Hitchcocks Forum

My 1999 iron barrel 500 acted a bit weird the other evening, rode home from work, no problems at all, just putting it away in the garage, complete loss of power, engine ticks over as smooth as a ten bob watch, just touch the throttle, louder, but seems to be eight stroking, and revs not rising.
Next day, I had a look, turned ignition on, nothing works, ammeter, horn, indicators, engine started up first time, (as usual, unless anyone is watching!). Still nothing else works, engine not revving up, just tick over.
I checked the fuse, blown, replaced it, everything works, engine revs up as it should.
I'm a bit surprised that the engine will nearly run with no battery connected, just using the alternator.

Any old British bike with a healthy alternator can be persuaded to do that, including the old Indian Bullet, though it works a lot better if you have a Lucas 2MC or similar capacitor wired in parallel with the battery.

Otherwise fit a reg/rectifier with a built-in capacitor, e.g. the Boyer Power Box or the Sparx 023 to name but two.

A.

Yeah, they will run like that - just.
I got home about ten miles once but it was "limp mode"
If you can once get the revs to rise they run a lot better.

I have found that RE coils are of poor quality. I have 5000km on my 500 and the coil was measuring over6.5 0hms. A new coil (any coil) should be .5 to 2.

Coils die slowly sometimes and will do this. Mine did that before i changed it but hey no surprises with poor Indian electronics eh.