Author Topic: 57 Indian Woodsman  (Read 12762 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
on: April 27, 2009, 03:50:46 pm
A friend gave me a bike last Friday if I would haul it off..  Its a 57 Woodsman by the SN but has not run in years.. The fenders, tank, exhaust, and seat are wrong. 

I think I kind of like the look it has..  It seems to have compression and turn over nice.. But no spark..  Guess my first job will be to remove the Mag. and see if it can clean it up and fix it..  But first I need to figure out the timing marks ect. I enjoy doing things like this so will take my time..  If I can not fix it.. It will become a parts bike..

       Snowdance
               http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdance38



ace.cafe

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,457
  • Karma: 1
  • World leaders in performance/racing Bullets
Reply #1 on: April 27, 2009, 04:11:12 pm
That's a nice bike.

It's basically a Royal Enfield Bullet 500, which was supplied with some cosmetic changes to Indian, as their Woodsman.

The magneto probably needs rebuilding. Alot of them do. It's pretty expensive to have them rebuilt.
There are no timing marks.
You find top dead center, and then move the engine back a few degrees to get the timing.
CMW, our hosts here, sell an inexpensive tool which goes into the spark plug hole to determine TDC, and the mark which indicates how much you need to rotate the engine back to get the correct setting. It's gauged on the piston height, at  eight-tenths of a millimeter before TDC.

If you can't get a spark, then timing will be of no use until you can. Investigate the magneto situation first, and get that going.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2009, 04:13:03 pm by ace.cafe »
Home of the Fireball 535 !


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #2 on: April 27, 2009, 07:05:56 pm
The Magneto was going to be my first project.. As soon as I figure how to get it out of there.. It has the strap but I would think I will need to pull the side cover and remove some screws/bolts from it.. 

I did ride a couple  500 Bullets over the years.. And was sure that is what it was.. Just never worked on one  before..  I did have a BSA Gold Star and thought they were a lot a like..

I have an old sidecar I can get my hands on and attach to it with a bit of work and the gearing works out to about 45 mph tops so would make a nice parade bike..  If I get it running..

         Snowdance38

                       http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdance38


Blltrdr

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,079
  • Karma: 0
  • cycle-delic music
Reply #3 on: April 27, 2009, 07:09:58 pm
Very cool bike. The fenders might be a reproduction set that Hitchcock's sells and the tank is different from the original woodsman tank also, but definitely looks better with that fender style. But even with the differences I would have to agree with you snowdance on your feelings about the looks. I wish you luck on getting her running; hopefully not a lot of time or money to be spent in the process.

Blltrdr
2003 Classic 500 5 spd
2009 HD FLHT Police 103 6 spd
1992 Kawasaki ZG 1200 Voyager XII


pknopp

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 199
  • Karma: 0
Reply #4 on: April 27, 2009, 09:05:27 pm
 That bike is too cool to part out. I gaurantee you that there are a few here that can answer any questions you may have. You are certainly starting at an excellent financial position in the bike.
2000 Dlx


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #5 on: April 27, 2009, 11:12:55 pm
That bike is too cool to part out. I gaurantee you that there are a few here that can answer any questions you may have. You are certainly starting at an excellent financial position in the bike.

I agree..  Its just turning spring here in the high country and I have the day off so am cleaning downed limbs, cutting grass ect  trying to get stuff done so I have some time to work on it a bit..  Its setting in the garage and every time I walk by I have to stop and fuss with it some..  Scrap the part of me thinking there were screws from inside the side cover helping hold the Mag., and Gen. on..  Just took a feeler gage and ran around it..  No screws and I could see the shaft turning..  Will now guess there is a gear inside and the nut I saw in the inspection hole has to come off so you can pull the shaft out of the gear..  Wow.. This is going to be intresting..

  Seems I am starting to get more and more intrest in this thing..  Grin..

Snowdance38


Cabo Cruz

  • Papa Juan
  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,331
  • Karma: 0
Reply #6 on: April 28, 2009, 03:22:40 am
Very neat bike, Br. Snow!!!
Long live the Bullets and those who ride them!

