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[stinkwheel]

Back story is, I'm fitting a disc brake to a classic engine bullet project. After advice on here and studying of part numbers, I opted to fit a set of early electra-X sliders to the existing stanchions. The remaining parts including the springs stanchions and damper assembly are all the same between the two models.



My first attempt was a bust, the clamp cracked apart during fitting. Entirely my fault for cheaping-out with Indian parts. Our hosts don't have both sides in stock (560508 and 560503). I found another UK supplier who was listing them in-stock so ordered them. He got back to me saying he didn't actually have these but he had a pair that were powder coated instead of polished alloy and would I like those. Fine by me, I hate polishing alloy anyway.



Anyway, I just went to fit them. They look identical to the ones I broke other than the hole the damper rod normally sticks out through is much smaller. Looks as if they are designed for an allen head to screw up there like you get on jap bikes. I've got back to the UK supplier, he's a proper motorcycle shop so I should be able to return them but equally, I'm puzzled as to what they are off? Anyone recognise this fitment? It's leading axle, disc brake and high level mudguard. It's got me wondering if they've just forgotten to drill the hole out properly at the factory.








Ah well, project spending ANOTHER week balanced on an old ammo box. This is the last thing I need to do before the MOT!

[Adrian]

The mystery fork slider is for an Indian home market Thunderbird, outwardly similar to the Electra-X item, but the thing is machined to take the newer type of damper assembly as later used on the C5 bad B5 UCE/EFI models.



For what it's worth the early C5 forks (pre 2012) with the leading axle sliders have screw-in stanchion tops and will fit earlier casquettes and fork yokes as complete units.



As for "cheaping out with Indian parts", where do you think the original Electra-X forks were made, eh?



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[mauri]

560508 and 560503 are indeed the correct parts.

what you got now are not the correct parts.



be aware that you will also need to chance the spokes and rim, as the disk brake hub only has inner spokes(different angle and lenght of the spokes).

contrary to the drum brake hub which has outer and inner spokes.



the rim for the disk brake model is also different due to this fact(different angle for the nipple).

you can fit the original rim of the drum brake model but as the nippels will not seat correctly the rim will squeak at occasions as the nipple tries to seat itself.



the chance of catastrophic wheel failure is very small, but with enough mileage the occasional spoke will brake.

[stinkwheel]

The sliders I got sent over from India were a long way from the same quality as the ones the bike was fitted with originally. A very long way. One of them was even slightly oval, the steel protecting sleeve for removing oil seals (they had one set fitted of dubious prevenance) wouldn't even fit over the top of one of them. Then the clamp snapped when I tightened it.



That explains the mystery anyway. I was doing it this way because I have a perfectly good pair of stanchions and damper assemblies on the bike already and the electra lowers should slide straight on. it SHOULD be a 10 minute job, I've been trying to do it for weeks now.



I'm replacing the whole wheel, got one for a good price off ebay complete with a calliper.

[Adrian]

If you are handy with machine tools you could always bore out the later style sliders to take the old style dampers, or find someone who can with necessary accuracy. Also check the main bores of the sliders are still correct for the older stanchions, I understand both old and new types of fork use nominal 35mm O/D stanchions, but you'd want to check the tolerances are still the same.



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[Adrian]

The Electra-EFI models' forks still had the old-style damper assemblies, could you not use part nos. 804031 (RH) and 804302(RH)? Our hosts seem to have those in stock, powder-coated too!



http://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/20354



http://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/28396



If not, and you're stuck with trying to get stuff from India, your original parts numbers were fitted to the 5 speed AVL Machismo models if that helps some spare parts man to steer in the right direction.



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[Adrian]

Sorry, 804032 LEFT hand!



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[mauri]

the parts coming direct from India i.e ebay, have become of such low quality and with a premium price when you include de deliviery costs.



these days i avoid any parts that are important to your or someone else there security, like the stanchions for example.



these where ordered from different Indian suppliers, and the quality was very bad.

they where simply unusable.



i got my money back, but weeks had passed.

[Adrian]

Parts roulette, eh? I'm happy with Indian-made parts on an Indian-made motorcycle, provided that the Indians who make them have used the right quality material and machined it accurately to the correct specs, with appropriate quality paint or plating where applicable. Oh yes, and it helps if they send the right part.br>


I know our hosts have sometimes struggled to find quality suppliers from India (you may remember they stopped selling all but their own alloy fork yokes), but there's not really much alternative for a Chennai Bullet unless demand makes UK manufacture of a particular part worthwhile. A lot of parts for UK-made classic bikes are now made in Asian countries and have been for some time.



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