sudden violent kickback
- Thread starter Rockyrob
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Cookie said:
Yes I agree, it will come around to compression again before the kickstarter reaches the end of its travel, but if the kick is started from the correct position and the correct kicking technique used, the crankshaft should be spinning fast enough to take it over compression that second time without kicking back?
Half-hearted attempts at kickstarting big singles and twins can result in kickbacks, I think Nortons can sense the FEAR :shock:. So you do have to approach the task with a certain amount of confidence, and let it know who's the boss!
My 850 MkIII never kicked back once when it had a Boyer. It is now fitted with a Tri-Spark Classic Twin system which I intend to fire up shortly, all being well, although I'm not expecting any problems.
Yup,
I agree, if everything is right you should go right past without a kickback. I think a couple of mistakes were made with my bike from time to time. I'm pretty sure my brother was not draining the sump, that slows you down just enough. I let it sit for several weeks and did not charge the battery fully before it bit me the last time.
If you do things correctly with a Boyer it should work fine, if like me, you forget something critical you should know it's kind of like feeding the tiger and forgetting to take your hand off the meat.
I agree, if everything is right you should go right past without a kickback. I think a couple of mistakes were made with my bike from time to time. I'm pretty sure my brother was not draining the sump, that slows you down just enough. I let it sit for several weeks and did not charge the battery fully before it bit me the last time.
If you do things correctly with a Boyer it should work fine, if like me, you forget something critical you should know it's kind of like feeding the tiger and forgetting to take your hand off the meat.
I agree with Cookie - I fitted the Tri-Spark 'Classic-Twin' ignition to my 920 Mk2A after having previously two different types of Boyer installed. There is no kickback whatsoever (this was an important feature advertised when this system was first marketed). Previously with the Boyer systems I'd often get nasty kickbacks if I wasn't 'commited' to a good kick.
Cheers.
Cheers.
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Slightly off subject, but re kickstarting;
LAB said;
About twenty years ago, I needed a new crank on my 920 as the big end journal had a hairline crack in it, and I took the engine to a specialist in the Midlands (not Norvil) for installation. I naeivly and foolishly assumed that the boyer plate had been set to approximately the correct settings, and after installing the engine proceeded to try and start it. It kicked me back several times without starting, until I decided I would show it who was boss. :evil:
I launched myself at it from the greatest hight that I could achieve, went down on the kickstart before suddenly going back up inthe air as it kicked me back. :shock: The timing setting was way out!
That resulted in mucho pain as I rolled around the floor holding back the tears trying not to cry out, a swollen ankle on which I could not weight-bear for a few days and had to take a week off work.
LAB said;
About twenty years ago, I needed a new crank on my 920 as the big end journal had a hairline crack in it, and I took the engine to a specialist in the Midlands (not Norvil) for installation. I naeivly and foolishly assumed that the boyer plate had been set to approximately the correct settings, and after installing the engine proceeded to try and start it. It kicked me back several times without starting, until I decided I would show it who was boss. :evil:
I launched myself at it from the greatest hight that I could achieve, went down on the kickstart before suddenly going back up inthe air as it kicked me back. :shock: The timing setting was way out!
That resulted in mucho pain as I rolled around the floor holding back the tears trying not to cry out, a swollen ankle on which I could not weight-bear for a few days and had to take a week off work.
Hi Rockyrob
You are right the nickname bigstu does not give me any advantage at all in the mechanical advantage department, I am 140 pounds soaking wet...
All bikes have there own character, but one thing for sure is if you are running a Boyer you need a fully charged battery. The Boyer System requires 9.7 volts I believe to spark at all, but in reality you should look for more..
I find if I feel the pistons dropping I have nudged it too far, and it sometimes kicks back early in the kick stroke, before I have enough momentium. I can feel it easing just as the pots go over the crown. That is the spot for me...
You are right the nickname bigstu does not give me any advantage at all in the mechanical advantage department, I am 140 pounds soaking wet...
All bikes have there own character, but one thing for sure is if you are running a Boyer you need a fully charged battery. The Boyer System requires 9.7 volts I believe to spark at all, but in reality you should look for more..
I find if I feel the pistons dropping I have nudged it too far, and it sometimes kicks back early in the kick stroke, before I have enough momentium. I can feel it easing just as the pots go over the crown. That is the spot for me...
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Why not stick it gear, roll it back on compression and then kick it?? OK, you'd be kicking it on the sidestand or holding the bike, but it always worked for me on big singles (didn't use the stand, just sat on the bike!) I push start my Seeley anyway as it doesn't have a kickstart!!
I've never been a push start fan since hearing about an incident I'm sorry I missed. This guy had to have the most nearly racer around. He was running clip ons, humpy tank, rear sets, and stripped everything on his Triumph, which never really ran quite right, but had number plates on the side like he had just returned from Daytona. To be a real pukka racer you had to get rid of the kick start of course. I was also amused that his bike never would idle and was geared to require about a 4,000 RPM launch, anything he saw in a magazine his father bought him.
Anyway, there was a diner in Brunswick Maine a number of us biker kids went to in order socialize and tell each other how fast we were. More than a few impromptu road and drag races came from these occasions, and then a return and a lot of talk about the results.
On a Saturday night in front of everyone you didn't want to look stupid in front of this young gentleman did a lovely push start with the throttle catching on full. I understand the professional racers actually hop on the bike at that point but I'm afraid there was a technical failure there.
Everyone was still laughing even after the police left, the bike and the car it hit were insured and nobody was hurt.
I only went back there after that a few times before I blew up my G15CSR but I never did see him around again. I know from my old freinds he still lives in legend and became a doctor. This has generally lowered my personal opinion of doctors.
Anyway, there was a diner in Brunswick Maine a number of us biker kids went to in order socialize and tell each other how fast we were. More than a few impromptu road and drag races came from these occasions, and then a return and a lot of talk about the results.
On a Saturday night in front of everyone you didn't want to look stupid in front of this young gentleman did a lovely push start with the throttle catching on full. I understand the professional racers actually hop on the bike at that point but I'm afraid there was a technical failure there.
Everyone was still laughing even after the police left, the bike and the car it hit were insured and nobody was hurt.
I only went back there after that a few times before I blew up my G15CSR but I never did see him around again. I know from my old freinds he still lives in legend and became a doctor. This has generally lowered my personal opinion of doctors.
LOL, I've actually seen people fall right over the other side of the bike trying to push start! What I meant was just roll the engine back against compression then put it in neutral and kick it....then you'll be sure that the piston is in the right place and you have maximum inertia on the crank when you kick it!
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Cookie said:
Cookie should have his own blog with all these stories.
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