[50Wt Earl]

Newbe on board.  I scored a fine Bullet this week.  The price was so low that I'm ashamed to mention it.  6500 miles, not running, no title.  It's not hot, it now runs, and the title will be through Vermont. 

Any help with a firm model type is appreciated.  It has drum brakes, carburetor, wire wheels, chrome fenders/tank, electric start and kick.  2009 per VIN.  Rear fender sticker "Bullet E".  Side panel "Bullet 500 ES".   

I've bookmarked a few part manuals but no model is showing items like on this bike.  Case-in-point: I need seals for the fuel tank petcock.  It's a 90 degree feed with a sight bowel at the bottom.  The single filter tube (in the tank) is about 6 mm round and maybe 10 cm tall.

The rear shock rubber cushions (where the bolts go through) are toast.   Part numbers anyone?

I've been lurking on this forum for a few days and enjoy it.  Thanks

[tooseevee]

Newbe on board.  I scored a fine Bullet this week.  The price was so low that I'm ashamed to mention it.  6500 miles, not running, no title.  It's not hot, it now runs, and the title will be through Vermont. 

Any help with a firm model type is appreciated.  It has drum brakes, carburetor, wire wheels, chrome fenders/tank, electric start and kick.  2009 per VIN.  Rear fender sticker "Bullet E".  Side panel "Bullet 500 ES".   

I've bookmarked a few part manuals but no model is showing items like on this bike.  Case-in-point: I need seals for the fuel tank petcock.  It's a 90 degree feed with a sight bowel at the bottom.  The single filter tube (in the tank) is about 6 mm round and maybe 10 cm tall.

The rear shock rubber cushions (where the bolts go through) are toast.   Part numbers anyone?

I've been lurking on this forum for a few days and enjoy it.  Thanks

            That's an '09 AVL Deluxe. The AVL Deluxe means it has chrome tank and fenders as opposed to mine which is an AVL Classic and is Black all over, no chrome fenders or tank.

             The "Bullet E" means it has electric start. The "ES" means electric start. If there are any little "Electra X" stickers on the engine it does not mean it's an Electra X (which would have a front disk brake). It only means that the engines are the same (Classic, Deluxe & Electra X).

              You have an OEM Micarb BS 29 CV (constant velocity) carburetor. You just need to know that. It probably needs a good cleaning (just guessing here). Be very careful of the diaphragm in the top chamber if you take it apart.

              Looks like it has "new" tires. They're not the ones it came with (which is a plus).

              Click on the Hitchcocks banner at the top and it will take you to their catalog of parts and you can look at parts like new petcocks. Sounds like you have the OEM petcock which sucks and you will probably never be able to fix that drip from the little cheezy plastic filter bowl.

               Another source for parts is Tim Hurdler at https://westerncyclesupply.com/
Tim was the parts guru for Classic Motor Works which brought in ALL the REs that came into the U.S. "back in the day". Call him, he will advise you on the best petcock to get or ask him on this forum.

                Another source is Ebay, but you should understand thoroughly the bike that you have first so you order the "right stuff". The years of the AVL bikes can be very confusing to a new person. Study all you can find on the AVL bikes in your spare time.

               Put new gas in it and get a new battery and then see if it cranks and that you have spark at the plug and then go from there. Pull the plug also and see how it looks. Pull on that little lever on the left switch gear While You Are Cranking with the ES; it will allow the engine to turn over faster using the electric start. Let it go if (when it starts. Oh, and get a battery tender for that new battery and keep it on all the time you're not riding the bike.

               You can try to seal that little plastic filter bowl temporarily with some kind of fuel-proof sealer like Seal-All or Fuel Resistant Permatex. Or even Shoe-Goo. The gasket is probably all dried up & shriveled up, right? And be careful of those microscopic threads in that plastic bowl 

                Good luck. Stay on the forum. It's the Right Thing to do as Wilford said 

                 PS: Howdjoo get my avatar to be yours?

             

             

[Adrian II]

Welcome,

you have indeed the AVL Classic (Deluxe) which was a US export market only model, i.e. the Electra-X engine and transmission bolted into the classic drum brake rolling chassis of the 5 speed electric start iron barrel Bullet model.

There was, I suspect, some push-back against the er... eccentric nature of the Electra-X styling fueling demand for more traditional tin-ware, which the previous US importer persuaded the factory to supply.

