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[Adrian]

A decompressor valve would have been a much better idea, though. Fortunately you can always modify the Electra-X head to fit one.>br>


A.

[Norm]

Hi Adrian, I fitted a cast iron barrel and head on my Electa so I could have a decomp valve

[bumpkin]

Thanks it's only the electra i want to talk about i love them. will call about 8.30 tonight thank you

[Adrian]

Norm,



probably overkill, the Electra-X head just needs a 14mm x 1.25mm threaded hole (14mm spark plug thread), counter-bored 25mm on top, to fit the classic decomp valve more or less opposite the spark plug.











Bumpkin,



some of us here had Electras when they first came out and still haven't quite eliminated the nervous twitch... They can actually be brilliant bikes once you've eliminated the major known issues, though Norm's Electra-X had some serious quality control failures if I remember rightly, I think he got the worst one out of the factory.



Don't forget these bikes are now 10+ years old and some electrical issues shouldn't be unexpected.



A.

[bumpkin]

Adrian do you work at Hitchcock's i am sure i have spoken to someone called Adrian ? The Electra is my favourite out of all the Enfield's and love my bike, but the thought of spending £205 plus vat on a sprag that could go the next day is not good so not sure if i should just remove it and leave it off ? but having emphysema and trying to get mine started with kick-start gets me out of breath. If i could get it to start within 3 kicks that would be fine but you can kick mine 10 times before it starts and it kicks back almost every time.

[Norm]

Hi Adrian, one of the reasons I converted mine to a cast iron top end, apart from the very poor factory build, was to get rid of that ugly looking top end of the motor

[Adrian]

Norm,



beauty is in the eye of the beholder...



Bumpkin,



no, I'm only one of Mr H's customers. The modified cylinder head is now on an Electra/classic hybrid engine which is the opposite of Norm's old machine, it has an Electra-X top-end and crank fitted to a set of classic Bullet cases (long story). I couldn't get on with the valve lifter so I came up with the above modification, which transforms starting (especially now this engine has a 10:1 compression ratio) and might help in your case. I know a couple of other Electra-X owners who have also done the same mod and are very pleased with it.



As a matter of interest, what carburettor do you have fitted?



A.

[bumpkin]

Adrian i have a 32mm Dellorto carburettor fitted part of the highway kit

[Adrian]

Same as mine had (I still have the carb somewhere). Just a thought in case someone else hasn't already mentioned it, but it might be worth checking for air leaks around the mounting flange. Watsonian-Squire, who devised that kit, decided it should be held in place by fitting a couple of "O" rings over the carb stub and squashing it into the alloy mounting, I never liked that set-up. Much later I discovered that you can get a Malossi carb rubber that does a much better job and bolts directly onto the cylinder head, if you need one.







That's a 36mm Dell'Orto on a tuned head, but they are outwardly exactly the same size carb as the 32mm.



A.

[bumpkin]

Adrian can the carb mounting flange make it back fire also ?