Hitchcocks Forum

Following the upgrade and rebuild of the Bullet 500 Café Racer to 535 etc etc I want to fit an MPH speedo before I put it back on the road at the end of the month. Basically I’m wondering which speedo to fit.

Most of the direct replacement MPH speedos go up to 100 MPH and have provision for the Neutral, Main Beam and indicator warning lights.

The 120 MPH Smith’s repro one doesn’t have the provision for the warning lights so I was wondering if any of you have any positive or negative comments on the speedo’s before I order one.

The bike has been highly tweaked so I was wondering whether the 120MPH would be the best option.

I'd be sorely tempted to find an original Smiths 120 chronometric. Sadly they're not cheap, especially once repair and possible recalibration costs are taken into account, but it will ooze class, particularly after all the time, £££ and effort put in already put into this bike. If you desperately need the warning lights there's probably room in the casquette or top yoke somewhere alongside.



A.

A digital replacement might be an option.. But they're not cheap..about £200

The Puca Smiths digital replicas are still cheaper than an original the way things are at the moment... A.

https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/gauge ... -case-p211

They do one that only goes to 80 that really like.

I got one of the Indian made smiths replica ones. Worth noting that the background is not translucent so you can't actually see it in the dark, the backlight is fitted but doesn't show through the black background.



There was a (rather clever I though) tip in one of the owners club magazines recently where the guy was using the ammeter backlight as a high beam indicator. I was considering doing the same on my latest build. Maybe with the added refinement of having it white for normal and blue for beam which is do-able with LEd technology.



You don't legally need an indicator repeater if you can see the front indicators from the riding position.



I just drilled the casquette on my 350 bullet and fitted one of those blue, chrome trimmed bulb holders for a main beam indicator. It in no way looks out of place.

Hi Stink wheel... Looks good... Any idea what the accuracy is like?

Fine up to 60-65mph. Can't really comment above that because the bike doesn't go much faster. The needle does occasionally start swinging but then again, my speedo drive just seized then self-destructed from chronic lack of maintainance so that's probably a factor.

The modern EFI speedos are fairly consistent with their inaccuracy but at least the needle doesn’t jump about.
. When I was last in a legal position to check mine, I was at an indicated 85 on the rev limiter, and the GPS was showing 83, which coincidentally is the designed top speed of the bike.

Tom - wait until you see our new catalogue ( posted out this week ) - we have a new range of speedos featured.