CNW E-Start Reviews

marshg246 said:

Understood, and yes, not likely .

The problem is that if you want to convey info to people you need to do what they "understand". For instance you don't Xerox, you copy - doesn't stop people from calling copying, Xeroxing. You blow your nose on a facial tissue, not a Kleenex - doesn't stop people from calling it Kleenex. I live in the United States of America. When people say America or The United States, they mean the USA. However The United States of Mexico is just as much The United States as the USA; and, the USA and both Mexico and Canada are in North America. What does America mean - there's no such place.

At any rate, I, in general, do not want any Lithium-based batteries between my legs but will use LiFePO4 when needed and in my experience they are needed for e-start bikes. They are quite amazing - after a few failed starts the voltage will be down a little. Let them rest a few minutes and it will be mostly back. The few I've worked with have always spun the engine fast even after sitting 2-3 months.

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With some research you may find that the Lithium Iron are non-volatile.

From a place like Classic Bike Experience the Alton is:

Altons are $2,450 FOB CBE in Essex, VT. We will ship anywhere in the Continental US for a flat rate of $50. We require a $500 deposit upon order, the balance due upon shipment from CBE. As a small business, we love cash and/or checks. A $50 service fee is applied to credit card transactions except for deposits. No sales tax unless you are a Vermont resident.

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From Colorado Norton Works it's:

cNw Electric Start Conversion​

$2,495.00

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Shipping to me is about $50



Aside from the Brits who have to pay more can some explain to me why people complain about the price of the CNW?

I'll wait.

If You want to save money, do like I did . I signed up for a new Chase Business Cash card, It offered a 500$ cash back when you spend 3,000$ in the first 3 months, well at 2500$ for the CNW E start your already most of the way there.

I'm using a very old battery from a MK3, a Yuasa YTX 14 series battery it is rated new at 12 amps, NO problems and I still have the OEM Combat Lucas electrics in it, No problem. IT fires it up No sweat. and 500$ in cool cash back.

Carl H said:

If You want to save money, do like I did . I signed up for a new Chase Business Cash card, It offered a 500$ cash back when you spend 3,000$ in the first 3 months, well at 2500$ for the CNW E start your already most of the way there.

I'm using a very old battery from a MK3, a Yuasa YTX 14 series battery it is rated new at 12 amps, NO problems and I still have the OEM Combat Lucas electrics in it, No problem. IT fires it up No sweat. and 500$ in cool cash back.

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Well, that’s one way to do it.

Well, my cNw estart was installed my Matt - I can't fault it.
Only had it for 15 months (4600 miles) and it's always perfect.
I do mostly kick start but use it occasionally - it never fails to start the bike immediately. (I got it for when I'm too old and decrepit to kick!)
I suppose one of the best testimonies to it is that, after sitting in a crate being shipped from US (5 months!!) the combo of the Shorai battery and the cNw estart started the bike, first press, without need for charge.
Cheers

swooshdave said:

From a place like Classic Bike Experience the Alton is:

Alton eStart for Norton - Classic Bike Experience

CBE is pleased to be carrying the Alton electric start conversion kits for pre MKIII Commandos. We have been doing so since 2012 and are Alton’s Authorized US Service Center. The units are produced by Alton (www.alton-france.com), based in Brittany France. The company designs, manufactures...

classicbikeexperience.com

From Colorado Norton Works it's:

cNw Electric Start Conversion

Currently sold out of the e-start kits. I am working on a new batch and if you want to get all the details, contact me at the shop. CNC billet aluminum inner primary. Precision cut 6061 billet to ensure highest quality, tightest tolerances and best possible finish The kit includes a complete...

coloradonortonworks.net

Shipping to me is about $50



Aside from the Brits who have to pay more can some explain to me why people complain about the price of the CNW?

I'll wait.

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That’s some ‘myth busting’ right there!

I think you might be waiting a wee while Swoosh…

Actually I suspect it’s only buyers within the EU that see a big ish difference in price twixt cNw and Alton. Alton buyers in the U.K. will see prices rise (if they haven’t already) due to Brexit. That will surely go a long way to closing the gap.

