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[bernieke]

Thanks for the link, will check it out! (With some help from google translate, my French isn't worth much these days...)



I've never been to any classic event (or any racing event really), but I've got a feeling that won't last much longer

Looks like a lot of fun!



I used to own an AVL Thunderbird 350 when I was living in India 10 years ago, after college. http://bernieke.com/posted/goa.jpg I had it repainted after I crashed the bike on a highway coming back from Goa one time. (A drunk ran across the highway in front of me.)



After India we lived in California for a year, where I had a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, which was a lot of fun to ride, and more suitable to the American highways than the Thunderbird.



Once back in Belgium I got me another Vulcan 1500 (which I still believe to be the most practical big twin to ride as a daily driver, affordable, reliable, low-maintenance shaft drive, ...) and tried to continue living with just a motorcycle, but after the first snowy winter I did end up buying my first car. And when my son was born I sold the Vulcan.



Meanwhile my sensibilities have shifted somewhat from big twins to classics. I've been eyeing the Kawasaki W800 for a while, but I don't really need the reliability and highway capabilities which make it so attractive. (I've never liked riding on highways, even with the Vulcan.) And I still have the fondest memories of the old iron barrel Bullets thumping along in India. Which set me on the path I'm on right now. Well, that, and my love of tinkering



The big head still has the original 6V wiring. Only the normal maintenance has been done to it. I'm assuming the tires will have gotten changed a few times along the years, but I don't know how many years ago the last time was.

I'm not planning to ride in the dark, so I'll probably leave the wiring at 6V. If I need a GPS I'll just use one of those usb battery power packs to run it off.

Good tip about the rubbers and plastics though, I'll make sure to check and replace everything that needs it!

[jefrs]

Re GPS/satnav, the USB type only need 5V to charge, should run on 6V. To be perfectly honest I don't need satnav to get to the shops etc as I know where they are. If I get lost, I stop and look at the map. Mobile phones have useful maps and you-are-here positioning but if you're on the move they eat the battery and a charger socket is really useful. The iPhone does have a satnav app but I can't hear it and the screen is too small to be much use. Google Maps now has a navigation function.



12V lighting however is not just for night time but See-Me! As are LED in the casquette eyes. Upgrade kits are simple and common even on a vintage bike, main advantage is you can have the lights on and not flatten the battery. If your system will power it, the common as muck 60/55W H4 halogen provides excellent illumination, especially the super-bright versions.

[Adrian]

Like the Thunderbird picture. To save anyone else having to copy and paste the link, here it is:





Hébergé par Imagesia, le meilleur hébergeur d'images du net !



+1 for that 12v conversion, the original alternator MIGHT just still be in good enough condition to run it, if not fit a Lucas RM21 or Sparx SPX005, and fit a regulator/rectifier with a built in capacitor, either the Boyer Bransden single phase Power Box or the Sparx SPX023 (which is cheaper!).



If your Bullet is a 1960 model it will probably have points and coil ignition rather than the Lucas SR1 magneto (lucky boy if you have one of those). That leaves you the option of keeping points ignition (which plenty of folks on this forum seem quite happy with), or going electronic, in which case I would recommend the Pazon Surefire unit.



The brakes' efficiency depends on what front wheel is fitted. I had a 1957 Bullet with the double sided 6 inch front brake, it was virtually seized up when I got the bike, but after cleaning the drums and linings, making sure the spindles and pivots were also cleaned and then properly greased, and fitting new cables it worked very well. If it has the 7 inch SLS drum, the Indian Bullet twin leading shoe brake can be fitted. New rear shock absorbers and fork springs (if needed) will take care of sagging suspension.



For Amal carb spares our Hosts have a selection, otherwise Burlen Engineering or Surrey Cycles will help.



HERESY SECTION - Having ridden the AVL Thunderbird, you might miss the 5 speed gearbox. One of these will bolt straight in, so long as it has the right-foot shift conversion, just be careful on rear sprocket choice. Also the Indian Bullet centre stand is much easier to use than the alloy Redditch original, out hosts sell a kit with new rear engine plates, which also bolts straight in.



An original road test "back in the day" managed to squeeze 90mph out of the standard Big Head Bullet. If you do the bottom end conversion, that also means some of the tuning options are viable, but that might be a bridge too far...I hope all this is helpful.



