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[Navylark]

Hi
Today unfortunately ran into the back of truck smashing the headlight, which very lucky. I am now thinking of taking the caskette off and replacing it with a replica 1950 style headlight with the ammeter in the top and an alloy top yoke. Has anyone done this conversion on a bullet 350 trail 2009. My first question, is there any room in the lamp surround to stow the snakes honeymoon of wiring that lives in the caskette.

Thanks nick

[Scalyback]

It's out of warranty., that's one thing.



You got all those connectors and things and excess wire.



If you go ahead, bear in mind that you may need to remove some or all of the bulky connectors, and solder the wire joints. If there is more slack than necessary, then shorten the wires too.



There again, those here with more experience of older headlamp shells, may know whether it will all fit in as is, or not.



You may need to add the tell tale high beam and indicator lights for the MOT, this had been debated on here before.



either way, it sounds like you will have a nice looking bullet!

[Norm]

I have done one on a later Bullet but as Scally said I ended up soldering and heatshrinking the wires to get them all to fit.

[Adrian]

It was my 2005 Electra-X rather than a 2009 350T, but as it's the same casquette we're talking about I'll chip in. I have a thing about "proper" headlamps and brackets, so this was one of the first things I did to mine. Fitted the cafe racer top yoke which saved relocating switches, and a plain black 7" headlamp shell with the 50's headlamp bracket kit as I was keeping touring bars, thought it looked brilliant back in 2006 and still like the look of it now. For some reason the cafe racer alloy yoke requires about 3/8" to be carefully lopped off the top of the 50's h/l brackets, the trails top yoke with only the speedo mount in the casting apparently doesn't, but then you need to think about moving electrics, ie ammeter in the headlamp shell and relocated ignition switch (assuming you're keeping the handlebar switchgear for the lights). The alloy top yokes definitely look better with the 50's H/L brackets rather than more spindly offerings, in my heavily biased opinion! There's a picture of how mine turned out in the gallery, http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pi ... /mid/5.jpg

You could also consider the RE Thunderbird fork yoke conversion offered by our hosts, if you don't mind knocking up a nice neat speedo bracket (offset to the right so that the speedo cable clears the headlamp casing). It's a cheaper option but still looks good, especially with the brackets painted. You can keep the wires tucked away or shortened, just leave enough slack in the wiring around the steering stem for the steering to turn full lock in both directions without putting the wiring loom under tension.

Hope this helps.

A.

[Scalyback]

What a sexy georguos little number that is!






This could be the first 'House-bike". That's where you build an access door to a specially designed small extension on the lounge, just so that when not in use, you can park your bike next to the TV. Or in front of the TV.

Hell, who needs a poster when you could have that in your front room?

[Scalyback]

[center]




If you wish to go down the road of installing the tell tales, then our hosts do some nice ones, I just can't find them in the online parts book at the moment.

For something even more authentic, there are these lamps, reproduced from the lucas tooling. a couple would be so breathtaking in a fifties headlamp shell. There is a link below the photo.











Neat lucas lamps (Read photo description)



Some of the 93/94 Enfields had them installed in the casquette, as the type of speedo did not accommodate them. Tornado had them, but here is a pic from a different bullet



but you could do with a complete lucas. maybe get an idea from http://www.motomaniastore.com/parts/det ... mplete-244

Looks like this



these could help as well, http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffylighting.htm





Here's an AJS. Much bigger, but the idiot lights go well here.




Here's a Triumph. WHichever way you go, idiot lights will be in keeping with fifties style especially if you use the Hex jewel type.






[/center]

[Norm]

Adrian I'm trying to remember but when I fitted the alloy top yoke it was either too thick or something else was wrong so in the end I had to grind the weld off the bottom of the steering stem and move it up about 10mm so that the steering stem nut would go on enough threads

[Adrian]

Norm, sounds like something WAS wrong, the cafe racer yoke really was a direct fit to my Electra, only the h/l brackets needed a trim.

Scalyback, my attempt at an Electra-X based Woodsman clone did look quite nice, sadly I had to replace the red tank with the previous black and chrome version, so it's not quite the same, though the over-trouser burning exhaust remains. Can't afford to make it a lounge pet, I need it for commuting! The High Days and Holidays bike is (hoping I've got the Tiny Pics code right) this one:

http://tinypic.com/m/ieqiky/4

Regards,

A.

[Adrian]

Sorry, maybe this one:

http://i60.tinypic.com/33cvm21.jpg

[Adrian]

Oh, never mind, copy and paste into your browser!