It’ll probably also take longer to ship from France vs Colorado too !

(fastest way to get goods into the U.K. from France is to ask an illegal migrant to take them…)

I have had the CNW kit on my bike now for over 3 years now and still think that is the best money I have ever spent.Probably 12,000 miles on the kit and like everyone else has said,the customer service is superb!
I highly recommend this product.

Apparently, unless you are in France, the CNW is pretty much the hands-down winner...

ESPECIALLY with some sort of cash card rebate!

Here in Canada, it would appear that the CNW kit is marginally more expensive. I bought my Alton last summer - it was $2950 CAD plus applicable - $3333. Shipping and availability was not an issue - a local dealer had one in stock, so just went and picked it up.

An acquaintance just picked up a CNW kit - reportedly payed about $3500 CAD all in.

To me $200 on a purchase of this magnitude is not a discriminating factor. The CNW kit would appear to be the better value to me.

The cNw starter is also a standard item (Sportster?) in chrome or black, Alton's is not.

I am hoping someone from the Alton firm is following this thread and JoeCzec's recent starter failure thread and for those of us that have the Alton unit already installed can come up with something more robust. In a post late in Joe's thread, an idea came up for Alton to perhaps offer a part swap with upgraded components (or perhaps someone else with the machining skills). Sounds like a step forward to me.

There are two reasons to go with the Alton. One is the air box. If you insist on the stock air box then the CNW is a no go. It’ll also be added expensive if you have one now. Two is if you hate belt drives. There are some if you out there. Despite my recent issues I’m still a fan.

An lastly, which is a variable not a reason, is where you live. It’s a big accessory and shipping is a factor.

I’m not sure if it’s cost effective but it appears that Holland Norton Works does carry them but are currently out of stock. https://www.hollandnortonworks.eu/en/exclusive-commando-parts

Swooshdave writes: "Aside from the Brits who have to pay more can some explain to me why people complain about the price of the CNW? I'll wait."

And what would you do with the information? Provide financial advice? Job counselling advice leading to better paying jobs? Health advice leading to better knees and hips?
Maybe I miss the point of the question.

Hi guys,

First off, Thanks you for all the positive feedback. We had a few things to work through initially but I feel really good about how the kit is put together at this time. STS in Jacksonville (John Snead), designed and also makes the core parts and the quality is outstanding. Better than I could have ever hoped for. Working with STS is a great experience. John is doing things in this industry that is a bit uncommon and it's very refreshing to say the least.

Once those parts get to the shop, the kits are completed with a custom made wiring harness and additional electrical components. All the hardware, gaskets and anything else necessary to install is included. The kit is also partially assembled at cNw in order to make it really straight forward to install. The fact that you dont have to blend old original parts with these new ones makes the time consuming 'fettling' that we have become used to having to do with these machines, unnecessary.

Once an order is placed, I also put a specific finish on the billet aluminum. There is a satin, high luster polish and a black anodize (special order) available.

Due to the kits essentially being build for each customer, there is a bit of a time lag and typically I can get them finished, processed and shipping in about 10-14 days at this time. That said, the sales have been really strong lately and I am working on getting them finished up as soon as possible. So many other areas of the shop are busy as well, so please be patient. I just need everything to be just right when you get the kit

I wanted to clarify something about international shipping. The US and Canada have a trade agreement and if shipping vintage motorcycle parts, using a specific tariff code, they are exempt from customs fees. In other words, when I ship the kit to other parts of the world, this exemption does not apply. If you live outside the US and are interested in getting a kit, contact me and I will talk to you about some other things we can do to in order to lower the fees.

Again, Thanks to all those that have purchased a kit from me. I know these parts are not inexpensive and I absolutely appreciate the business and support.

Matt

Thanks Matt. My right leg thanks you as well.

swooshdave said:

With some research you may find that the Lithium Iron are non-volatile.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Vs. Lithium-Ion: Differences and Advantages

Advances in battery technologies has placed lithium chemistry at the fore front for being the best power source for high energy use in portable devices.

blog.epectec.com

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Not sure what you're trying to tell me - I've done a LOT of research on this subject!

