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[Tim NZ]

The clutch-switch is only in Play when the bike is in gear. Select neutral.


I would not be overly worried about possible damage to the sprag due to stall potential; how often do you stall your bike on a hill and actually have the bike attempt to roll backwards?


Back-firing on start-up kills the sprag (and the oil-pump worm) followed by shut-down compression bounce-back on the piston/crank.


By engaging the decomp: Initial voltage drop and current draw on the battery is able to stabilise, (improved spark) the crank gets up to full speed, (more inertia) and the cylinder is 'primed' with fuel.

[Gwilly]

My point exactly Tim, mine is a 2002 and there is no neutral switch because there is no neutral light in the cluster.

You have to pull the clutch to provide the circuit for the solenoid, regardless of in gear or not..
Later models had a neutral switch which meant it is possible to pull the decomp and fire the starter without reaching for the clutch lever..
I'm going for a lie down...

[Barry N]

I wonder Tim NZ, if you would expand on your reference to the oil pump worm being prone to damage by backfiring? I understand totally about damage that this would cause to the sprag, and that if the backfire is too violent it can knock a tooth off the pump spindle, but is there a mechanical reason that the oil pump worm and spindle doesn’t like going backwards, as opposed to its normal rotation? And in the case of lesser backfires such as a “puff through the carb” kind of kickback, wouldn’t the heavy flywheels absorb most of the energy in that instance, especially since spindle only rotates one twelfth of the crankshaft speed? Thanks!

[Tim NZ]

When the motor back-fires, along with the ES sprag getting a hammering, the oil pump worm rotation changes direction, the cross shaft is pushed forward and off its locating seat in the return oil pump housing. In extreme cases Jaming into the spindle and disc plunger. Lock up.


The situation was eventually fixed for the Inters by fitting a locating pin into a groove in the end of the oil pump cross-shaft to prevent the shaft moving off its seat...


Which comes first? Failed floating bush, which blocks the oil ways and the pump-shaft worm strips? Or failed worm, which causes the Bush to disintegrate...


Mostly the latter, the former is often due to low/depleted/diluted oil. OR extreme high pressure associated with High Out-put pumps and Wet sumped motors.

[Tim NZ]

Qwilly: All ES Bullets that came to NZ have a neutral switch, commencing with the 65. The neutral Light switch has been available on the 4 speed since 1999, so I am left wondering what and why RE would have made such a bike?


Such a bike would never have been able to be sold in the Australasian or US market.

[Barry N]

Thanks Tim - that's very informative!

[papasmurf]

Well my Electra X (ish) will not start on the electric starter unless the neutral light is on and the clutch is pulled in. (It won't start or run with the side stand down either.)

[Beezabryan]

Our 1992 Bullet will not start with the clutch pulled in

[Tim NZ]

A mate has recently converted a J2 to Electric start. No neutral or side stand switches


Some where in the old messages is a posting from him about it; he is offering conversion kits to suit, and no reason why they can not be adapted to fit the G and CO?

[cheesemonger]

Hi - I have just removed the sprag clutch from my 2007 ES Bullet, it was making a racket. Rather than just using a blanking plate to cover the hole where the gears joined the starter, I replaced the rear primary case with an earlier version which didn't have the sprag extension. It worked a charm - no more whirring from the sprag gears and, with the starter motor off and the sleeker primary case, the cylinder is revealed in all its glory. And it's a doddle to kick! Here's the finished bike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCb1grvY4u4 (Thanks to Tim NZ for the parts)