Hitchcocks Forum

Hi R/E Gurus.

I hope someone can help.

Basically, my old crate is a 1968 R/E Bullet (G2 Frame) & i wondered if the Electra X 2005 Leanburn Engine will fit in this Frame? Does anybody know?
Has anybody done this?
Obviously i expect a bit of fabrication but i wondered if the Engine Mounts or holes are in the same which would be a start. Not sure if i am doing the right thing but at least i will have a 5 speed G/Box for starters with Electric Start although i know about this Sprag Clutch Achilles Heel problem but this particular engine sounds sweet & i have a wad of Hitchcock Receipts that came with it so it has been well looked after.

Many thanks

Many thanks

Why?

1968 G2?

Older Indian Bullets I think are still referred to as G2s, so it's a 1968 350 Indian framed Bullet, I guess! Ian will no doubt clarify.

Now why not just ride the Electra-X as it is, if it's a good example? I have built Bullet bitsas, but starting with a bare frame, not gutting a good running bike to do so.

If a spare Electra-X engine and gearbox were your starting point, what you're proposing would still be do-able, other pre-EFI/UCE Indian engines and even 5 speed gearboxes will bolt straight in, no frame modifications necessary IF any 5 speed box you want to fit is converted to right foot shift. If not, you'd need to sort out a rear brake pedal mount for the right hand side. To keep the electric start the engine lug on the front downtube needs to be the welded-on type, you'd also need a larger battery box (use one off a Sixty-5) for the 14AH battery, though someone also suggested a smaller lithium battery could be used. Then there's the Electric start switch gear and wiring loom, and please don't tell me you've still got the original 6" SLS front brake in there if you want to convert your '68 350 to a 500!

Any major changes to the bike will have to be notified to your insurer, and DVLA will also need to know the new cc and engine number of any different engine you fit.

A.

Blimey Adrian. That is most helpful. You definitely do know your Onions from your Shallots.

Yes i am convinced that my Frame is Indian Made especially after watching a Paul Henshaw video on this subject & i know it sounds a bit extreme to sacrifice a tidy looking Electra X but i will end up with a Classic G2 with a hopefully more reliable engine plus a better G/Box with more power.

Yes i already done the Disc Brake Upgrade but the rear still has the 1/2 width drum with a half-head rider but now i could upgrade this too!

I will definitely be doing the R/Side G/Change eventually & i know where to come for that.

Many thanks indeed for your help

I recently converted a left side change, 5 speed gearbox to right side, to suit my 350 Bullet Electra. It’s fairly straightforward, certainly not as scary as the video in the “Doghouse” video on YouTube. The trickiest part was shortening the long gear change shaft. The internal operating lever has to be cut off and moved to a different position on the shaft but it might be possible to buy an OE one from Mr. H.

Let's stress-test this plan of yours a bit further Iain, if you don't mind.

You've got a '68 Indian Bullet, therefore a 350, at least that's what it would have been when it left the factory.

Is the engine on yours the original pre-'78 type with the pressure release valve just below the rocker feed on the right-hand side crankcase? Later Bullet engines are often substituted in Indian restorations.

You say you want something more powerful and reliable, but want to keep the '68 rolling chassis. Is this for tax and MOT exemption or for sentimental/enthusiast reasons, or do you just not like the Electra-X toolbox and side panels?

I get the more power thing, but what are your current reliability issues?

Are you desperate to have the electric start?

You do know that there's a lot that can be done to the 350 to make them go with a bit more va-va-voom and still hold together, don't you? I know of a 350 Redditch Bullet that is good for 90mph, and that's a road bike, Steve Linsdell's legendary 350 Bullet racer also springs to mind. There's a 450 conversion for the 350 Bullet which will liven the performance up a bit, you can also convert the 350 crankcases to take a 500 top end.

The 5 speed gearbox **is** a good upgrade in its own right, they're available separately, however.

I would also have to admit, even as a fan of the Electra-X, that this model can have its own reliability issues, the sprag clutch failure rate is quite high, more so than on other E/S Bullets with a better decompressor for starting (and stopping). Big ends on the early ones can fail around the 15,000 to 17,000 mark (there was a poor batch of crank pins fitted by the factory, the hardening flakes off and sprays abrasive metal particles over the inside of the engine), and the tappets for some reason have thinner stems than the normal Bullet models, which means that the tappets' feet can snap off. Been there, done that, and got all three tee shirts. There are fixes/workarounds for all of these, fortunately, but these issues have consumed a lot of space on this and other forums since about 2007!

Now if you're dead set on an Electra-X engine in your 350 Bullet I probably have enough bits sitting unused in the garage at least to get you started. Putting an engine together (and you get the chance to do it properly) will give you the desired result, and that way a good running bike doesn't get broken.

Let me know if this has any appeal and we can sort out contact details (can't use this forum for flogging parts!). Personally I would still recommend that you stick with the 350, but well-tuned with all the good bits, stuff in a 5 speed box, declare victory and zoom off into the sunset, keeping the Electra-X intact, but it's not my call.

If you REALLY cannot be persuaded otherwise, let me know how much you want for the rolling chassis...

A.

He could simply want to legally have a black and white number plate... and why not.... Not a question by the way

The bike probably already has one.

A.

Sorry, worded that badly. He wanted a 'newer', more 'powerful' bike, yet retaining that plate.

I know you knew I meant that Adrian