Hitchcocks Forum

On the basis that 1 Bullet in the garage is never enough I'm about to buy an Electra EFI - anyone on here know of any lawful impediment why these two bikes should not be joined in lawful matrimony together? Or indeed any known weaknesses on the Electra EFI such as crank failure and sprag clutch as on the older Electra X engine?? All comments and suggestions would be much appreciated

New or second hand?

A lot of weight can be saved on the Electra EFI by fitting our hosts replacement silencer (item: 91080)...I couldn't believe how heavy the original muffler was! - it must be full of very restrictive stuff which made mine go very blue under the chrome shield almost along its full length - Most pics of standard EFIs seem to show this but so far, touch wood, I've had no further problems.

Reply to both above - secondhand and very keenly priced, also not a lot of miles and well loved. As it happens it has a Hitchcocks upswept exhaust on it, same as my Classic 500. Thnaks for replies and keep 'em coming chaps!

nigelphoto, check the swinging arm bushes. (The originals are a bit "fragile," allegedly.)

I'm watching this thread with interest as I bought a 2009 Electra EFI at the back end of last year.
Haven't had the chance to put many miles on it yet due to health & other issues.
Frank

Older EFI: crap sprag, rear wiring loom is duff, wiring in general is low quality, swing arm bushes are crap. Newer EFI: similar wiring issues but improved sprag.

Norm hasn`t read this yet, has he?

I've had a 2011 Electra EFI from new. I've had no mechanical problems at all after 15,000 miles. Swinging arm bushes ok so far but I understand they are nylon so with no lubrication may have limited life. No probs with the sprag clutch which is a later design and far better. Engine and gearbox very good.
The wiring harness is a bit suspect though. Not the components which appear up to par but the actual cables and the joints in the cables which are poor. I have had two major issues with the cabling which I was able to sort out myself with a digital meter. One was the prop stand switch which is a known problem and can be removed along with its little harness and the other problem was the main cable from the battery to the ignition switch which went open circuit somewhere in the harness. I simply ran a new cable to replace it. No further issues since then.
Just don't try and use it as a motorway burner. It is what it is, a nice old plodder with character.

Clive The Motorcycling God

Clive The Motorcycling God said:
"Just don't try and use it as a motorway burner. It is what it is, a nice old plodder with character."
That's why I bought mine, I traded an ER5 in on it, although still a 500, the ER had almost twice the bhp and was at least 30mph faster. I didn't like the seating position or the frenetic nature of the engine though, the Bullet is far more relaxing to ride.
Frank