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[Tomo]

The 60`s style silencer on "Henry" my 500 Bullet had a few big rustholes. Not bad though considering it was fitted when I bought the bike new in 2000 and its been in year round everyday use since. But with the MOT looming, thought I`d change it and decided on our host`s universal silencer. First test ride with it was to the MOT, been off the road about 2 months, so checked lights working etc. Henry started first kick and ran great until 40mph, after that spluttering and running really badly. At the MOT station, found the air filter cover had come open, problem found I thought !. MOT went fine until it came to the lights, both tail and stop lights not working. Had a quick check of the bulb, that was fine. Then noticed the front pilot lights out too !. So with his first fail notice ever, Henry and I headed back home. Again ran really badly over 40, not the airbox cover this time !. Found if I put on the choke he ran ok again. So assuming it must be a fuel issue, maybe need to tane the needle up a notch or two. Strange though, as the new silencer is more restrictive than the last one, being baffled wheras the 60`s style one was pretty much straight through.

The tail, stop and pilot lights are more of an issue, electrickery is not my strongpoint !. Not helped by the fact the wires going into the tail unit are different colours to those in the workshop manuals wiring diagram. Not really having a clue where to start, out of interest I took out the bulb, then with a test light connected to a good earth on the engine, I touched the other wire to the bulb holder contact and the light came on. So figured must be the earth, popped the bulb back in and took a wire again from a good earth and touched the bulb side, voila !, the light came on. But then it slowly faded down. Quick test of the battery with my voltmeter showed it was almost flat !.

So after that long winded story, couple of questions. If the battery was low on charge, could the rough running be connected before I start messing with the carb ?. But the ameter did indicate the bike was charging on the ride over to the MOT. I think the light problem may still be the earth, but I`m getting a bit confused really.

[PeteF]

Could well be that the duff battery would cause rough running. I find they don't need much in the battery to start. Just 'cos the ammeter indicated a charge it doesn't mean the battery was accepting it. Classic time for a battery to fail after winter storage as well. If you have a battery charger I would see if the battery will charge up and hold a charge with a load on it. If not it's new battery time before you start doing anything else. Sounds like you have already proved an earth problem to the back light but those wires are very susceptible to failure and you could have a short there as well.

[papasmurf]

I was under the impression that "universal" silencer may need a change of jet size and moving the needle.

[Tomo]

Thanks chaps. Just to confuse me more on the lights problem, I charged the battery up this afternoon. I then put a wire from the rear bulb body to earth. It did light up, but only the brake light filament. The tail light still not on or the front pilot lights. With the makeshift earthwire taken off again, nothing at all, brakelight does`nt come on either when the footpedal or front levers are depressed. Boy, I hate electrics !. The rear indicators work ok by the way. I used my test light to check the terminals in the first connector back from the light unit. It has a green , a grey, black and white and black wires going into it and off to the tail unit. Only the grey wire lit up the test light so I guess that feeds the indicators and also connects to the brake light terminal of the rear light socket. So I think the problem may be further up the system ?. Only one fuse that I know of in the L/H side tool box, but that is ok. I`ve tried tracing the wires back but the rats nest in the headlight housing has confused me even more. Would help if the wiring diagram colours matched what is on the bike too, should be an amber going to the tail light, but I`ve got a brown !. Any ideas much appreciated, like I said before electrics are definitely not my strongpoint !.

[Scalyback]

Brown?



Well, that's close enough to orange isn't it?



I don't know how much difference there is, but I did colour a '95 bullet diagram for ease of understanding, and did some electrics explanation. Your 2000 one may be different. Use the link below and click on the first link below the colour charts.



Bullet '95 wall chart















tabellarius de verbis ostensor gaudium

[Norm]

Check the wires where the start to go in under the rear mudguard, this is where they often get rubbed by the rear wheel

[papasmurf]

Norm that is why I used 7 core trailer cable to route the wires over the rear mudguard on my Enfield. (I only needed a spacer to lift the traditional rear number plate, lights and indicator carrier to run the cable under that and over the mudguard. )

[Alan R]

Hi Tomo--------whereabouts are you in the country ??---------- I have Oxy Acetylene and could braze some repair patches on your original silencer if you like ??......£ Zilch !!

[Tomo]

Thanks everyone. The coloured wiring diagram is great, thanks for that Scalyback and you are right, brown is close to being orange !. I will check the wiring under the mudguard, but I think the problem may be further up the system now, especially with the front pilot lights being dead too. Thanks for the offer Alan, I`m in north east England. Much appreciated, but the old silencer is beyond help now as I had to cut it off and the scrapman has taken it now.

[papasmurf]

Tomo, front and rear lights are the same circuit with a common earth, a short will effect both.