Hitchcocks Forum

Help
I have a 1992 Indian 500 Bullit with starting issues. Pops back violantly through the carb and wont start, even get burning fuel in the filter! - had it run once (badly) and it misfired through the exhaust then just stopped.
Spec is. New Amal with K&N type filter and trials exhaust system all supplied and jetted by 'H', new reg/rectifier, new Boyer Digital ignition, new plug, new HT lead, New battery, new HT coil. Checked all the wiring and have good earth, have had the head off and re lapped the valves and reset, Boyer is timed as the instructions and has a really bright white spark.

Have come to the end of my tether on this one and hope that someone can help before the bike gets sent the scrapeyard in the sky!

Thanks in anticipation

I almost don't dare.... but you have checked the timing along with all the rest?

I'd double check both the timing and **all** the connections to make sure I hadn't mis-wired the Boyer kit, either at the black (blue?) box or at the trigger unit.



If you are 100% you have done everything correctly, the valve clearances are correct, there is fuel getting through the new carb properly, the pilot air screw is correctly adjusted and there are no air leaks where the carb is mounted, then it could simply be that the Boyer is duff and a replacement is needed. Did you speak to our hosts? Was it running OK before the new carb and Boyer ignition?



Finally, what is it with people threatening to scrap their bikes if they can't sort this sort of thing? Doesn't make any sense.



A.

I am now the owner of a bike scrap yard, please send details of where you want me to collect it from.

Thanks all
Have checked the timing many times - I had a an earlier Boyer fitted but that ran the same so decided to update to the latest one to see if it was that. Have checked all the wiring but will go through it again. When the carb conversion was put onto the bike it initialy ran but very very rich and Hitchcocks suggested a softer plug, I also played around with jets and needles to see what difference it might make but went back to the settings supplied. I did manage a 50mile run but starting was an issue, it now is almost impossible, when I have coaxed it to go it runs pretty awful.

It has been ok over the last few years running a stock carb with freeflow exhaust. I think the saying goes - if you think its a carb problem then its bound to be electrics.

I also run a 1924 BSA - so simple - no wiring and no carb adjustments to worry about

Cheers - back to the garage

OK, you're getting the same crap results on your Bullet - sorry, Bullit - with two totally different and presumably correctly wired Boyer ignitions, so however tempted I might be to say "buy a Pazon instead", the chances of getting two duff Boyers of different types aren't actually that great.



This points us back to the carburettor - Mk1 Concentric? One of the newer Premier type, or a traditional zinc alloy-bodied item with the easily blocked and almost inaccessible for cleaning pilot jet? Now if you're suggesting scrapping anything...



Do you still have the original working Mikarb VM28 to re-fit just to confirm that this is not Boyer's fault?



A.

Just checked all the wiring and its all ok. Yes Mk1 Amal, new from Hitchcocks. I have read that the tiny air mixture holes in the intake part of the carb can get blocked so will take the carb off and blow everything through. Yes I still have the MiKarb so could refit with the old exhaust and eliminate the ignition side or not.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions - I will keep plugging on - will update the post when I've tried everything.

Cheers Pete

Do you have a resistor plug and a resistor plug cap? If so, you don't want both, one or the other only, never both. Just asking because I've seen it so many times.

Pete, if you still have the original carb and assuming the bike was running ok with that, refit it. If the bike works you will have narrowed the problem to the Amal.

"New Amal with K&N type filter and trials exhaust system all supplied and jetted by 'H', new reg/rectifier, new Boyer Digital ignition, new plug, new HT lead, New battery, new HT coil"
What? All at once!
It could be a bit tricky working out what in that list is the culprit.
In my experiance "jetted to suit" means almost nothing, you may well have to change jets and settings.
Boyer's instructions for timing are a joke - you always need to tweak it in (not difficult - just do it a tiny bit at a time) or use a strobe if you have one.
I would try the old Mikarb back on as well if it was OK before though I'd leave it on as it's a better instrument than the Amal will ever be.
Just my twopence.