Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all

I have a '94 500 Indian Bullet engine in a mid 60's Crusader frame with no paperwork.
I was wondering if Im likely to encounter any major issues with getting the bike registered with the DVLA, considering it has a non-original engine.

Also, who would be able to provide a dating certificate?

I have registered several bikes over the years so Im familiar with the process.

thanks in adv!

Hi Mart,

normally I'd say to go down the familiar route of getting a dating certificate from the REOC for an age-related plate and shunting all the forms off to DVLA, but of course Swansea has changed the rules on eligibility for historic vehicle status. So if you'd fitted a 500 Bullet engine in a 350 Bullet frame you'd be OK as far as I understand things, but if the engine is not the same configuration as the original it might not qualify. The club could hopefully clarify, but you might be told that you're only entitled to a "Q" plate, unless you can prove it was converted over 30 years ago. Older bitsas (eg a period Triton) would be admissible but not something more recently constructed.

Let me know if you need a receipt for the forks!

A.

thanks Adrian I think you are right about eligibility for Historic Vehicle. what I need is a Bullet frame with a V5 so I can bolt on all the expensive bits from my trials project! i do recall having one of those some time ago.

Yes, I still have it! It's promised to my wife for when she builds her bike.

A.

what I really need is a 40 year old frame with a V5- thanks

Our hosts sometimes come up with Redditch frames with V5s - at a premium, of course.

A.

plan B! Im looking at a mid 50's bullet frame with no docs, that I can bolt my 1994 Indian engine, box, rear wheel and forks onto. I'm not sure if Ill have issues with dating, as part of the bike is from a different era. anybody done this? I need it to be an Historic Vehicle cheers

Now this might be heading in the right direction, there are probably more than a few Redditch-framed, Indian Bullet-engined bikes about. There are some Indian Bullets fitted with Redditch twin engines too, but let's not go there. Your job, if you want a bike with historic vehicle status, will be to convince the club that you have something authentic, or something for which you have been able to gather the authentic bits for a restoration.

What you COULD do is start with an actual restoration based on the 50's frame, put together a Bullet engine of the original size (350?) and correct period, these are still around, along with a set of 50's forks and a double sided front wheel, etc. See our hosts' used bits section as well as fleabay. If the club is satisfied that you have got it all appropriate for a period restoration they will issue you a dating certificate for a complete bike, and you can get it running, get its first and last legally required MOT, get it registered with DVLA as a classic vehicle, now fully TAX and MOT exempt.

Once that's all done you can then swap the engine over, notify DVLA on the changes section of your V5C (as well as your insurer of this and any other bits you swap over) and you should be the happy possessor of a fully legal anglo-indian Bullet bitsa on an age-related plate.

It might be easier to buy an up-and-running 50's 350 Bullet or '58-on 350 clipper which is already has historic vehicle status and swap engines, though.

A.

Hi Adrian, some good points there. I think it will be easier, as you say, to buy an up and running over 40 Bullet, and swap the parts over. thanks

Some of the older (official) Indian 350 imports are now falling into this category. There's a 1980 example on fleabay at the moment which will qualify next year.

A.