Hitchcocks Forum

Not, not a prog rock band from the 70s, but instead an electric wind up torch sounding bike... Yesterday evening, on the way home from a busy day at work (ahem) I went to kick start my bike. It hasn't electric started for nearly 3 years! Why, you may ask, because the sprag never seemed to grip as it should - if indeed it is supposed to grip on electric starting (or should it slip at that point - I can never work it out!). Anyway, my kick start leg was met with great resistance... and when I applied enough force to kick the motor over, all I hear was a wind up torch. Again, and again. No starty.




But Michael, you may say, your bike is always broken.




Yes, true. But never like this. This is new broken. Anyway, I got the bike started by having it up on the centre stand and in first gear, kicking it over and basically 'bump' starting it. It ran fine all the way home. I haven't rechecked it yet, as today is campervan day another story of woe. However, I am assuming 'wind up torch noise' is bad, and is probably associated with my dead (possible now deader) sprag? Is that a fair assumption, and would it be cured by simply removing the dodgy sprag bearing - can it run without? I could probably have it out in half an hour or so, but with a busy Sunday geared towards a new campervan petrol tank, I don't want to waste my time...




Or am I missing something (not literally, but metaphorically!)? Ta!!

Well, if it was the spray then "bump" starting it like that would make no difference.

My advice Michael would be either fix it or get shot of it this weekend or sooner…

If it seizes on the road it could turn nasty and may damage more than the bike…

Concerned gwilly...

Sprag has siezed on the shaft and it is now spinning the starter motor and chewing the housing the shaft fits in, I would forget the camper van and fix the thing that gets you to work and don't expect it to be a half hour job unless you have the right tools to do it. You need a clutch hub puller and you can also have problems getting the 3 allen headed screws holding the inner primary on, and also if the teeth are locked together on the sprag it can make it very difficult to get them to line up and until it does you can't get the engine sprocket off

Hmmm, not sounding good then. Norm, the EFI sprag is, I think, a lot easier to get to than the pre-unit engine, but yeah, more like a hours work to remove. Only the outer case needs to come off, then the clutch hub and engine sprocket bolts are there, ready to go. Might have to look sooner then... urgh.

not good Michael you can always borrow mine which lies unused

You have an unused sprag?

Hi guys-------- just to support those views, especially the "It gets you to work" line....Get your priorities in order ( and your tool kit !!), remove and DUMP all items relating to the sprag and get used to the kick start routine as standard in your early morning "activities".....I meant the bike !! LoL !!..........PS, Today a mate called in to tell me of his latest bike --- an early Hinkley 900 Trident ( 40,000 on the clock, new sprag fitted ---- £1,200 = BARGAIN !!)..Those early ones are particularly well-built and are becoming "Classics" in their own right.......Apparently, with the sports version the WHOLE ENGINE has to be dismantled to change the failed sprag !!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

------- have a read of this}------ http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbike ... d-105.html -----------

Just a quickie...



I Almost always kick start my electra woodsman EFI. I must have used electric start almost 10 times in 9 months now.


If I continue to use kick start only, (Very useful to instill in your bike exactly who is the boss), can I assume that the sprag will not become a problem?