Need help painting my bike

[Zig's GS]

Hi guys,
New to your forum.
I want to paint my 81 GS850G but need some help. Years ago, when I was small and GS's were new, I had a GS1000E, metalic blue with gold and black pinstripping. I want to do my 850 with the same paintscheme but I can not find nice photos which will give me an indication of how it looked. The tank is of a diff shape, so I will have to compensate for that. I still have the original side cover from the 1000 so I will be able to have the paint mixed to that.
Anyone out there with a similar bike?
Cheers

[Rick65Cat]

Most autobody shops can "scan" a paint sample off of whatever you bring them and you'll get a recipe of the ingredients to make that color. Its some kind of electronic camera/scanner gizmo.
Or just go to an autobody paint supply store or bodyshop I suppose and browse through the paint "chip" books til you hit upon something you like.
If you go with route number 2 just be sure to get the paint code on the receipt they give you when you pay.

[Zig's GS]

Thanks, I do have an origanal sidecover in the colour I want. What I need is photos of the pinstripping. I have found some photos on the net but most are of low quality and mostly taken from the side. I can not remember how the tank looked from above. If I can figure out how to, I will attach a photo of the particular bike.

[Zig's GS]

This is the bike I am talking about.

[rustybronco]

I'll take some pictures of my '80 tank later on today. the stripes should be the same.

(at least the stripe layout)

***EDIT*** are you looking for the 1000E layout, or the 850G layout?

[Zig's GS]

I would love the 1000 layout. Want to do it on the 850. Will have to see how it will look as the tanks are of different shape and the filler on the 850 is to the side. Was there a similar layout done on 850's? Whe only got the plain black/red versions down here in South Africa. Later models were the greyish silver ones??

Is yours the 850? Would love to see that also!

[rustybronco]

The USA and RSA paint schemes are quite different. I love the paint scheme you gent's received. our's are kind of bland in comparison.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/rustybronco/PICT2270.jpg

[Nessism]

Seems to me you already have the photo you need. Get your hands on some graphics film and start tracing out the pattern using the photo you already have.

[Zig's GS]

Hi Ed,
I do have that photo but it does not show the top of the tank clearly.
Maybe I should not try and clone a past love but just create a new one similar to that.
That photo I got from the net. Something tells me it is an European bike. A bit scruffy (big dent and some rust on the bottom lip of the tank) but that is exactly how mine looked (without the dent and rust of course)
It was my first 1000 and we had lots of fun together. I reprayed the bike black with John Player Special graphics but kept the original bodywork. Years later when I sold it (money, space and kid on the way) I promised myself that I would build another. After moving house twice, all I have left is the sidecover and some memories.