Hitchcocks Forum

Thunderbird 350AVL, could I change the asymetric head lamp bulb for a 60/55 halogen without any problems?
I have a 4 wire alternator, but dont know its out-put, presumably the same as a 500 AVL Electra, but not really sure, would any one have knowledge please?
Thanks
Terry

with a good guess, a 4 wire alternator should have quite a good power output, as it is probably three phase leccy.



check that the voltage holds with the engine on a fast idle, and also make sure that some previous guy has not installed the regulator and/or rectifier in the toolbox! This happened on my 1994 bullet, and it was not until I installed a bigger 55W halogen, that the reglu/rectifier cooked itself as someone had moved it to the toolbox, and there was not enough air to cool it.!

Is your Thunderbird an electric start model? OK, check this page of the Electra-X parts book here:



http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pa ... o_Assembly



Click on item 14 (the incorrectly named flywheel magneto assembly) and if you have the dished rotor with the stator 502035B (you said 4 wire) bolted to the outer chain case you'll probably be fine.



If your Thunderbird is kick start only and your alternator looks like this:







you have AC direct lighting and I'm not sure the alternator's headlight windings will have enough clout to run a 55/60W H4 bulb, you can give it a try with just a bulb hooked up with the engine running before buying a new headlamp unit. You can always fit one and use a 35/35W H4 halogen bulb.



Hope this helps.



A.

Thanks chaps, I had the cover off on Friday when I checked the chain tension and as far as I can remember it looks like the one in the picture, best I leave it as it is as I don't use it in the dark very often.
I've put an led in the rear as from previous memory of my last Bullet they do get through filament bulbs with the vibrations!
Terry

Forgot to say its mechanical foot start only and headlight does not come on until engine runs, side/rear/indicators and stop do work with-out the engine running.

Definitely not a 3 phase alternator, then! With one of the alternator coils dedicated to the separate CDI ignition, that only leaves five coils for lighting. I'm not sure whether it's two of the remaining coils for the AC headlight and three for the stuff on the DC system, or whether it's three coils for the AC headlight and the remaining two for all the DC stuff. That would be my guess, as the DC side doesn't have any demands from the ignition.



A.