Keep the shiny side up, the boots on the pegs and best REgards,

Papa Juan

REA:    Member No. 119
BIKE:   2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5
NAME: Perla


rotorwrench

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 179
  • Karma: 0
Reply #7 on: April 28, 2009, 08:27:22 pm
That was one of the last ones to have a Lucas Magdyno. You might check www.bolsover.com  on his Lucas pages to check out info on the Magdyno. THey were a rotating coil magneto with a little generator for charging the battery. Parts are available for them and alternative units are manufactured to replace them as well. They are kind of pricy though.

The RE Woodsman usually timed 5/16 inch BTDC unless someone hopped it up with a high lift cam set up. In any case it should run at 5/16" BTDC.


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #8 on: April 29, 2009, 03:59:19 am
Thank you for the information..
  At this point any information helps..  I really would like to get it running to be sure its worth fixing up..  I am going to spend a good bit of time checking every thing over.. I have known the fellow that had it for years and often fix the things he as repaired.  So I know the lack of quality in his work..  From looking at the dyno I can see it has a plate on the end so will guess its been gutted.. But time will tell.. 

             Thanks again..

                    Snowdance38


csbdr

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 217
  • Karma: 0
Reply #9 on: May 01, 2009, 11:05:30 am
Cool!  I need more friends like that.  Anyone want to be my friend?  Seriously, excellane project.  I wouldn't part it out.  Hope you get it running again!


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #10 on: May 01, 2009, 02:12:19 pm
Thanks..  I had some time Wed. So removed the center stand and welded up a piece of 2 inch angle iron with a couple uprights to bolt in place of the stand..  Now it sets on the motorcycle lift nice.. Then got out the Fast Orange and a couple brushes and washed it down good..

The longer I looked at it the more I decided all of the wiring and switches were add on.. No place for a stoplight switch..   I do not think the bike ever had wiring..  The Gen has a plate on the end and the plate was stamped out not hand made.. 

 Then got the parts list for the 1955 - 1958 Woodsman..  Its from the first owner and a letter he wrote.. Saying the Machine is a Westener..   The last line on the last page of the parts list  said    "Westerner Machine is a Woodsman without Generator and Lighting.."

So I am going to say this is a Westener..  I had time to talk to the fellow that gave it to me and he said he added all the wiring.. The bike had none..  And the battery holder was made for a deep cylcle gel battery like the ones used in electric wheel chairs.. He just charged it each time he road it..  Now I wonder what I will find in the Generator housing.???? And how easy it will be to find the stuff they left out???

Snowdance


rotorwrench

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 179
  • Karma: 0
Reply #11 on: May 02, 2009, 02:43:05 pm
You can check out some of the Indian Sales Corp literature on www.re-indian.com for the Woodsman and Westerner models. The Westerner was geared towards higher performance and off road riding. They typically had no electrics or add on electrics, all by Lucas if original. The westerners usually had a bigger carb set up and hotter cams than the Woodsman models.

They were very popular for desert riding in California and Baja back in the day. The Westerner model evolved into the Big Head Bullet in late 1958. Beno Rodi's dad worked a lot with these. You might check out his web site or call him for more information.

Kerby


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #12 on: May 03, 2009, 03:09:07 pm
Thanks again for the information..  The notes I got with the bike from the first owner said it was used for racing only..  Never had lights ect.. And seems its true.. 

If it is really a Westener it is one of only 180 ever made..   Making it even more intresting..  But only in the original trim..  Whitch would be easy to do but... Who would really want an old off road / race bike???

If it is a Westener that would explain about the notes that it is the race version as the parts are listed in the Parts List and would explain the larger carb..

Oh well I will keep looking for information and hope to soon get time to see if I  can get it running..  Then..  Who knows????

snowdance 38


Blltrdr

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,079
  • Karma: 0
  • cycle-delic music
Reply #13 on: May 03, 2009, 04:13:14 pm
Snowdance, here is a link to buy a parts book for your bike: www.domiracer.com/partsCatalogs/royal_indian.html
2003 Classic 500 5 spd
2009 HD FLHT Police 103 6 spd
1992 Kawasaki ZG 1200 Voyager XII


snowdance38

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: 0
Reply #14 on: May 04, 2009, 02:41:20 pm
Thank you for the information..

 At this point I am looking for most any thing I can find out about the bike..  I have no problem pulling the mag. off ect..  But really want more information..  I am sure I can put it back together like I took it apart..  But its easy to see its all been apart before..  And may not be right so taking it apart and putting it back together like it is, may not help the problems..  Guess its the old look before you leap thing..

      Snowdance38
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdance38