once done, it will never be quite the same.

 

[Norton7d]

Thanks, yes it is work but I already did it once when I took all parts off for cleanimg and going with LED gauge bulbs.

 

[5twins]

I'm pretty sure Standard cups are black, Special cups are chrome. On my '78, and on a spare '77 cluster I have, the cups are black .....

My '83 Special has chrome cups .....

 

[DogBunny]

I guess I'm wrong again. I just assumed that the black cups were part of the general blacking out that occurred in the 1980s -- black engines, black fenders, etc.
I gotta say, I highly prize undented chrome cups, which is what I always use if I'm making something nice.

 

[5twins]

I think the Special II models may have had the black cups as well.

 

[WideAWAKE]

My 76 has black cups with chrome bezels. I’m 99% they are original.

I had another 76 about 10 years ago that had chrome cups and bezel but I know the front end was swapped out. I think they just swapped the whole front off a dual disc bike. So I don’t think the gages were original but they could have been

 

[Norton7d]

Thanks, I've noticed early and the majority of 76 gauges had chrome upper bezels, the later 76 model year bikes had black upper bezels / lids, all of which were fitted with black cups.

 

[650Skull]

76 gauges with chrome bezels............Bought from Canada......NOS 76 Spedo.
.............
from the states......on my SG

Random 76 gauges from my archives..........................


Brochures with Chrome bezels


Some black bezels.......


77D............................................78E............................................79F.......................



The headlight bucket is/was black. Gauge cups chrome.........
792F/SII.................................


80G/SII........chrome cups, black headlight bowl



81H/SII has black gauge cups and headlight bowl

 

[Norton7d]

I have a very late 76 production number, I assume mid year production change