Hitchcocks Forum

First. a big thanks to all for recent advice on trying to get my magneto off (2006 Bullet Electra 500). The puller supplied by our hosts was just the ticket and popped it off in a jiffy! Now back to the post - the 20 tooth bite. It was time for a chain and sprocket change and I decided to give the 20 tooth drive sprocket a go. The bike was running a 19 tooth with stubby exhaust and jetted carb to match but the rev range seemed wrong, 30mph wanted to sit somewhere between 4th and 5th and motorways revved a little too high for my liking. Got the 20t sprocket from Hitchcocks and a new chain and wheel sprocket from a local supplier (living in New Zealand - not many choices here). The new chain was an o-ring type and a genuine Enfield part. The old chain was non o-ring. Fitting the chain with clutch case open showed I needed to grind off the spare threads on a bolt coming through the gearbox or the chain would clash. All good. Fit it all back together and a 50km test ride later and hello - alloy dust all over the chain. So a word of warning - it turns out an o-ring chain does not fit on a 20t sprocket without grinding its own path into the clutch housing. Fit a new non o-ring chain and all happy. The good bit - 30mph feels excellent in 4th, 50mph purrs in 5th and 65mph pulls like a schoolboy! Lovin' it.

Hi Knockknock, does your bike have any other engine mods to help it pull the higher gearing?. Im just curious
Cheers Davie

I ran a 21 tooth and "O" ring chain on my Electra with no problems because I fitted a spacer between the inner primary and the crankase

Davie, the engine has the standard go-fast mods i.e. over-jetted & needled Mikuni carb, big air filter, free flow muffler and blanked off PAV. I might go for the new TCI unit too some day soon. I think the biggest performance 'enhancement' is that I only weigh 80kg....

Norm, where was your spacer located? As I said before, I had to grind down the spare threads on a bolt (item 46 on http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pa ... Crank_Case) from the gear box side (right hand side of the sprocket) to give clearance for the chain and then it ended up dragging on the chain case inner.

Lost count of the number I have fitted with "O" ring chains I use an old clutch steel plate, have to grind it up a bit and fit it between 2 gaskets on the inside of the inner primary case. Only problem I found with the 21 tooth was it struggled on long slow climbing hills out in the country, fine around town

I've had no problem buying plain chain in NZ. In Auckland there are several suppliers including a transmission firm in Penrose who sell every grade of chain and Reynolds in Avondale who sell (not cheaply granted) every type of chain under the sun. My chief supplier though has been various motorcycle shops selling out of their no o ring stock for silly prices, I bought four for $80.00.

Simon,
top quality "O" rings here cost $230 but worth ever cent

Simon, I too had no problem buying a standard chain - my reference was more towards the rear sprocket. I picked up my replacement for about $30 from a place 50m down the road from work (Barry's Point Road) so wasn't too fussed about the cost. Sounds like you got a good deal for 4 at $80.

Yes indeed, I think it was also Barry's Point Road. They were doing a clear out at Cycletreads. A while back though.