Hitchcocks Forum

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Kevin has starting problemsI did everything as usual, and still can't work out if I did something wrong, or if there is a problem emerging?













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REOC 15084

Tabellarius de verbis. Ostensor gaudium[/center]

Old school bike, old school diagnostics - sparks or fuel? Kevin tried to start then died. After you pushed the HT caps down Kevin started. I suspect electrics from that, and it could just be the HT was damp. Pull the plugs and inspect?

This looks to be the same symptoms I got on my old C15 when the condensor started playing up - simple replacement job but it took bl@@dy ages to find!

Sounded like it was only firing on one cylinder.

You're tweaking the throttle quite a lot as you kick. Not good practice. Much better to hold steady at either no throttle of just a small opening if required.

I would say it's fuel related, such as water in the tank. I doubt it's the condenser; these usually cause a misfire when warm. My bet is that if you'd open the htrottle wide and kicked it over it would have roared into life.. I'd drain the float bowl.

I watched what you did in the video, you pushed the HT caps down before Kevin started. When Kevin did start it sounded a bit rough but was probably a little flooded by them. The HT caps and plug tops are out exposed to weather, I would start there, plus it's the easy one. I'd pull the plugs because inspecting them can tell you a lot about what is going on. Yes, it could be the condenser or 'points shut'/pitted, and that will highlight any short falling of HT connections. Weak sparks.



A bike will start if it is getting fuel and sparks (plenty fuel from the tickler) even if the jetting has gone to pot, but not if has weak sparks.

Now the weather is getting colder have you considered using the choke?. 😋

It's only an autumnal nip, you don't need the scarf too tight yet.

The video shows the typical behavior of a British bike fitted with an Amal carb which needs the choke to be used, tickling the carb gives a rich mixture only for a few firing strokes and then it becomes too lean to keep going, the choke is just that not an enrichment device it closes the slide cut away and causes more suction on the carb jets to give a rich starting mixture, the choke is either on or off for starting and part closed will do nothing to help starting.

ps, Kevin would look good in a white scarf.