[Varis]

Hey all,

My battery went out on my C5 and so I have been using the kick starter instead of the electrical start.  Anyway I have found that my Enfield is MUCH harder to start when the engine is warm than when the engine is cold, say after sitting all night.  When the engine is cold it will start in one or two tries when it is warm I have to try many times before it will start.  Previously when I had this problem I would use the electric start and have to give it a little throttle.

thanks
Beau

[Arizoni]

I suggest that when you are doing your kicking to get the piston up to TDC before actually trying to start the bike, you do so with the ignition off.

If the ignition switch is on when you start to rotate the crank to get the piston to TDC you will hear the fuel pump start and stop several times.  That is because the fuel injector is squirting some fuel into the intake.  If you do this several times, there is a chance your flooding the engine with fuel.

[High On Octane]

Maybe you're not kicking hard enough.  Or maybe you're battery is too dead to give a solid spark when trying to start it.  Or maybe you're just doing it wrong.  Like Arizoni said, you need to make sure the piston is at TDC and kick it like you mean it.  The harder you kick the lever, the faster the motor will turn and the faster your motor will start.  But I think the simple fact that you started out by saying that your battery is dead and THAT is why you started using the kick starter in the first place should give you some kind of clue that you have a weak electrical system.  Keep riding around with a dead battery and you can put too much strain on the charging system and cause the rectifier to fail.  Then you won't have to worry about kicking, you'll have to worry about walking and pushing and calling for a tow truck.

Scottie J

[gashousegorilla]

  +1 

  You need to start troubleshooting with a good battery.  You need the battery and charging system on these bikes. It's not a magneto system, so when the battery dies, you can't disregard it.......

[Varis]

I got the battery changed in the bike.  I replaced it with a MotoBatt MBTX14AU and the bike will start up with no problem using the electric starter.  I then had to take it for a little ride to make sure the battery was fully charged.

Again I still have some trouble starting the bike with the kick starter.  I'll try the TDC method that Arizoni outlined next time I start up the bike.

I agree that a good battery is ideal for testing the system, but it does not explain why I have more trouble starting the bike with a warm engine then with a cold one. (changing the batter did not solve the problem.)  I guess its just one those things you have to "get a feel" for.

Beau

[JVS]

Nice! Also, no need to stomp on the kickstarter. Once you're just past TDC, a 'swift' kick till the bottom of its travel will do! By swift, I mean, not too lightly and not too hard. Something like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2-Lla-_zJw&feature=player_detailpage#t=22s

[High On Octane]

Nice! Also, no need to stomp on the kickstarter. Once you're just past TDC, a 'swift' kick till the bottom of its travel will do! By swift, I mean, not too lightly and not too hard. Something like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2-Lla-_zJw&feature=player_detailpage#t=22s

Damn, I wish I could kick my twin that easy!  I DO have to stomp mine.   

Scottie J

[gashousegorilla]

I got the battery changed in the bike.  I replaced it with a MotoBatt MBTX14AU and the bike will start up with no problem using the electric starter.  I then had to take it for a little ride to make sure the battery was fully charged.

Again I still have some trouble starting the bike with the kick starter.  I'll try the TDC method that Arizoni outlined next time I start up the bike.

I agree that a good battery is ideal for testing the system, but it does not explain why I have more trouble starting the bike with a warm engine then with a cold one. (changing the batter did not solve the problem.)  I guess its just one those things you have to "get a feel" for.

Beau

  Is the bike more difficult to start warm, whether you try to E start it or Kick start it..... or both?

[gremlin]

  Is the bike more difficult to start warm, whether you try to E start it or Kick start it..... or both?

I can speak for my 2011 B5 - she fires right up when cold, but, requires a bit of blip to get 'er going when warm.

[2bikebill]

Here's a lass who's got the knack. It's been posted before I know, but worth another look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXg9p79wyzs

[heloego]

I can speak for my 2011 B5 - she fires right up when cold, but, requires a bit of blip to get 'er going when warm.

Same here.

[crush02342002]

same here. thought I fixed that with swapping out the spark plug but I was wrong

[JVS]

Damn, I wish I could kick my twin that easy!  I DO have to stomp mine.   

Scottie J

Maybe that's because your bike is a 700? twin 

[High On Octane]

Maybe that's because your bike is a 700? twin 

Maybe.......     

And maybe what Varis is missing is holding the throttle open a bit when kicking.  Usually holding the throttle at anywhere between an 1/8 and 1/4  throttle will get her started on the first kick.  Bring the piston to TDC, hold the throttle as mentioned and give it a smooth swift kick.  That should do the trick for you.

Scottie J

[ROVERMAN]

My B5 requires a little throttle cold plus the bi start, and will start right up. Hot/warm starts are first time, no throttle.
Roverman.