Older Lithium Ion technologies could catch fire when incorrectly charged or discharged. LiFePO4 does not. That's why I'm fine with them when they make sense.

However:
1) They are quite a bit more expensive
2) If the voltage drops too low they cannot be recovered with a plain battery charger
3) Standard trickle chargers are not good for them (however, they hold a charge a long time so trickle charging is usually not needed)
4) In cold weather special procedures should be used when starting the bike from cold
5) Under short circuit or other high-drain conditions their ability to provide massive current is greater than an equivalent AGM or or standard Lead Acid battery. Normally, that's fine because there is a fuse. Let something in the starter circuit get grounded and things will get real smoky real fast.

marshg246 said:

Not sure what you're trying to tell me - I've done a LOT of research on this subject!

Older Lithium Ion technologies could catch fire when incorrectly charged or discharged. LiFePO4 does not. That's why I'm fine with them when they make sense.

However:
1) They are quite a bit more expensive
2) If the voltage drops too low they cannot be recovered with a plain battery charger
3) Standard trickle chargers are not good for them (however, they hold a charge a long time so trickle charging is usually not needed)
4) In cold weather special procedures should be used when starting the bike from cold
5) Under short circuit or other high-drain conditions their ability to provide massive current is greater than an equivalent AGM or or standard Lead Acid battery. Normally, that's fine because there is a fuse. Let something in the starter circuit get grounded and things will get real smoky real fast.

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I assumed when you said you wouldn't have one between your legs it was from them exploding. Which seems like a valid assumption.

What you really mean is that they would hurt your wallet.

swooshdave said:

I assumed when you said you wouldn't have one between your legs it was from them exploding. Which seems like a valid assumption.

What you really mean is that they would hurt your wallet.

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I wouldn't have a earlier Lithium ION in a bike but LiFePO4 is fine.

Unfortunately is it common to group the earlier Lithium batteries as Lithium ION even though all Lithium batteries are actually Lithium ION. So, I wrote to the audience in a way that most would understand without complaining about me being too technical. People do not say Lithium Iron ION or Lithium ION Iron, they say Lithium Iron and for the older technologies, Lithium ION. Even the article you posted does that!

I specifically said that I use Lithium Iron (LiFePO4) when it makes sense. It never makes sense to me to use the earlier Lithium ION batteries in a motorcycle.

To be clear: When there is a reason to spend the money and the bike is equipped with a modern voltage regulator and the wiring is in good shape, I love LiFePO4 batteries. I do not use standard Lead Acid batteries in any bike and I do not use the older Lithium ION technologies.

This is way off topic and it's my fault - sorry. I only wanted to get across that I like a LiFePO4 battery when installing the cNw electric start. A big AGM battery will work too but even Matt sells LiFePO4 batteries as an option to go with his electric start kit. He sells three sizes - I like the middle size.

I bought the CNW for my 71 . I did not consider it expensive .
maybe because I am used to getting aircraft parts ?
the way I looked at this purchase was too many of my friends are getting older and new knees .
my knees are still fine and I want to keep them that way.
Human body repairs are wicked expensive .
I thought of this starter as cheap insurance .
I actually think this kit is very well priced .
if Matt makes some money it is also a bit of insurance that he will be around to support it .

The batteries that made big news for Boeing were LiFePO4; granted not a 50 year old motorcycle design, but lit up. Samsung Galaxy note 7s lit up and of course the batteries in the stupid hoverboards lit up a few houses. At least 2 forum members were lucky to get off their Nortons before being killed or seriously injured when their lithium batteries lit up.

I don't doubt Greg and Matt's endorsement of the LiFePO4 technology, but I'll stick with maintenance free AGMs. Over the last 3 years I lost 65 pounds, some of that can go back into the battery, but should still give me something like 5 free horsepower. I can't deny the hugh weight savings the Lithium offers. Most of my cordless tools use lithium batteries, but before I power up the tool I pick a spot to throw it if it decides to misbehave...

I also have the cNw starter kit and have been impressed with the quality of materials, fit and finish as well the support Matt offers if or when I need it.

Best.