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[mike139]

Hi
This is my first post and having used Hitchcocks for a the parts for my Enfield i thought this would be the best place to ask this question. I will keep things as brief as possible, basically i bought a bullet sixty 5 last year and didnt really get a chance to ride it as when i got it home i discovered an oil leak from the barrel which i have now fixed with a new gasket. The bike was modified from the standard with a K7N type filter and had been rejetted so over the winter i returned it to standard air filter and jets as when starting it was obviously running very rich and spitting back through the carb. I always start on the electric start and he is where the problem lies. When starting on the starter it only turns the engine over once and then stops and sometimes the starter just spins without engaging. I dont think this is sprag issue but i could be wrong, i have tried two batteries and even tried jump leads from my landrover to it but it doesnt improve things. It is still very difficult to start with the standard jets in it (new better than standard quality jets from hitchcocks) and wont start with the choke on, pilot jet is screwed out by 3/4 of turn and it wont start anywhere else. I have to increase the idle speed very high on start up to keep it running and it then takes about 5 minutes before i can give it any throttle or it dies or spits back through the carb. At the moment the only way i can get it started is to use the decompression lever to spin up the starter then dump the decompression and after about 4 or 5 goes at this it starts. It runs fine once started and warmed up but at the moment i cant take the bike out as i have no confidence in starting it. Starting on the kick starter is not really an option because of a dodgy knee.
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated as i am at the point where i may sell the bike if i cant start it consistently. Its a 2004 sixty 5, 500cc.
Thanks
Michael

[jefrs]

OK, you've checked the fuel but do make sure you don't have a tank blockage. So now check you have sparks. If you have a good spark and almost any fuel mix, a bike will start. It may not run very well but it will start.

It stood over winter. Petrol can go off and/or sediment can collect in the bottom of the tank and block the filter.



You do not need to jump on the kick start, all it takes is a prod to spin the motor. Leaping about is a waste of energy.

[jefrs]

Thought, electric start, pull the clutch in so you're not trying to turn the gearbox over as well.

[mike139]

Thanks Jerfs
Yes i have tried all that, new petrol, it has a good spark, and i have tried with the clutch in and out. I have filled the primary case with ATF instead of oil as alot of people recommend to reduce the clutch drag and also i have doubled the amount as alot have recommended.
I was going to try by-passing the solenoid tonight to see if the starter spins better without the solenoid. Past that i am running out of ideas....
It has electronic ignition fitted so i am guessing that has been set up ok as the bike was running fine and rides fine when it is going plus i dont have a timing light to check it.


Michael

[mike139]

I checked the compression tonight 110 psi which i think is as it should be. Got it started after alot of effort and it was running very lumpy, i had to wait until it was fully warm before it ran anything like smoothly and even then it was still a few stutters.
Checked the spark and all good. It still struggles to turn over more than once before the starter gives up or just spins. I bridged the solenoid thinking that might be faulty and it is no different...... rapidly running out of ideas. It has electronic ignition and i dont think you can check that without a timing light but i will look into that as it is about the only thing i havent been able to check.
Could there be a fundamental problem with the carb ? I dont have another i can put on the bike so dont know how i would check for that but it certainly sounds like it might be a fuel issue.
So i have two issues the starter not having enough power to continually turn over the engine as i would expect it to and poor running when started.....
Thanks for any help.

[Mazeppa]

You say that the previous owner re-jetted the carb, and that you have reinstated original jets and air filter. Do you know whether the needle was also altered and have you re-set that?

[Steve T]

Mike what carb do have?

[mike139]

Yes i reset the carb back to factory settings including the needle. I have the Mikcarb.

[neddy]

Electronic ignition maybe ?, my opinion is why on this model of motorcycle would you ever leave points/condenser

[jefrs]

Your 110psi indicates a compression of ball park 7.8:1 which is pretty good.



If you have a healthy fat spark going off somewhere near top of compression and some form of petrol going into the cylinder then it should start or at least make banging noises in some fashion. That means never mind the jetting or ignition timing at this point. Is fuel mix going in? Is the inlet valve opening, wide enough, at the right point? Can you smell petrol going through at the exhaust?
One thing, a spark that looks good in the air can break down to nothing under compression - it is always good to swap the plug out for a new or known-good one when it's playing silly b's.



You had the barrel off so I'm assuming you put the push rods and cam/timing back together right. You changed a gasket which means you have adjusted tappets as this can alter the push rod lift by difference of gasket thickness. Thinking inlet is not opening here...



The starter(?) solenoid is a zero ohm switch contact and its little relay coil draws next to nothing, so there's little point bypassing it. I wouldn't bother trying to kick it. RE reckon a good 3 second burst on the starter, which should spin it up far better than the wellie can.