Forgive me if you know this already, but this is the procedure.
1/ Don't try to kick it when sitting on the seat - stand up on your left leg
Edit: 1a/ Keep the throttle closed, and make sure it's in neutral. Ignition on and the kill-switch in the 'run' position, side stand retracted.
2/ Turn the engine over with the kick-start at a comfortable speed until you feel it come up to compression
3/ Let the kick-start lever return to the top
4/ Slowly push the lever through compression - two or three inches on the lever, maybe - and let it return to the top again
5/ Take a breath, then shift your weight to your right leg and plunge the lever down smoothly and as fast as you can. It should be a combination of your weight plus partially straightening your knee. Make sure your knee is still slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.
If it's going to start, that should do it.
By positioning the engine at the top of the compression stroke you are giving yourself the longest possible "run up" time before the next compression stroke, which is what you want.
A couple more points: firstly, you could try cracking the throttle open a little bit to help the engine catch. Try it with a closed throttle first because that's how it normally starts. Secondly, some people advocate freeing up the clutch before plunging the kick-start lever. To do this, just before step 5/, pull in the clutch and push the kick-start lever right through a couple of strokes. Then release the lever and proceed to step 5/.
I never did any of "the procedure" with my UCE engined C5. Just kicked it from wherever rotation position it was at when I walked up. If it was above 50F, it would start first kick. If it below 35F, perhaps a 2nd kick would be required. This is what the auto decompressor cam, and fuel injection, bought us, in my opinion, no process required, kick and start.
Standing and straddling, with the side stand up or down, no process, no problem. 1 kick starter.
Standing on the right side with the bike on the center stand, no process, no problem, 1 kick starter.
But, I'm not small and I'm not short.
The only problem I had was when I wanted to use the electric starter. My machine had a crappy connection in the clutch switch wiring or connection, and so would generally ignore any button presses unless I fiddled with those wires. I never got around to fixing it, since it started so easily with the kicker. Quicker to kick than to fiddle.
I'm sure my riding buddy got tired of my standing joke. After he got his Sportster running, taking far too many kicks to count, I'd say, "I wonder how many kicks it will take to start the Enfield? Lets COUNT!" Then, I'd kick it and say, "One, .... ONE KICK!"
Topic: Kickstarting tips? (Read 2101 times)