Parts sourcing for these can occasionally get a little interesting if you're using the Hitchcocks' on-line parts books as they only have the UK models up.

https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/Parts-Book-Online

Look under Electra-X for engine and transmission, Sixty-5 for cycle parts.

A.

[tooseevee]

         
                 PS: Howdjoo get my avatar to be yours?
   

            What I meant was How did you come to have a picture of my bike as your avatar

[heloego]

   Nice find, brother! And for crissake don't be bashful about how cheap you got it! So for now, congrats on a great find! 

   Welcome to the forums.
   tooseevee and Adrian II have supplied you with very sage advice. Tim Hirdler is "THE MAN" when it comes to parts, and Hitchcocks is a very close second with quality parts and fast shipping, too.
   Once you get it be "yours" get it out and enjoy those beautiful roads in Vermont!

   

[50Wt Earl]

Thanks all for the friendly welcome. 

New question:  can the nipple at the bottom of the fuel tank (before the petcock) be removed thereby allowing me to install a 14 mm course petcock?

[Adrian II]

Tooseevee is your man here, he recently replaced the stock item on his but with a classic British (pattern) petcock. The thread on these petcocks is 1/4" BSPP, which is slightly over 13mm outside diameter, 19 threads per inch.

One place I have found a 14 x 1.5mm threaded fitting is on top of the oil tank, it's the stub/hose tail for the main breather hose.

A.

[tooseevee]

Thanks all for the friendly welcome. 

New question:  can the nipple at the bottom of the fuel tank (before the petcock) be removed thereby allowing me to install a 14 mm course petcock?

           It wasn't simple for me, but I did get it done. Go and read "The '08 Needs A different Look" and then come back here with your impressions. It's not a technically difficult job, it's pretty straight forward actually, but I'm 82 and my hands hurt and it got spread over many weeks which included getting all the stuff together and not being certain about what threads were actually on the new petcock I got. I'm still not. It's done and it's leak-free and the tank didn't get scratched. That's all that matters.

 

[50Wt Earl]

Lots of talk about white Teflon tape.  It will not stand up against petal.  I have had good luck with yellow Teflon tape which is made for LP.  It's thicker also.

I think I have a plan now.  Thanks

[tooseevee]

Lots of talk about white Teflon tape.  It will not stand up against petal.  I have had good luck with yellow Teflon tape which is made for LP.  It's thicker also.

I think I have a plan now.  Thanks

           Yes. I think I mentioned it in the "Different Look" thread. I had some Teflon tape I bought many many years ago for plumbing work (water) & used it the first time I installed the petcock after the drilling and tapping. It dissolved and turned to mush. I then bought some good quality tape and left it in gasoline overnight. It was still the same the next day; the gasoline had no effect on it.

            I will send you the drill and the tap if you want them. You just must be sure that the tap you are getting has BSPP threads, not NPT. The ads can't always be trusted. Knowing what I know now, I would have CALLed Tim.

 

[chuntera]

I'm a bit late to the party.

My 08 AVL classic tank in fact had metric m12 x 1.00 (fine) threads.
My fuel tap was similar to your description with reserve setting & plastic bowl. I believe this fuel tap is a knock-off karkoma model (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=18591.msg202560). I found some old mopeds (eg. tomos) use same size threads so I replaced mine with a simple on/off tap.

Note that US 1/4" fuel line is a bit too large for these petcocks. I had use 6mm fuel line to prevent slow leak.

[tooseevee]

I'm a bit late to the party.

My 08 AVL classic tank in fact had metric m12 x 1.00 (fine) threads.
My fuel tap was similar to your description with reserve setting & plastic bowl. I believe this fuel tap is a knock-off karkoma model (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=18591.msg202560). I found some old mopeds (eg. tomos) use same size threads so I replaced mine with a simple on/off tap.

Note that US 1/4" fuel line is a bit too large for these petcocks. I had use 6mm fuel line to prevent slow leak.

           Yes. My tank nipple was also fine threads. PLUS I could not break it loose from the factory thread locker. That's why I cut the nipple off, drilled it out and retapped it.

           Yes. The OEM petcock on my '08 had the Karkoma knockoff. No longer.

            Yes. Hoe a hair too large at the petcock. I wrapped the petcock outlet barb with fuel-resistant Teflon tape to increase the diameter a bit. Then I used a tiny hose clamp just tight enough to make it leakproof. There is a big difference in diameter between the petcock outlet and the fuel inlet on the TM 32 so had to use a fuel hose a bit large for the petcock. No way out of it. 

           Anyway. It's done, done and done, totally leak free