Forum

[Alan R]

Hi guys...... I take all my dipstick readings first thing in the morning BEFORE I start up.....such that all oil which is going to drain down has actually done so and thus all consumption ESTIMATES are taken from a consistent base (along with depressing and turning the oil tank cap each time ).......What I'm looking for is not so much the actual useage but a CHANGE in usage.....

PRESTO, to try and answer your question}--- In general my 1985 Bullet 65 will drop approx. 1/4" after a day-out wi' the ladz !!............Here's a tip}---Long before white smoke, pinking, mayonaise making et al, you can tell if your engine is "oily" because you can SMELL it in the exhaust....You older chaps will know what I mean....Straight forward combustion gas has it's own distinct aroma but add Eng. oil into the equation and your nose really can detect it ...

[binary]

If the Indian 350 piston is so poorly made where can I buy a better one and what am I looking for in a better piston.

[simon]

I get through around 1/2 a pint in a journey of that lenght if Im being a bit heavy handed. Id leave the piston be and buy cheap oil if I were you though as they are an old fashioned motor with old fashioned metalurgy. Only madness lies at the end of the quest for perfection!

[Bullet Whisperer]

Meteor Minor Sports piston, thrashed everywhere and uses virtually no oil ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKEEeFoGZCE

[simon]

Id be quite interested in trying that retardation of the inlet cam. It confuses me conceptually as it would seem to slightly counter intuative although I can see that the increased overlap might be a good thing. Only ten minutes work so worth a crack

[papasmurf]

[Alan R]

Hello BINARY------- Go to Page 31 in our hosts 2016 / 17 catalogue and there you'll find}--- "FORGED PISTON 350cc".....Better by design you might say eg}--- Forged not cast, no undercut at the oil ring position, 8:1 Compression Ratio which is ideal for all-round motoring and varying types of fuels..

All these different qualities have been discussed fairly recently on this Forum

[binary]

Thank you Alan R will buy the forged piston from Hitchcock's when I order the alpha roller bearing and the English alloy conrod. I will have it all then. Hitchcock's are going to have the alpha bearing fitted to the conrod for me at alpha bearings. It costs a bit more but I would rather have them do the work properly instead of some engineer service stuffing it up over here in Australia. With my new 2000 engine cases from Hitchcock's and good Japanese bearings I should have a fairly reliable motor for many years. Thank you for your help.

[Alan R]

Hi BINARY-------- that's ok matey ! I live just a short bike ride from Alpha's and a few years ago they did a similar thing with my mate's 350 Model G.....Lovely to ride knowing the big-end is safe and sound..Don't forget to pay some attention to your oil pump, filter and pipes...and please show us the bike when it's back on the road ??

[stinkwheel]

Another way to look at it is you can buy 3 standard piston kits for one forged one.



I've taken to just changing the piston at a de-coke. I measure the end-gap to check the bore is in tolerance, de-glaze and give it a "hard" run-in to get a good gas seal (as in, I put cheap oil in, warm it up, give it a good thrashing round some hill passes for about 1-200 miles then change the oil).