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The Bullet: Mysteries & Myths
Don't just love but get to know your bullet more - by B. R. Gurunandan
Hi, Bullet-eers!
We all love our Bullets more than the sleekest, fastest bike we ever owned or now own. There is something unique about the majestic, stable, time-defying piece of history that endears a Bullet to it's owner, and it
is no less traumatic than an illness in the family to see their Bullet not in perfect condition.
It is a rare owner who will leave his Bullet in a workshop without undergoing acute distress! But leave it he
must, unless he is going to repair it himself. The Bullet is a surprizingly simple machine which is easily repaired by the owner, but this rarely happens.
The tools, skills, parts are not at all difficult to
acquire. But the knowledge and confidence are. The owners manual as well as the workshop manual for Bullet are very casual books that do not inspire any confidence. And the deep-rooted myth (perhaps fabricated by
the mechanics) that a Bullet is difficult to service, does un-nerve a novice. Some of us were lucky to learn the ropes from our parents, elder siblings, etc. But a vast majority of us have to learn it the hard way,
or suffer the pain of being dependant on mechanics and not being able to ride cross-country without atleast a small fear within of breakdown in a lonely spot.
The aim of this series is to enable the average
Bullet-eer to understand exactly what goes on inside his machine, and thus be in a position to diagonize problems or even tackle repairs himself.
Observation-explaination route has been taken rather than
giving spoonfed-methods for replacing this part or that. It is felt that the person who does not have the patience/time to read the principles is better off leaving the repairs to a good mechanic. It would be such a
waste of time and money to change clutch-plates when it was the cable that was the cause of trouble!!!
Topics planned to be covered in this series:
Physics and the art of starting a Bullet - Part 1: The starting drill
Physics and the art of starting a Bullet - Part 2: The choke
Physics and the art of starting a Bullet - Part 3: Then why doesn't it?!!!
Running-in a new Bullet
Zen and the info for Bullet maintenance - Part 1: The Zen...
Zen and the info for Bullet maintenance - Part 2: ...& some info
Newbie Exercise
Improve your Bullet! (Life, Safety, Performance, looks)
Bullet-Trivia
Cam-Gear Backlash
Noises beyond Cam-Gears
Diagnostic tests you should know
Adjustments: Theory and data
The philosophy of Adjustments
The adjustment of
- Cam-spindle Sleeves
- Tappets / Pushrods
- Ignition, Timing & Dwell(1st June 2001)
- Carburettor
- Primary Chain Tension
- Alternator R/S Gap
- Clutch Tension
- Neutral Finder
- Gear Shifter
- Brakes
- Steering Head
- Wheel Alignment
- Sprocket Alignment
- Drive Chain Tension
The ignition system in a Bullet
Better lights for your Bullet
Tune the Carburettor for your riding style
Armed for War!
Improving the Brakes
Stopping the oil-leaks in a Bullet
Common problems and their remedies.
Interesting URLs
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