Nigel,
I decided to fabricate a new stop to bolt onto the waiting tapped holes. An hour later I had a good working template in some leftover brass, to use to make up a stronger steel version. Within a minute of finishing I found an exact copy in the bottom of a box of oily & rusty ‘spares’ that came with the bike. THis is a perfect fit, keeps the bars away from the tank & has the look and finish of an original component. Doh!
So, Enzo Wedel, you appear to have landed on your feet with the paint job. Mine is black, as per the log book and as the costs of the project are inevitably running well ahead of original budget we’re limiting the finish to aerosol black, albeit a little austere.
Will post a pic or two when finished – we’ve got a rolling chassis now and the gearbox has just gone back into the crankcase. Looking forward to a good fettling session tomorrow!
Thanks for you comments gents,