Hitchcocks Forum

Had a tough week with the 2003 Indian Bullet 500 kickstart.

I'm needing some advice but it's a long story. Compression has never been great on my bike but over the last month it's gradually disappeared. In addition getting home last week I got caught in the rain and the bike hates the rain and cut out a few times on the way home. There was a lot of kicking. I had thought it was a problem with water getting into the petrol but that wet Friday disproved that theory. I was trying to find the source of the problem and kicking for ages but got her going and got home.

So first up I know that the compression is sh1t so pull the head to hone the valves and decompressor. I was grinding away at the inlet valve but in my head it didn't seem right. It was actually slipping inside the valve seat which seemed strange. Thankfully our hosts were able to look at a few photos and tell me that it was a 350 inlet valve in a 500 bike. I've never messed with the head but did send it away to have a bigger exhaust valve fitted. I've no idea how a 350 valve go in there, and assume it came from the factory like that. So I ordered up the proper valve and honed it in yesterday. Now I have compression!

But now it really won't start? I've a spark from the plug but that's always a questionable diagnosis as it might well spark outside the cylinder but inside might be a different story. I'd a fresh coil sitting in my box of tricks and tried that but it makes no difference. It's got Electronic ignition I fitted years ago?

If it's not the ignition it has to be the carb? I've always said that the carb is the most complicated mechanical device ever created. Maybe I exaggerate but it's still a lot more complicated then I can get my head around.

Either way carb or ignition it's the kind of problem where you have to replace a lot of moneys worth of kit and that might gain you nothing.

Time for a cup of tea and ponder the next step. Any advice most welcome.

If you've been kicking the engine over a lot and it's not starting the plug should be wet with petrol. If it's not then start looking at the fuel system. Start at the tank (is fuel there) then the petrol tap (is it passing fuel) then any filter, etc, etc - work your way though methodical. Fuel problems are usually easy to fix once you find out what's the matter. It's finding out that can be tricky.

Hi mate. I can only offer a few tips you might like to try. No guarantees though (. Firstly from what you've said I'd start by finding out why your bike miss fires and cuts out in the rain. To me this points to water shorting out somewhere - possibly the HT lead? Is the coil protected from the worst of the weather? and if so does the HT lead have a nice easy route to the plug? and is the HT lead in good nick? Don't forget the spark will try to find the easiest route to earth. It might help to get a friend to kick the bike over in a totally dark garage whilst you look for the 'loose spark'. Does the plug get wet when you've kicked the bike over a few times without starting? If so it proves fuel is getting in there, and therefore perhaps points to electrics. Will the bike start if it's 'push started'? If so it might help by using LesH's method of starting detailed in these pages. In a nutshell try moving the engine further round its cycle before swinging the starter pedal - so in effect you're still swinging the lever as the piston hits TDC, thus giving more momentum. Otherwise have you checked the usual stuff - clean new plug, clean air filter, new petrol, clean carb, ignition timing ok, (points not there in your case), and finally are all connections clean and tight? Good luck. Tony.

Thanks a million people.



I went and cleaned the carb. What can I say I wasn't sure what else to do. So I'm making progress and it looks like it's my fault. When I stripped the head there was a bit of carbon in the combustion chamber so I put in a smaller main jet. I've been trying to start it with a bit of throttle on and even though the spark is getting wet no joy. It does occasionally fire up but splutter and die. So I dropped of the throttle and I can get it started occasionally and it runs It's as soon as I open the throttle that it all goes wrong.



It's not much but it's a clue so I'll drop back in the original main jet and start from there tomorrow.

Check the pilot jet, that causes a lot of starting problems

A couple more things. The main jet won't affect starting at all - it doesn't kick until you're doing around 50mph in top. The other thing is check out the Technical Notes on the left-hand column of this page, and select the bit on tuning and using the Mikcarb. It's a really good start to sorting out your problems and gives you some good general tips to check out before ripping your carb to bits! Have fun! Tony.

If it starts at all there can't be TOO much wrong with the electrical side of things. I second Riggers comment about the main jet - doesn't effect starting at all - just full throttle openings. Might be worth checking the float height as well as the pilot jet adjustment. Details of how to check this is also in tech notes here.

I thought I'd replied to this thread earlier but I must have clicked post before I agreed to terms and conditions or something. Anyhow that post was meant to be sent before I went down to the shed to tinker. I'm back now and I've made progress, it's not perfect but it's going.



I was sort of getting it to tick over at idle yesterday but when you open the throttle even the slightest bit it would splutter cough and die. I decided that as I've only changed the main jet that it must be coming in too early and the needle that threads down through it must be too high. So I've been down and lowered that needle as low at it'll go. I've got the hang of starting it now, you just can't apply any throttle at all. That's counter to what I normally do which is open the throttle slightly on starting. Anyhow if I start it in idle and let it sit for a moment and then gradually, very gradually open the throttle then it splutters coughs but stays alive. It gradually warms up or something and even though it sounds rough and there's still the odd cough and splutter when you just open the throttle it's going.



So I'm now convinced that my rain issue is electrics and have replaced the HT lead, time will tell. Protecting the coil from the rain would be a step in the right direction I'll look into that.



the starting problem I've created is a carb problem. I should say I've an Amal carb with no pilot jet. It's a later one with a pilot bushing or something. Anyhow idle is perfect it's just getting from idle to higher throttle openings that's an issue.



Yes I'll have to re-read the technical Notes again.



Carbs there's just too many variables

Thanks for all your advice. Having gone over the Technical notes I have to adjust my pilot air screw. In my head I'm associated that with just the idle settings but it effects more then that.