how can you determine what plastics an XB had originally?

[sinikl]

I know from searching that the VIN won't tell you what color plastics came on your bike originally.

I *think* mine [totally a bitsa from previous owners] may have been Hero Blue. I want cherry bomb, which is what i found when i scratched the flat black that was on my bike when I bought it, but I'm sort of thinking of buying and holding a blue airbox cover and flyscreen before they're gone from old dealer stock (SPHD has blue, with or without the X, still available).

Reasons i think it may have been blue:
- blue 'cheese grater' insert in the rear 'fender'/plate mount (i just put a dieselmoto tail tidy on mine but kept the original for posterity)
- blue gauge faces (i've seen some kick ash bikes that had black/grey gauge faces, makes sense hero blue would have blue gauges)

Reasons it may not have been blue:
- wheels are black (could be resprays but why would you do that)
- plastics are beat up cherry bomb painted black (again, wheels are black, not red, also why would you paint cherry bomb... maybe because the tank has cracks that are spreading still)

is there anything to the gauge face/grater theory?

[user_deleted]

is there anything to the gauge face/grater theory?

yep.

VIN does NOT hold any data coding for color and why would it? one of the original "selling points" of the XB line was the ability to quickly change colors at a reasonable price. only the original selling dealers' MSO and possibly bill of sale would list color.
you're wrong with your wheel color assumption. all hero blue factory bikes thru 2007 had low-gloss black wheels. 2008 and up had color-keyed blue wheels. the world of cherry bombs, orange krates and kick ash bikes differ wildly on wheel colors. don't even ask.
here's one of my original unrestored unmolested pre-08 hero blue XB's. this IS the factory combo.

hero4.jpg

[Cooter]

Sexxxxxay^^^^
Translucent colors are such a genius move. Add that to the list of brilliant Buell-only game changers.

I like pointing to the exhaust on my groups R-1, Ducati, whatever and let them know the underbelly exhaust, and stainless braided brake lines, were courtesy of Mr. Erik Buell.