Paint question

I am painting/restoring a previously painted "all black" 1963 R60/2
Were the original factory pin stripes hand painted after the black? Without clearcoat?
My painter wants to paint/tape the white pin stripes first then paint black and clear coat final.

I'm not totally sure of the painting process, but the pin stripes were definitely hand painted. IIRC, the pin stripers at the factory were mostly women...there are pictures around of them doing it. In addition, the pin stripers usually "signed" their work. Under the tank near the front, you would have been able to see a dot with an initial as the persons signature. Here's shot of my "mark" under my R69S tank.

Oh no!

The Gloss Black is a single stage paint with no clear coat and the stripes are applied by hand either with a tape "guide" stripe or just a free hand application. There's no clear coat either before or after the stripe for your machine. That is if your planning on showing the bike in a Concours level show, the National ralley judges will ding you as well. If your looking for durability and longevity with the paint and stripes lay on the black with a clear coat 1500grit the whole tank get somebody to put the correct hand pinstripes on and then throw a couple more coats of clear on it.

Either show or ride I wouldn't put tape pinstripes on the worst of mine in the stable but that's my preference. The tape is much to obvious.

If you want "drop dead" "spot on" paint & stripes send it to Holt BMW but be prepared to wait and pay some $$$$$$$$ for it. Holt will also sell you a "kit" that will get your bike painted but I think your on your own with the stripes.

If you can't find a hand pinstriper try a tattoo artist and get somebodies already striped tank to go by. Its an art but the paint on the bike can be prfect but if its got crappy striping nobody will see the paint.

Lot of speculation on those marks

The latest I heard was its where the pinstriper gets the excess paint off the brush.

I just had my R 100S project hand striped in gold, the guy spent about 5 hours in my garage doing it. The metallic gold is a torture to apply because you have to double coat it and silly me had the rear fender painted and it needed stripes too. That bike was smoke red and did have a two stage "base coat base coat" paint. I can't wait to get the drive line back together and get it out on the road to see if the stripes peal off.

Great INFO. This painter has previously painted two "Show Bikes" for me and does nice work. I must change our original plan based on the data provided.

I've seen the process you are talking about, having the stripes taped (but only using the tape as a mask) which leaves the white stripes after having painted the tank black. It looks "too perfect" and I can spot it a mile away. One of the charming things about hand striping is that no two are alike, and there are inconsistencies in the width of the space between the two stripes. I've just got a dagger striper, again, having lost mine years ago. I used it for branches in trees and the like when painting watercolor landscapes. I look forward to practicing on glass and eventually striping motorcycles.

The paint job on "Scarlet"

Did you go to the Boca Raton Concours event?

There were several fine examples of BMW motorcycles in both restored and unrestored condition. I had my "65 R 69S restored in Bristol Grey at that show. I had Holt do the paint & stripe about six years ago and I've put about 1,200 miles on and it still got best if class. He does a good job and it does hold up pretty good. My Dover White R 60US still has great paint & stripes after 12 years (from the second restoration) and about 5,000 miles. I'm up to my ears in a 1955 R 50 but I'm at the very least going to use the Glasurit paint on it, I have a bunch of sheet metal that my hand striper can copy off of.