Hitchcocks Forum

Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that there is now a document available for all forum members which combines Scalyback's wiring diagram (publicised here a few months ago) with a series of circuit diagrams derived from the wiring diagram.



Each circuit diagram shows a subset of the wiring diagram, concentrating on one particular function. They are laid out such that the current flow is simple and easy to follow (normally left to right, top to bottom). This makes it much easier to understand how a particular feature works, and to fault-find.

The diagrams are for a 2011 Bullet (with EFI), and we know that there are already some minor differences in the latest models. Nevertheless, most of the wiring is unchanged so you should still find the document of use.

It is provided on a best-efforts basis and may contain errors. If you find any, or have suggestions for improvement, please follow the instructions on the front page.

You can download the document here:

Bullet EFI 2011 Wiring and Circuit Diagrams

I've also posted this message on the American forum.

(This ain't going to go sown well, ahem!)
,


It's all brilliant apart from the dip/main switch on page 12 which should be a change over, the middle contact being terminal 2. The high beam flash is fine.



Oh, the indicator LR switch is another change over.



Sorry, I know how much work you have put into this, so best get right and also you can have 1st amendment in that nice chart on page 2



YAY!

Yo, Scaly!



I've tried to draw them as "sliding" switches, because I don't want to confuse people by making them look like changeover relay contacts.



The indicator is another slider, but of course it has a centre off position, unlike traditional changeover contacts.



I'll try to think of a better way of representing them. Good catch, old chap!

OK, folks: changes from your comments now incorporated. The document is now at Version 1.1.

Three phase magneto?.

Yes.... I've absolutely no idea why RE suddenly started calling the alternator the "magneto".



As you will know, in the motorcycling world a magneto was the precursor to the more modern points and coil system - a self-contained device that was driven from the cam drive and generated the ignition spark.



Indeed, the first Bullets had a magneto ignition system, in common with many other British bikes from the 50s. It was superseded by the battery-powered points and coil system in the early 60s.



The alternator in the RE is an absolutely typical, bog standard permanent magnet alternator, like those in many other modern bikes. Why it suddenly became a "magneto" I've no idea - it makes no sense at all. That's why I decided to refer to it as the "alternator".



Having thought about your comment, my instinct it to label it '3-phase alternator ("magneto")' which should avoid any confusion. Would that be agreeable?

The ‘magneto’ is a magneto, it is not an alternator. A magneto ‘is an engine driven generator designed to produce plus voltages to specific times during rotation. That is what the thing does on the EFI, and that’s why it is - rightly - called a magneto.

A magneto is an alternator... *runs away*

Dictionary definition is


noun, plural magnetos. Electricity


a small electric generator with an armature that rotates in a magnetic field provided by permanent magnets, as a generator supplying ignition current for certain types of internal combustion engines or a hand-operated generator for telephone signaling.