Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: High On Octane on November 04, 2013, 12:47:04 am

Title: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 04, 2013, 12:47:04 am
I finished tinkering around with The Blackhawk today and was impressed that it started on the first kick despite it only being about 45*F.  This bike just sounds so good when it's cold, and even better when it's warm, but I decided to take a short video right after I kicked her over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gria6U9kZUA&feature=youtu.be

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: Royalista on November 04, 2013, 12:54:46 am
+1  8)
Super, great sound...
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: NorEaster on November 04, 2013, 01:56:27 am
Any tips for getting the kick start to work better?
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: Royalista on November 04, 2013, 02:15:22 am
Basic procedure:
1) Pull in clutch and step through kicker. This clears the gear plates.
2) With contact off step through kicker. This gets the oil around.
3) Contact on. Move kicker down until you feel stiff resistance. Let the kicker come back up and hold it on the resisting spot. Then kick through all the way in a resolute (but not brutal) manner.
Voila.  ;D

If weather is below 10°C you might want to repeat step 2) a few times (oil will be thick).
If weather really cold holding the manual bi-starter open will help the start.

If, in the rare case, you failed, the engine might become flooded. In such instance do step 2) once to clear the engine from fuel mixture and wait a few moments before retrying.

I do hope this helps.
Once you get the hang of it you ought to love it, one usually gets a kick out of a kick.  ;)
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: D the D on November 04, 2013, 02:33:04 am
Nice lopey sound!
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 04, 2013, 01:13:29 pm
I knew there would be a few of you that could appreciate a nice chunky idle.   :)

Royalista nailed it as far as kick starting.  Just follow his instructions.  One thing that I will add though, holding about 1/5-1/4 throttle while kicking will usually help quite a bit when kick starting hot or cold.

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: Arizoni on November 04, 2013, 09:00:30 pm
Quote
One thing that I will add though, holding about 1/5-1/4 throttle while kicking will usually help quite a bit when kick starting hot or cold.

Not on a fuel injected UCE.
They don't like to have their throttle open at all when they start.
Using the Bi-Starter lever when the engine is cold will sometimes help them start better though.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: wildbill on November 05, 2013, 05:09:51 am
great looking bike -with great uuuumph!!
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: mattsz on November 05, 2013, 12:51:45 pm
wildbill - it could be yours!  ;)
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 05, 2013, 01:13:19 pm
wildbill - it could be yours!  ;)

LOL  I'm so torn Mattz.  At first my thoughts were "Wow.  I could make some really great money selling this bike".  Now my thoughts are "Ummmmm, why are thinking about selling the bike?  Just try and imagine your life without it..."  Sure, I'd have a bunch of money, but I'd be sad and incomplete.  So, I need to find another way to make a lot of extra money.  Tony did mentioned something about selling off some of his car collection, so maybe he's planning on making room, mechanically and financially, for the Chief?  Speaking of which, in the next couple of weeks here there is going to be a '61 Biscayne, '55 T-Bird, '66 Chevelle SS and possibly a couple others that are going away.  All in restored mostly mint condition.  :)  I think the '61 Biscayne is one of my favorite cars in this collection.  It has a subtle scream of the original beginning days of Hot Rodding.  Very clean and sexy.

Scottie

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: tooseevee on November 05, 2013, 01:21:07 pm
Not on a fuel injected UCE.
They don't like to have their throttle open at all when they start.
Using the Bi-Starter lever when the engine is cold will sometimes help them start better though.
         

            But it's not a UCE. Is it?
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 05, 2013, 01:25:10 pm
            But it's not a UCE. Is it?

I know, I know.  I shouldn't be posting my bike here in this section.  But for oddball stuff like this, this section just has so much more action.  Hell, I was just trying to exploit how good my bike sounds.  LMAO  ;)

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: ROVERMAN on November 05, 2013, 02:15:25 pm
Don't worry Scottie it's all good. And to Arizoni's point my UCE demands about 1/8 throttle on a cold start.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 05, 2013, 03:09:12 pm
Not that it's an UCE, but when I was riding my friend's fuel injected BMW I had to blip the throttle with the starter engaged on cold starts to get it to fire.  Just saying.

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: mattsz on November 05, 2013, 03:18:32 pm
Did we determine that the manual bi-starter (what does that name mean?) is the functional equivalent of opening the throttle a little bit?
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: barenekd on November 05, 2013, 04:15:49 pm
bi = bitch
Bare
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: Ducati Scotty on November 05, 2013, 06:34:51 pm
Did we determine that the manual bi-starter (what does that name mean?) is the functional equivalent of opening the throttle a little bit?

Yup.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: gashousegorilla on November 05, 2013, 08:10:08 pm
  Without adding fuel.....  It lets more air sneak around the throttle plate.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: tooseevee on November 05, 2013, 09:21:21 pm
I know, I know.  I shouldn't be posting my bike here in this section.  But for oddball stuff like this, this section just has so much more action.  Hell, I was just trying to exploit how good my bike sounds.  LMAO  ;)

Scottie

            No, no, no. That wasn't my point. Your bike sounds great & it's none of my damn business where you post what.

             My point was to whoever it was who gave the kicking instructions for a UCE & I thought, well, the original post wasn't about a UCE. Was it?

             It just got all confused as a lot of these threads do. I shoulda kept my mouf shut   :)(http://)   ;D
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 06, 2013, 01:24:42 am
Just for fun, I put my faith in the ol' beast and took a video of actually starting the bike.  Keep in mind, it's been in the 40's (Fahrenheit) during the day and 20's at night here in Denver and the bike hadn't run since Sunday afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYsOhnomE8&feature=youtu.be

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: JVS on November 06, 2013, 07:58:34 am
wooooo awesome. It's such a great feeling when it starts on the first kick almost all the time. Nice bike.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: D the D on November 07, 2013, 07:43:21 pm
 8)
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: mattsz on November 08, 2013, 12:23:06 am
What a sound!  Dude, your neighbors must either love you or hate you...  ;)
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 08, 2013, 04:27:54 am
What a sound!  Dude, your neighbors must either love you or hate you...  ;)

I think it's a little of both.   ;)
Thanks for all the compliments guys.   :)

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: GreenMachine on November 08, 2013, 03:47:00 pm
The bike sounds great...And you have it set up prefect for 1 kick ...I wouldn't sell it unless I had too or something very special came my way and it closed the deal..GM
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: Candoman on November 08, 2013, 10:44:52 pm
Your bike is absolutely beautiful and makes sounds you can't buy anymore.  I just gotta ask, what is a bike like yours worth? Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: High On Octane on November 08, 2013, 10:52:52 pm
Your bike is absolutely beautiful and makes sounds you can't buy anymore.  I just gotta ask, what is a bike like yours worth? Thanks for sharing.

It blue books for $7900, I wouldn't take a penny less than $7000.  But I changed my mind about selling it.  Like you said, you can't find cool like this anymore.   :)

Scottie
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: kammersangerin on November 09, 2013, 04:10:17 pm
They don't like to have their throttle open at all when they start.

Mine won't stay running if you don't. It dies immediately.
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: gmmechanic on November 11, 2013, 02:26:32 am
each and every bike has its own personality...learn yours and forget others ...bond with it and it will never let you down...i had a pan head that i had to go through a procedeure to get it started cold or hot....but it started each and every time...the warm up time is most important to all air cooled bikes...ride on america...
Title: Re: Some Cold Idle Action
Post by: gmmechanic on November 11, 2013, 03:05:35 am
oh by the way just remember a bike is like a woman...you need to know how to tickle her when cold...when warmed up all you can do is hold  8)on... ;D ;D ;D