There is a thread over on the Yahoo site about kickstarting the Electra X. The decompressor is different on the Electras than it is on the Classics. It simply feels like it doesn't work (even and maybe especially to those of us having prior experience with thumpers and decompressors). That's because you have to kick through one full compression stroke without relief before the decomp engages!
Here's my routine. Whats yours?
Part one: Prime it, lube it, massage it, whatever you want to call it:
- Engage choke or enrichener as appropriate
- Rotate kick start lever until you hit compression
- Apply pressure to the decomp lever as you carefully kick through the compression - stopping as soon as you feel it go over and the decomp lever also moves through
- Continuing to hold the lever, kick through the engine 5 or 6 strokes (tickle the carb first - if you're running an Amal as I am)
- Release the decomp lever
Part two: Start it (AKA do it all over again)
- Rotate kick start lever until you hit compression
- Apply pressure to the decomp lever as you carefully kick through the compression - stopping as soon as you feel it go over and the decomp lever also moves through
- release decomp lever and allow kickstarter to come back up (tickle the carb again just to humor the bike)
- Take up slack in throttle cable - or even open it just a hair (if you're running an Amal)
- Kick that sucker through
- Repeat Part two as often as is necessary (usually 1-3 kicks do it for me. However, you have to at least *pretend* frustration - the engine can sense these things...)
- If the above does not work: curse and use E-starter
Matt