How the Royal Eneld Bullet 4-speed gearbox works

Mauro July 6, 2009

Previously, Ive wondered how the gearbox really works and now that I have it apart, I could gure it out. I thought I write it down so other people could get an idea without taking it apart.

1 Parts
The numbering is identical to the Snidals Workshop Manual and the Factory Manual.

1.1 Shafts
There are three shafts: the mainshaft (14) which transmits the rotation from the clutch into the gearbox; the layshaft (22) which transmits the rotation of the mainshaft to the countershaft (12, aka mainshaft sleeve) in all but fourth gear. The sprocket of the secondary chain is xed to the countershaft. The mainshaft turns clockwise, layshaft counterclockwise and the countershaft again clockwise (as does the wheel), as seen from the side of the gearbox (not from the primary drive side).

1.2 Pinions
There are four kinds of pinions: xed onto the shaft (xed) moveable in direction of the shaft axis but cannot freely rotate (slidable) pinions which can freely rotate but do not move along the shaft (rotatable) pinions which can both freely rotate and move along the shaft (slide&rotatable)

1.2.1 On mainshaft high gear pinion (16, 15 tooth, xed) 1.2.2 On layshaft high gear and kickstart pinion (19, 25 tooth, xed) third gear pinion (20, 22 tooth, slide&rotatable) second gear pinion (21, 19 tooth, slide&rotatable) low gear pinion (23, 15 tooth, xed) 1.2.3 On countershaft sliding gear (13, 21 tooth and 18 tooth, slidable) low gear pinion (11, 25 tooth, xed)

2 Gear selection
The gear is selected by movement of the gear operator fork (26) which moves the pinions 20,21 (on the layshaft) and 13 on the countershaft. The fork is moved by the bellcrank (30, aka gear operator).

2.1 First gear

The gear operator fork (26) is to the far right (as seen in the gures, corresponding to the left hand side of the motorbike). Pinion 16 turns 19, the layshaft transmits the rotation onto 23, which turns 11. 11, being rotatable, is interlocked with the sliding gear (13) and thus transmits

the rotation to the countershaft. Pinions 20 and 21 rotate due to the rotation of 13 but do not actually contribute anything. Gear ratio: (16):(19) * (23):(11) 15T:25T * 15T/25T = 0.36

2.2 Neutral

The fork (26) is a bit further to the left and thus the pinion 11 is not interlocked with the slider gear (13) anymore. As the Pinions 20 and 21 still rotate freely, no rotation is imparted onto the countershaft.

2.3 Second gear

The layshaft is rotated by pinion 16 turning 19. The fork (26) is again a bit further to the left which causes the protrusions (marked a in gure for 3rd gear) on the right of the layshaft to lock into the pinion 21. 21 then transmits the rotation on to the slider gear (13) and thus the countershaft. Note that: 1. Pinion 20 is rotatating at a dierent rate than 21 but as it is not xed to anything this has no eect. 2. Pinion 11 is still turned by 23 but now it is not locked to the countershaft and has no eect. Gear ratio: (16):(19) * (21):(13 right)

15T:25T * 19T:21T = 0.543

2.4 Third gear

The layshaft is rotated by pinion 16 turning 19. The fork (26), again further to the left, such that the protrusions (marked b in gure for 2nd gear) on the left of the layshaft lock into pinion 20 which turns the slider gear (13) and thus the countershaft. Gear ratio: (16):(19) * (20):(13 left) 15T:25T * 22T:18T = 0.733

2.5 Fourth gear

Even though the layshaft is still rotated by pinion 16 turning 19 it has no eect in fourth gear. The fork is to the far left and neither pinion 20 nor 21 are locked to the layshaft, nor is pinion 11 locked to the countershaft. However the slider gear now interlocks with pinion 16 and thus the countershaft rotates at the same rate as the mainshaft. Gear ratio: 1

2.6 False neutrals

They are needed in-between gears as otherwise, during the shifting operation, two gears would be selected at the same time, causing the gears to lock up.

2.7 Kickstart
The gearbox needs to be in neutral for the kickstart to work. The kickstarter pawl (34) grips on the inside of pinion 19 and turns it counterclockwise. 19 turns pinion 16 and thus the mainshaft.