1954 a10 plunger front brake

[Adtrac]

 I am wondering if the brake operating lever and the anchor strap were painted black from the factory  , can't see any evidence of any other type of coating.

[Superflash]

That's what mine are.

[trevinoz]

If it is a black bike I would say yes but if gold I would say no.

[Swarfcut]

  Brake lever on the drum from my experience is a chrome finish. Internet images of original and restored bikes will give a guide to the torque arm/anchor. Sadly all my reference books are in black and white......

Swarfy.

[MikPowl]

In the '53 BSA parts list the parts diagrams show both the the torque arm and brake lever (and brake drum) as black.  As the diagrams are black & white this might not mean a lot, but other parts that are obviously plated parts are shown as outline-only, suggesting that the 'blacked' items really are black. 

[Rex]

The ones supplied now are zinc plated or stainless. Somehow (probably wrong) I doubt BSA painted them black from the factory.

[JulianS]

Some years back I had a 1954 swinging arm A7 which had the superb 8 inch single sided brake, both torque arm and the lever were black. I didnt like the black lever so fitted a chromed one from an A65.

[limeyrob]

Had a look in Roy Bacon's BSA Twin Restoration - just the pictures .  Its looks a bit random.  Most of the pics are black and white but some levers are shiny (probably chrome) and others are black.  The front cover shows a BSA marketing paining with a Golden Flash with coloured fork sliders and a black lever.  In some of the photos when the fork sliders are painted gold it looks like the lever could be gold too.  When that brake is on the A65 it looks to have a chrome lever so perhaps some later levers got put onto to earlier brakes by owners?
Looks like you can do it pretty much anyway you like.