Performance Kits

This 612cc performance kit is one that we have developed, tested and proven over a number of years. The difference in performance is unbelievable, yet keeps a nice rideable street bike that will start and tick-over without fault. An engine with this very kit has been officially timed by Classic Bike Magazine at 120mph (with fairing). Using the silencer supplied with the cone removed, this typical engine was tested on the dyno at 39.6bhp at 5,500 revs. When compared to the same test on a standard 500 Bullet, we have an increase in rear wheel horse power of 150%!

In the Dyno chart (shown above) the blue line shows an unmodified 500cc Bullet! This reading is at the rear wheel, and yes is only 16bhp. This is typical of any standard 500 Bullet.
The green line shows our 612cc performance kit straight out of the box. This gives nearly 40bhp.
The red line is a further development of this for competition, which reaches nearly 45bhp.

Parts included are: European main bearings, big bore kit with forged piston, long stroke English crankshaft, tuned cylinder head with performance valve assemblies, compression plates, gasket set, pushrods, silencer, oil pumps, 32mm Amal MK1 carburettor kit, clutch springs, camshafts plus all small parts needed. Please see details of the individual parts listed separately in this catalogue.

Note 1: That although a set of heavy duty clutch springs are included, we would recommend an uprated clutch to cope with the extra power.

Note 2: There are now so many variations between years and models that we need to collect some extra information in order to make sure the kit we provide is suitable for your bike. Please overtype the text in the in the appropriate 'Details' section of the order form (below) with the following information:
Year of Manufacture
4 speed or 5 speed
Left shift or right shift
Kick or Electric start

Dyno Chart for a:
Standard unmodified 500cc Indian Bullet (BLUE line).
Indian Bullet with 612cc performance kit fitted (GREEN line).
Indian Bullet with 612cc performance kit fitted and further developed for competition use (RED line).

After a lot of work on the road and dyno we have produced a performance kit which, can be fitted in stages and has been developed purely for the 500 Electra. The standard Electra develops just 17bhp at the rear wheel. The standard engine is designed to run very weak and therefore is manufactured to meet this criteria. We have tried tuning the standard CV carb, but have been unable to get satisfactory results compared to the Amal. The standard air filter box is very restrictive and whilst it will supply enough air for the standard CV carburettor it will not work with the Amal version so it is essential that the supplied S&B air filter is used.

This is the first stage of tuning, for details on the other 2 stages see below.

STAGE 1:
The 1st part of this is the carburettor kit. It comprises of a 32mm MK1 Amal Concentric Carburettor, CNC machined alloy manifold adaptor and special fixings, cables, choke lever, S&B air filter and all necessary gaskets and fixings.

The 2nd part of the kit is the exhaust pipe. The standard exhaust pipe is designed to restrict the flow to make this a lean burn engine and this restricts any potential performance gain. Our replacement exhaust pipe has no restrictions.

The 3rd part of the kit is a plug to blank off the PAV fitting on the cylinder head, again it is essential that the PAV system is removed.

This kit increases the power at the rear wheel to 23.7bhp, an increase of nearly 40% whilst retaining the standard Indian made silencer. Significantly more performance gain than similar kits available elsewhere.

There is a further small gain to be made if the silencer is replaced as well (please check out the exhaust systems in the appropriate section of this catalogue) but this is not essential at this stage.

A benefit is also to be gained by fitting a 19t gearbox sprocket.

STAGE 2:
This is a big bore kit to take the standard 500cc to 535cc. At a compression ratio of approximately 8.5:1 and the extra 35cc engine size it gives the boost in performance you are looking for. With the benefits of a strong, robust and reliable forged piston, it is an excellent improvement. You can either bore your 500 barrel to 87mm and fit our 535cc piston or have a matched cylinder and piston. They come complete with rings, gudgeon pin and circlips.

STAGE 3:
The third stage is to replace the camshafts. We have a pair of tuned camshafts which work extremely well with the above modifications without losing low down torque, (do not try to fit these cams first without the rest of modifications, you will not get the benefit). These are supplied with a pair of special pushrod adjusters that are necessary to work with these cams.

ADDITIONAL TUNING PRODUCT - Can be used on tuned Electra X engines and also on a standard Electra (X).

On the Electra X engine, there is no easy way to adjust the ignition timing. We have found over-advanced timing of up to 7 degrees on Electras that we have checked. These are the woodruff keys that locate the flywheel magneto to the crankshaft and have been specifically made with a offset which retards the timing by 2 degrees. There are 4 different offsets ranging from 2—8 degrees and can be bought individually or as a set.

ADDITIONAL TUNING PRODUCT - Can be used on tuned Electra X engines and also on a standard Electra (X).

This TCI unit replaces the standard part on the Electra X models. It gives improved timing and noticeably cleaner and better performance both on the road and dyno. It is supplied complete with its own fixing bracket (which allows it to fit neatly next to the side of the battery) and electrical connections but will require the standard wiring harness to be extended.