Forum

[Paul007]

Hi Guys,

I have the Watsonian Ltd Trials Conversion bike.

Just looking to get some spares & accessories for my 2007 350 Bullet......
The site say check which model you have prior to ordering as many parts sent are in correct and get sent back!

So please is mine a Bullet Indian Export Spec model or a Bullet Indian Home Market Spec model???

So confusing but need to get it right.

On the site photographs of each model to click-on my Bullet looks to be the Indian Home Market as the Gearbox from the left to right looking has the concaved casing.
The Export model shows the Gearbox Convexed casing.

Could someone please advise.......
What are the differences between to two models.....?

Many thanks,
Paul

[stinkwheel]

One easy one is UK models have stainless spokes. Try a magnet on the rear wheel spokes. If it doesn't stick, it's probably a UK model.

[John-M]

At a glance, Indian home market bikes have a different petrol filler cap to the export models.
Indian tanks take a cap with a key and the export bikes had a horrible knurled affair, but a standard 50's British bike cap will fit them also.
Later Export tanks have a flush fitted flip up cap.
The fittings on the tank are different and the caps can't be interchanged.
If your lights have "E" marks I think it will be an export model, as would a 17 digit VIN.
All Indian 4-speed boxes are the same, British ones are different and have a more rounded cover.

[John-M]

Sorry, I skipped over the bit where you mentioned it was the Watsonian trials model, ignore the bit about the tank.

If all the chrome has fallen off the bike it is Indian home market, if most of the chrome has fallen off it is an export model.

More seriously, if it has come via Watsonian, it should be an official export.

[Adrian]

I'd tend to agree with John-M, although ISTRC that Watsonian also listed their trials kit in their own accessory catalogue, so it could in theory have been fitted to a grey import Bullet. Whil;e they obviously were not keen to encourage private imports their catalogue had a section listing the bits you'd need to change for legal use in the UK.

A.

[Wheaters]

Adrian, what bits are / were in need of changing to meet U.K. regs?

I ask because my own Bullet Electra is not of a commonly seen U.K. type; I have no idea its early origin but as you probably remember it’s an Indian “home market” model. I don’t know if it came to U.K. as a grey import or officially via a dealer.

I also own a Honda which I brought back to U.K. as a personal import after having owned it when I lived in the Far East.

I had no problem registering the Honda and MOT’ing either bike; as far as I can see there are no differences between bikes sold in U.K. compared to those from India or Japan .

[Allanfox]

Interesting as I have the same bike, stainless spokes and keyed filler cap , I thought it was a Watsonian conversion but have seen them called Wassell conversions, I take it they were converted by Watsonian using Wassell parts? (the seat has a Wassell sticker on it)

[Wheaters]

Nice looking bike, Allan!

[Allanfox]

Thankyou, that was before lock down and I have rubbed my fingerprints off with Solvol since, very shiny now!!! A 2005 with 5500 pampered miles, think about the last of the old cast iron engines?

[Wheaters]

I think the last iron Bullets were made until 2007. Mine's a year 2004, home market 350 Bullet Electra but now rather modified with what are mainly UK spec. parts.

I have to say, I find the UCE engined replacements not quite so attractive and strangely somehow rather "emasculated" by their relative modernity.