Fri Jun 03, 2011 9:45 pm by OldHarley
Belle,
It is hard to locate a photo that shows it in color, the right year and it at the right angle. Mine is chrome, but it matches the chrome dash cover. Of course, the dash cover should be painted to match the bike. But the filler strip, I can only say...the color photos I have seen of other 'so-called correct' 1941-42 bikes, have it painted black on both a '41 and '42 model (Ref: Harley-Davidson Flatheads by Jerry Hatfield, p.79 and 80).
So, I do not recall ever seeing an answer to the question you have asked anywhere in the restoration guides. The compressed horsehair buffer underneath is mentioned in the Palmer book, just not the strip itself.
To add a little more confusion, neither have I ever found an answer to what may be your next question: "is there a trim gasket under the dash cover? (that is, one between the cover's edge and tanks.) I do not know myself. I have seen them listed for sale, and have also seen bikes both with and without. This also is not mentioned anywhere that I can find.
BTW, I do not have one.
So, maybe I have not answered your question exactly, but I ask myself this: since the tank strip is subject to potential maintenance paint damage due to the fact there is a seat 'T' grease fitting that sits in the strip's depression that has to be accessed, I believe black to be a better choice over the bike color.
