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[theWoosh]

Hi,
I have been having ongoing problems starting my bike, and in the last week it has got impossible - with the electric start barely turning it over and almost unable to kick it even with the sparkplug out.
I sprayed the cylinder full of WD40, but it feels like there's an enormous resistance and if I do get it to turn there is a wurring noise like something other than the engine is turning. The bike does appear to be in neutral (though the neutral light doesn't work) as the wheels do not turn. Oil levels seem OK. If I pull the clutch lever it kicks freely...

Puzzled - any ideas? Bear in mind I am a newbie when it comes to this bike (and not the most mechanically minded bloke in the first place)

[Paul M H]

Sound like the sprauge is jamed on the electric start so when you try to kick it that noise by sound of things is the electic starter being turned

[Paul M H]

Best thing is too remove the spruge clutch altogether and just keep it as kick start only. If you dont want the expense or hassle changing the primary case they sell a blanking plug on this site too fill the hole where electric starter goes or just remove the gears and leave started where it is.

[Paul M H]

See Diagram below for a clearer picture of how it works will help you and you can see what drive gears to remove

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pa ... h_Assembly

[Norm]

Whoosh you are in for a steep learning curve fairly quickly, way above a bit of WD40

[Michael]

Paul M is right... sprag is jammed I bet!!! What that means is that your engine is perminantly attached to the starter motor, via the clutch at the moment. So turning your engine is also turning the starter motor. Pulling in the clutch and kicking over means you are only turning over the gearbox. You need to get the sprag out... easy job if it is an EFI, not so sure on an Electra X - I never did it on my old electra But someone here will have!!!




If this is the problem you have two options: 1 take out the sprag and bin it, running the bike as kick start only from now on; or 2: replace with a new sprag and potentially the bearing and gears tooo (that would cost about 200 quid for an EFI, not sure on the Electra) to get electric start back BUT something caused that sprag to break, so also get that fixed at the same time (probably ignition timing).




Sprag out and bin option is potentially a home job for a newbie... the second option probably isn't?

[Norm]

You need a clutch hub puller rotor puller and then you have to get those 3 mongrel allen head counter sunk screws out of the inner primary and that often takes an impact driver to get them free

[theWoosh]

hmmm - I thought that might be it...

1) I have seen some replacement more heavy duty sprag clutch mechanisms advertised so maybe this would be an option...

2) I have asked elsewhere on this forum if replacing the original (black) TCI might help with starting and I wonder if this might help prevent ongoing problems with any replacement sprag... thoughts?

3) As I have said elsewhere also, I don't think kickstarting only is an option for me, as since the decompression lever is ineffective on this model, and there is a lot of resistance, it can take a couple of minutes for me to get it in position to kick over, meaning a stall at traffic lights can be a real pain in the arse (plus it takes me a few goes to kick start it at the best of times).


Anyone wanna buy an electra x 2008 with 1500 miles on it? I think I might have to go back to a honda - my experience so far with this bike makes me dream fondly of my old CB........

Thanks for your help,

[theWoosh]

sorry - been going back over my older posts and replies and Frank says he's tried the original black TCI, the green replacement and Hitchcock's own and finds the original black one best. But then he has done 11000 miles on the original sprag! It would be nice to find out for sure if any of these would help - I don't really want to spend £200 plus on a new sprag and then have that one go too!...

I think I will have to find someone to do it for me as I don't have the tools or nous...

[theWoosh]

4) I just found this on another forum as a technique to protect the sprag from damage...
'Once replaced, you might make it a practice to always hit the starter with the comp release
engaged, then immediately disengage the release while the motor is turning, This should
make it virtually impossible for the bike to kick back'

...any thoughts?