Hitchcocks Forum

My Electra X outfit ran faultless all last year. This week it ran first press of the button and I let it run for a few minutes and switched off. Next day started OK and I rode off it soon refused to rev - low revs Ok but not any higher. Back to base and now it refuses to start. Thought it may be muck in carb. Cleaned carb thoroughly and even changed mucky pilot jet for a new one. Fuel getting into carb tested by opening drain - plug sparks - battery on full charge - fresh fuel but it still will not charge. I am reluctant to dismantle any more until this knowledgeable forum has a say. Could a constant trickle charge damage the Hitchcock CDI unit? I have a solo Electra X which has started and run as good as usual. Any thoughts people?

Fuel may be getting to the carb but is it getting to the engine? Try taking the plug out, put your finger over the hole, turn it over and check for wettnes or smell of petrol. Doubt if charging has damaged the TCI but can you swop it with the working bike to prove? Change the plug as a matter of course.

I not sure if a CDI unit still uses the old advance/retard mech, but if it does, has it got stuck?

Hi Graham, only problem I see here is removing the seats off both bikes and swapping the TCI units over. I don't think the trickle charge would damage the TCI unit because with the ignition off there should be no power going to the unit. Hard call when you do have spark but you have to start somewhere. Only other thing could be the pulse coil but I have never heard of one failing

Thank you all - dark here now so will have a go tomorrow. I do suspect the CDI because I had a long struggle with a SR125 engine which had 'classic' fuel starvation symptoms - it was the CDI. Thanks again I knew I could rely on some sensible answers.

Not being picky Graham but it is a TCI unit not a CDI don't ask me to explian but it is the method in which the coil dumps the charge

Just keep in mind that even though the plug sparks outside the engine it doesn't mean it will under compression. Simple things first.

Sorry Norm - my fault - it is a TCI. Thanks,

I have a similar setup, with the Hitchcock ignition mod. When i first fitted it, i couldnt get it to start and it turned out (long story) to be the coil which was sparking when it wanted to, not when the box told it to. New coil and problem solved. Hope this helps. Stephen (Cheshire)

When I fitted the Hitchcock TCI I was puzzled that occasionally the bike would fire as soon as the ignition was turned on. It seems to trigger a spark every time it's powered up. I've ended up with 3 units, the original black, the modified green and the Hitchcock uprated unit. They all give different power curves, the uprated one seems to give a peakier output and more oomph low down, the original black one seems to be a smoother output across the rev range.The green just doesn't feel right anywhere.