A.

[Chris Tindal]

Adrian, question for you if you pick this up. After sending off your crank and getting it rebuilt with steel rod, roller bearing and labour charges etc., would it cost much more to actually go for the beefy Alfa crank? Just thinking of my options as the time will come soon enough as I'm still on Indian factory bearings. Sorry to hijack your thread bernieke.

[Adrian]

Hi Chris,



The crank was a special built by Bullet Whisperer with a set of lightened 350 Bullet flywheels!



A.

[Chris Tindal]

Ok, thanks Adrian. Might save up and shell out for the beefy crank, then hopefully it's fit and forget

[bernieke]

Adrian: The Pazon surefire you put on your Enfield, is it this one? http://www.pazon.com/ignition-system/su ... 2volt.html



Meanwhile the big head fell through, the son of the owner wants to keep it himself...



I've pretty much given up finding a Redditch 500, and am tomorrow going to look at a 2005 5speed 500.



What upgrades would you recommend for a 2005 5speed?



So far I've earmarked:

• electric start to kickstart conversion (90152)
• rocker relief assy (93141)
• oil filter packing piece (40684)
• oil cleaner magnet (42505)
• power box (200004)
• pvl coil (92025)
• 23w bulb and flasher kit (92030)
• oil pumps (90151, 200100 and 200101)
• 5 speed clutch arm improvement (90146)
• audicator (92003)

as well as the conical airfilter (AM/FILTER10), with mikarb rebuild kit (90194), rubber adaptor (AM/2622/123), cover for when air filter box is removed (92015), and choke lever (90195), plus some freeflowing exhaust



and perhaps the belt drive



the conrod I'll save for when an engine rebuild becomes necessary (the bike only has 11k km atm), for which I'd then take the performance crankshaft (200160) and combine that with the competition valve kit (90052), alloy rocker set (ROCKERSET), performance camshaft (200180) and pushrod adjusting screws (144933), plus new bearings and gaskets

[Chris Tindal]

Can't vouch for most of those upgrades Bernieke, all I have done to my 99 iron barrell 500 is an Amal 389 and free flowing pipe, plus the oil filter packing piece and magnet, but like you I have a few plans. When the Indian bearings/piston/conrod finally give way, then I intend to make it very robust and bulletproof, though to be fair, it's done pretty well over the years anyway.

[Adrian]

Hi bernieke,



sorry the Big Head fell through, I was attempting to buy a genuine Fury when the owner succumbed to his friends' advice to keep it. Having given up I launched into a project instead, though I found out yesterday he has since sold it. If you can make sure the owner's son knows you're still interested if he ever changes his mind, at least you might have the first opportunity to buy it.



Yes, that is the ignition kit I used, I think Pazon's web site lists various UK and European distributors to save postage from New Zealand. I fitted one to my hybrid AVL Bullet based on a set of classic Bullet crankcases, and the thing fired up on the very first kick, seemed to run nicely too. It would still be there if I hadn't gone for a BT-H FM1R electronic magneto when the opportunity arose. Of course the BT-H is nice kit, though it needs a little modification to fit the Bullet.



If the 2005 5-speeder has a sound bottom end I can understand your decision to hold back on the upgrade parts, but don't leave it too long. I found our hosts' 2007 catalogue a little while back, read those prices and weep! Of course the 2005 should cost an awful lot less than a Redditch Big Head, which means with the money you save, you can start getting the parts together now. I would also consider a right-foot gear change conversion for personal preference, though from your previous bikes you might be happier with the left foot gear change.



Redditch 500 Bullets aren't that common (I sold a '57 model to an enthusiast in France), but Big Head models do seem to come up on ebay UK every now and then. The other option is to buy a Redditch 350 (check our hosts' used bike stock list, they seem to be easier to find) and fit a 500 engine, you can either convert the 350 Bullet cases for the 500 top-end, rebalance the crank and fit a (new!) 500 conrod (previous upgrade options are applicable here too) or fit an Indian 500 engine, it will bolt straight in. That is what I'm doing with my current project, if you post an e-mail address I can send you some photos.



A.

[bernieke]

I would love to see some photos!

My email address is