Forum

[Andy C]

Always found kicking the 612 into life pretty easy. The procedure I use, is firstly tickle carb, kick over once with decomp open, ignition on and kick until just over TDC on compression stroke using the decomp / keeping an eye on the ammeter, then close the decomp and "kick like you mean to start it" - it will more often than not start first or second kick. In an age of leccy start bikes, kicking a big single into life is becomming a thing of the past, people that are not used to kicking an emgine into life have a tendancy not to kick hard enough which is why I say you have to kick it "like you mean to start it". 3 of my bikes are kick start, but the 4th one is leccy start.

[Bullet Whisperer]

Just to add, for anyone who relies on the ammeter trick for tdc etc, it won't work for the likes of the Electra X in my video.

[Bullet Whisperer]

To add to my last comment, obviously magneto fired machines, too.

[scotty]

We used to have in scotland a butterworth horizontal single, a big one had 2 big flywheels one with a drive dog. Trick was to put crankhandle on shaft hold external valve open with one hand wind like crazy pull handle out then let go of pushrod. This engine was from a ww2 raf crash tender drove the water pump for firefighting, auto inlet on light spring. Exhaust was 2 inch gal pipe into a milk churn buried into the ground. If you think a 500 re sounds good this one would shake the floor, drove a 24 inch circular saw via a 3 inch belt

[Cov Lad]

I viewed a 1955 Triumph Trident 650 and was able to kick it over quite easily wearing thin slip on shoes, It felt easier that the Enfield 500.

[Norm]

Can't say I have ever seen a 1955 Trident 650, must be something only the UK got, never seen anything like that in The Colonies.

[Cov Lad]

It was a Bobber 1955 frame I guess with a 650 engine so I believe. I am still wondering whether or not to make an offer as I have always wanted a Triumph (even a bobber). Also tax and mot exempt.

[papasmurf]

These might help:-

IMG

[Wheaters]

As long as the air supply to the helmet was OK, that might work. The waterproof suit would be good for British weather, too!

[Norm]

Eric, nothing wrong with a valve lifter, been used since engines have been built, it is just the abomination that Enfield came up with on the Electra that is the problem. If they had just kept using the old standard proven to work decomp valve, but no they thought they were smarter than the average Yogi Bear