Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all , my bike is a 2002 500cc bullet 4speed , it started running badly popping and banging Back firing , so I changed the points and condenser , with no improvement , Check the springs on the auto advance one is a bit weaker , but my main question is I found a good amount of movement on the shaft can pull it out till the advance unit is flat against the points place , about 3or 4 mm play , please is this a problem that I will need to replace parts. Many thanks for any guidance

You'll need to add parts
One problem with too much play within the assembly is that the bob weights can end up cutting through into the condenser casing. The end-float on the shaft itself can be reduced by shimming the gap between the timing chest inner wall (part of the right hand crankcase) and the gear pinion found on the end of the shaft.
The gear pinion is a taper fit and will require either a dedicated RE puller to remove it or a small two legged puller. One leg will need to be fed behind the gear via a cut out in the alloy casting at the two o'clock position. The leg is then moved anticlockwise around the gear until the second leg can be fitted. The nut on top of the pinion may be a left hand thread (been so long since I've done one of these)

Any excess play in the Advance&Retard Cam can be done by carefully reducing the length of the Cam bush with a suitable file.


If funds permit then fit the far superior Sixty-5 distributor, it comes with ball races not bushes and will probably outlast the rest of engine before requiring any attention.

Most enlightening. That explains why my condenser had a groove cut into the back of it a while ago, causing mayhem int he sparks dept. I ende up fitting an electronic ignition system which made the condenser redundant. Just hoping now that nothing needs attention wit regard to the shaft mentioned in the post.

Please excuse over-confident typing! (More haste, less speed.)

Many thanks to RIc for explaining the problem , and sound advice how to fix it , will talk with our hosts regards new parts cheers all