Forum

[Roy B]

Hi Les....that's a great tip on starting ,I've been doing something very much like that on my Bullet '65 for some time with good results. It still , of course , only works without an audience , then the inevitable happens! I think the technique you describe is very similar to "bump starting" a motorbike when you wheel it backwards in gear until you come up against compression , then push it forwards with the clutch pulled in until you leap aboard and drop the clutch. Again , you are taking the most advantage you can of the 4 stroke engine cycle momentum until you come up to compression. Keep the tips coming ,

REgards , Roy

[Alan R]

Hello ROY B ----- Ah-ha !!..... I thought someone would mention that particular method. Not quite so---- By setting the piston in that way you have put it into almost the same position as if using the "Ammeter flick" method ie the piston is just at the top of the compression or power stroke. Also, with bump-starting you will indeed have all the momentum you could wish for ( and a few knackered mates !)--- but that's not fully available with a kick-starter, hence the method LES H describes where we do away with one of the two crankshaft revolutions by setting the piston at TDC on the INDUCTION stroke-----thus getting the full benefit of the initial spin put on by the kick-starter ie YOUR LEG !!------------- Now here's a thought. If we were to utilise the "Wasted Spark" principle on our Bullets we could then use the Ammeter's "second flick" ie the one that's NOT got any compression feel on it,to set the piston position using the LES H principle. So, a new gear wheel on the distributor at HALF it's present teeth No. will do the job, I think ?? (Plus a set of bronze bushes for the shaft)

[Roy B]

Hi Alan...I fully agree , I wasn't saying that bump starting was a viable alternative to kick starting.....just merely saying that the principle that Les suggests is similar...i.e. you are getting maximum flywheel rotation before the power stroke. My days of bump starting are definitely over !!!! REgards , Roy

[Howard 612]

Alan I like that idea, it would also mean that the shaft will be rotating at full engine speed and setting the timing will be much easier as you will have to move the backplate a whole degree to change the timing by one degree. With the standard setup, where the shaft rotates at half engine speed you only have to move the backplate by HALF a degree to change the timing by ONE degree, which can be very fiddly.