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[simon]

Yes well erm to be strickly honest i kept my bike six volt but I ditched the switched charge system for a solid state reg/rec. Pazon make a 6v version.

[Bandit12]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will post some pics soon. The bike has the 6v alternator and separate coil setup and although I agree a well setup 6 volt system should be fine, if the bike proves reliable I would like to upgrade the spark to electronic for peace of mind over longer journeys. I also live in the south east and the roads are always busy so would like to have 12 volt lights on board.
One further question regarding the oil leak, is it an engine out and crankcase split to replace the cork crankshaft seal with an upgrade or can I get away with just removing the alternator?

Bandit

[Dennis C]

You don't need to take the engine out, but some of the early ones without proper oil seals are almost impossible to stop the oil leak completely it's part of the character of these old bikes.

[Bullet Whisperer]

The cork seal on the drive side of the Redditch engines is fitted into the drive side crankcase half, with a steel washer either side of it and before the drive side mains go in. Usually it is an engine out and full strip job to change one, but on a couple of engines, I have managed to machine the lip which traps the outer, smallest washer and cork seal away, just by stripping the primary drive for access to the mainshaft and seal housing. I then fit a proper seal which really does seal and makes for a cleaner running, better breathing engine. Regards, Paul.

[Adrian]

Since your Bullet is the wrong side of the magneto to coil ignition divide and you're going 12V I would also be tempted by electronic ignition, almost certainly a Pazon Sure Fire, though they also sell a more expensive system intended for (Indian) Bullets. Depending on the condition of the original contact breaker drive you might want to fit the very late Indian 500 Bullet version which runs on proper ball bearings. This is also a good time to check the idler pinions and bushes/shafts and replace any worn items to reduce the slop in the timing gears, this helps the ignition timing to remain a little more accurate. A good SR1 magneto and auto-advance unit can still be retro-fitted if you can find one.



The other advantage of a 12V electrical system is that just about any filling station will have 12V bulbs, stop and tail, speedo and H4 headlamp. With the latter in mind you might also want to upgrade the headlamp reflector from the original Lucas British Pre-focus unit to a more modern 7" reflector. I would avoid the Wipac quadoptic units though, as I have had the bulb holders break loose, they don't like the vibes of older bikes.



You mention the busy roads in the South East, I would not now ride even a classic bike without indicators, which a good 12V system will happily support. You can get some quite discrete LED units if you're concerned that a set of normal indicators don't suit the looks of the bike.



A.