Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: LotusSevenMan on May 08, 2008, 01:04:11 am
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I refer here to the starting.
Mine is a 500ES but I enjoy kick starting it. Kinda satisfying ritual.
Well it has been getting worse lately. Instead of first kick with an occasional two, it was getting that sometimes I had to spin it over using the ES before it wpould start.
Anyway, it has not been started for about two weeks. I thought I had better give a it a go tonight. It wouldn't start. No amount of kicking would sort it so resorted to the ES. Spinning over fine but no-go still.
So, fuel or ignition. Fuel was running through the tap fine. Check plug on block. Nil spark. :'(
Cleaned points with a fine piece of wet 'n' dry pulled through them and still no spark. Weird. About to suspect the coil but sprayed some electrical cleaner on the points and flicked them open/shut a few times with a screwdriver. With ignition on there was a spark at the plug. :)
Put it all back together. First time kick service is resumed. Only done about 600 miles since last checking it out so will perhaps change the condenser in case it is acting up!!
Result!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mine does the same thing. I use a matchbook or a dollar bill, they come out filthy. No burning , just filth. You might be right about the condenser.
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Another one of those mental notes to oneself.
"If kickstarting is more than twice before it runs-------------- check points" !!!
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Checked it again today after a break of two days non running. First time kick start again. Hurrah!!!!
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How long has it been since you started last? Maybe you should check the battery? Never hurts to try the adjustments either.
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LSM
I did the same thing the other day. Cleaned my points with a piece of emery paper because she was getting hard to start then it wouldn't start at all. Sprayed them off with a little contact cleaner and she fired right up. And remember mine is using a magneto. I guess some things don't change over the years.
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Mine has CDI ignition, so can't blame the distributor, but yesterday, a no start, checked the plug and no spark, then I noticed a rather poor system of connection between the plug wire and the part that goes over the plug itself. It just sort of loosely pushes together and is held that way by a rubber sleeve. When I pulled the plug, I must have pulled the wire a little ways out away from the cover. To me it seems a little half-assed, maybe the connection was better as it was first installed but I loosened it. Thinking of putting it together with a small amount of rubber cement to hold the three components together.
Another small problem was that it wasn't getting fuel. I must have disassembled and cleaned the carb three times, then as I pushed down on the lever, I cracked the throttle just a smidgeon and it started right up. Mine has a Dell'orto carb and the thin plunger that is attached to the slide enters into the very top of the pilot valve, so unless you raise it just a bit, it won't start. Also, it shuts down if you release the throttle completely. There is no kill switch, so maybe that is why.
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Getting ready to go out for lunch at a little out of the way burger joint in the middle of nowhere. I figured it couldn't hurt to "clean" my points for better deflection of the amp meter... *&^%##@%% wouldn't start!! I should have left things alone...
finally got fire so I just went to town cause I didn't want to get stranded. Changed points when I got home; I've been sitting on a new set for a year now. Just hated to do it cause it has been running pretty good.
I should have left things alone...
I stripped out one of the points plate screws!! Oh well, one is holding it and the repair kit is on the way from CMW. The first time I went to start; it started as I was rolling it over to TDC!! Starteled me so much I almost wet myself...
Guess I've got it pretty close...
- Mike
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LJREAD, You mean your bike wont idle? Lotus SevenMan, On the breaker issue, you might want to check how far your points are actually opening. Mine were opening slightly over .1" at their worst. Thats right 100 thou! This is due to a badly made advance unit,(Chinese Kalashnikov comes to mind) that ran out that much at the taper where it attaches to the distributor shaft. I have re machined it slightly to bring it to .070". Thats still a lot of action and I suspect it's slinging a lot of rubbing block lubricant on the contact area. So even though my points are correctly set to open to .016" they then continue to open to .070". It is also working the crap out of the points pivot pin unnecessarily. Aren't primitive machines a rip?