Took me T5 off the road just before the drunk season, I figure that I’d sooner be smashed into by a drunk in me car, at 02.30 of a morning, than on the bike as I commute into the Hell Hole…
So now all that lark SHOULD be over and done with, and it’s MOT time too, I thought I’d get the old girl back on the road. Fully charged battery and hit the kick start button, bloody thing span over about 100 times, then the battery went flat. Just wondering if there’s a Special way of firing these Olde Heaps up when it’s cold out there…
Have a bit of trouble at work sometimes too, the bike sits for a whole night in a cold bike shed, while I’m forced to kip in a lorry in darkest French France. About time I started to work out what I’m doing wrong, so here I am…Asking…
Course NONE of this would be necessary if me 87 T5 had a kick start, Oh…! And I’d like a magneto too, then all me troubles would be at an end…
Assuming you’re happy that valve clearances, ignition timing etc are all good…
With my loop I turn the fuel on and leave for a minute to fill the carbs up, then 2 twists on the throttle to squirt a bit of fuel in, then press the button.
Spada also needs the “choke” but won’t run on choke once it’s fired.
Got mine to work like that after I’d changed all the jets. The originals had unobtrusively partly blocked up due to the fall out of brown and/or green, hard deposits of crap that you get from modern petrol nowadays, if you leave the bike for any length of time, and don’t drain the carbs.
After that ‘choke’ not needed in summer, in fact would just flood it so wouldn’t start. So ‘chokes’ a cold weather only thing.
As I always have to, chokes on, I have them lift up types on both carbs. Then a twist of the throttle after the fuel taps have been on for a while, and she usually fires up first or second kick…
THIS time however, after sitting in the fettling shed for a couple of months, the Bar Steward just wouldn’t fire up, nothing, not a bang or a fart. In fact bugger all. Then the battery went flat…
So I buggered off to the Hell Hole, leaving the charger doing it’s thang. Just got home from deepest darkest French France, with a box of Swan Vesta and a gallon of Paraffin. Then thought…ONE more chance, before I send this bloody thing to Valhalla, and bugger me if it didn’t fire up and run beautifully on the second kick of the button…
MOT is booked Saturday morning, and me Swan Vesta’s and Paraffin are stowed away for the Primus stove. I’ll have a nice cuppa with that at the Not the Clox camp, as the finest machine known to man cools after it’s long ride there…
Thanks for all the suggestions lads, till next time…
Sounds like you might have some constrictions somewhere. I’d be inclined to have to whole lot apart for a good coat of looking at and a clear out, taps out, flush tank, carbs apart, check all the jets, especially for clogging, hoses, filters, everything. Like I said previously I was really surprised how using the chokes just flooded it after I rebuilt the carbs with new jets etc., in other words the chokes are just for if it’s really REALLY cold. So the furring up had been happening for some time.
I remember for my Spada (well before unleaded petrol and ethanol!) a couple of twists of the grip was usually enough. Choke was for winter only!
If mine doesn’t start after two or three attempts, I shut off the fuel, shut off the choke. Open the throttle fully and hold it open whist giving it a quick spin over. Then shut the throttle and try again, leaving the choke off. It usually clears a flooded engine.
With the MOT booked at 08.00 this very morn, I dragged Thunderbird 5 from the fettling shed THREE spins of the engine had it running, so we’re getting to where it should be…
Ran like a Swiss watch all day, and also passed the MOT, just don’t think it likes being left in the shed. Can’t understand why, it has three BSA’s and an Old Indian to to it company…
I’m sure it’s the Italian in it, I’ll chuck a bottle of Vino Rosso over it, along with some Pasta, then it’ll think it’s back home and will run with no faults…
Just thought I would stick my oar into this discussion.
I had a problem with my Convert not starting, I went to recce a place where I was due to join the start of a funeral procession and parked up the bike.
When I returned it wouldn’t fire up no matter what I did. Eventually I got my other half to take me home to get the trailer and get it home.
On inspection I eventually sussed out the ignition cutout switch wasn’t working (and remembered I had used it for the first time since getting it), upon stripping it down there was a build up of old grease forming a wedge that was holding the contacts apart, after a quick spray with WD40 or similar it cleared the hardened grease and it has worked ever since
