Military BIG4 detail variations  (iss. 045)

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This page intends to categorize all variations found on military BIG4's. I do not pretend to have it complete, but it will cover most variations. If anybody can add more (proven with photographs) I will be glad to hear. The sequence is arbitrarily taken from the front to the rear. Parts which to my knowledge have not changed are not mentioned.
For clarity, the sidecar variations are given a separate page.

Variation one:
Basic civilian motorcycle with rubber handlebar grips and foot rests, civilian type rear number plate with rearlight mounted in the right hand corner and front numberplates,  pillion arrangements, toolbox with school bag type lock, oiltank with weldings at the rear, Speedometer mounted in the middle of the fork, 1 inch handlebar mounted in rubber, 8" headlamp (7"aperture), painted on black out, forward facing horn, round ribbed head tappet cover screw. 

Variation two:
As one but with winged bolts on toolbox and steel footrests, speedometer mounted on left hand side of fork

Common upgrades:
During the operation of motorcycles, modifications were introduced as common faults (fracturing of front petrol tank lugs) or improvements (adding of panniers). These modifications were documented in  "circulars", prepared by the Director of Mechanical Engineering (DME). From these lists, modifications for the Nortons can be found. It is however quite certain from pictorial evidence that these modifications were not by definition introduced on all bikes.

First variation mentioned in each row is the oldest, variations in one column not necessarily same time frame between rows.

	Item	Variation one	Variation two	Variation three	Variation three	Variation three
Cycle parts	Front number plates	with civilian type numberplates	number plate stud present but no number plates used anymore	no numberplate provisions at all
	Rear number plate	Civilian type two top bolts	None
	Speedometers	Centrally mouted	Left hand side mounted
Engine parts	oil tell tale	without oil tell tale	with oil tell tale
	Toolbox lids	overlapping lid (Proto only?)	lid filling in cavity
	Tool box locks	"School bag type"	"Round" knob	"Winged" knob
Electrical parts	Head lamp	8" outer diameter	7" outer diameter
	Head lamp switch	OLH	OTLH
	Black-out mask	None	Black Manilla paper mask behind lens (local manufacture)	Single slot overhead covered
	Rear light	civilian type MT110	military type
	Horn	Mounted perpendicular	Mounted parallel
	Petrol leads	copper	rubber