Hitchcocks Forum

Just got a 1966 350 Bullet imported by a friend about 12 years ago. This is my first Bullet so I am trying to understand how it works especially the electrics. First point of interest is that the headlight only works when the engine is running, though the flasher works regardless. Is this normal as i have not come across this before?

I have a manual which I assume is from circa 1995 as the wiring diagrams bear this date. Would this be correct for my age of bike or is there somewhere I can download a more relevant diagram.

Many Thanks

Peter

If it was an Indian restoration when your friend bought it 12 years ago, the shop that restored it most likely used a load of more modern parts, including the electrics. Around 1999 RE India adopted (partial)AC lighting, ie the headlight is powered directly by AC off the alternator. The stator is effectively split in two, electrically, 3 of the stator coils are used to provide DC via the reg/rectifier unit for ignition, side, tail and stoplights, horn and indicators, all fed via the battery as normal. The remaining three stator coils are isolated from the rest of the system and feed the headlamp (and headlamp high beam indicator light) with 12V AC via a separate AC regulator and a separate return cable rather then an earth wire.



With this set-up you only get headlights with the engine running, all the other electrics should work as normal. This sounds like what has been fitted to yours, I think the original electrics would have bee 6V DC for that year. If you have the Pete Snidal manual it has the wiring diagrams for different years.



A.

My guess is that you have a mid-90s 350 Bullet which has been given fake 1966 Indian registration papers. Sadly this is very common. If you can post pictures this would help. The good news is that if the bike is in the uK and legal there's no reason not to enjoy what is after all a perfectly good motorcycle. The headlight working when the engine is running is because bikes of this period have a split AC/DC charging system, lights run off the alternator when engine running and other systems go via the DC charged battery.

REgards, Mark

Thank you Mark and Adrian for your swift replies. I have now found the Peter Snidal manual and it looks as though it will be very helpful. Good to know that there is a variant which was wired AC/DC rather than a bodge by a previous owner. As you said the main beam indicator only works when the engine is running, not if you use the headlamp flasher alone. Armed with the wiring diagrams I may be able to make more sense of it.

At present it all seems to work (if somewhat strangely) and my main concern is to have sufficient knowledge to be able to deal with a roadside issue, it is (or may be) 52 years old after all. Having looked at the AC/DC wiring diagram one obvious difference is that it implies a separate lighting switch whereas mine has a neat combined lighting, horn, indicator and dipswitch all on the clutch side.

Regarding the age of the machine, I will quiz my friend a bit more about the purchase (bought in 2006 as a wedding present from his new wife) to see if we can establish whether it is a restored 1966 model or later model with fake provenance. The V5C has it as 1966 so its tax and soon to be MoT exempt which is fine with me, I don't really care other then to be aware when carrying out repairs or ordering spares. Are there any other differences which would help to establish the true age of the bike? For the record the engine and frame number are G2/68364.

Many thanks

Peter

Peter, the Royal Enfield Owners Club Chairman Graham Scarth thinks you might have a genuine 1960s Indian Bullet. However he thinks there might be more numbers on the crankcase although these are sometimes polished out when these bikes are "restored" in India. If you send pictures of the numbers to him at [email protected] he will try and give you some more information at no charge.

REgards, Mark

The lighting switch for these is a single item on the left hand side of the handlebars, though the internals are electrically isolated from each other to keep the AC and DC separate.



What you CAN do if you want full lights with the engine stopped, is go all DC, either follow Snidal's instructions for combining both feeds from the alternator, or replace the Indian alternator with a genuine Lucas RM21 or similar. If the rotor is in good condition with plenty of magnetism left a new stator will suffice.



The same switchgear will operate an all DC lighting system happily enough with a few minor changes to the wiring.



A.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the suggestion. I quoted the numbers from the V5c but since then I have taken a photo f the engine number which does have some other characters, E1 / 30364 is stamped below but in a different font. I have sent the picture to Graham Scarth as you kindly suggested. Have yet to find a frame number.

PeterF

Hello Arian,

Thank you for the further reply. I don't perceive any immediate need to make changes to the wiring system, as it all seems to work ok; my priority is to fully understand how it works and where the various bits can be found. Encouragingly so far the bike wiring seems to conform to the colour scheme in the diagram I have downloaded. Under the seat are three boxes. On the left (looking to the front) is a small black one with two wires (red with wht stripe and a solid wht or light grey) which would seem to be the flasher unit. In the centre is a single larger finned alloy box which I suspect is a combined rectifier and regulator; so far I have not been able to identify the colours of wires connected to this. On the right is another small black box which has blue and black wires coming out but almost immediately a connector to yellow and orange wires. This would seem to be the AC regulator.

I took a photo but I am not sure if this forum allows pictures to be embedded or attached to posts.

I think the rotor has already been replaced as I seem to remember my friend mentioning the old one came adrift and and had to be replaced, Will have to ask him if the stator was also replaced; I suspect not given it still runs AC lights.

The only drawback to an AC headlight as far as I can see is the inability to use led bulbs. However, since the overall electrical system seems quite robust and the headlight bright even at tickover I don't see a need at present. The first time the engine stops at night and the lights go out I might change my mind!

PeterF

Hi Guys--------Hi Starfield and welcome...... To post photos etc on here and for them to remain showing try this}---------- https://imgbb.com/ -----

Thanks Alan, Hopefully this will show a pciture of the electrical gubbins under my seat. https://ibb.co/hz0nMx

PeterF