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Author Topic: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?  (Read 3638 times)

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Ryan 550k

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How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« on: October 01, 2009, 08:18:45 am »
I recently finished a rebuild on my 78 550.  Even before the rebuild it's never started right up in the morning.  These days it seems to take about 10 - 20 kick starts in the morning before it starts up.  For the rest of the day it's starts a lot quicker.  Often times within one or two kicks.  I'm wondering if there's an adjustment I can make that helps it start with fewer kick starts, OR is this something all of us here deal with?
Thanks in advance! :)
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Offline BVCB650

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2009, 08:23:55 am »
It is on many of them on here. I put a block heater on mine to warm it for 10 minutes when it's real cold and I don't have time to wait for the sun to work.
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Offline Duke McDukiedook

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 08:29:55 am »
One button click.
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Offline mystic_1

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2009, 08:30:19 am »
Cold starts usually take me 1-3 kicks, with the choke on.

Is your choke working properly?  Doesn't sound like it.

If your bike has an accelerator pump, you can twist the grip once or twice to "prime" the engine with fuel before trying to cold start.

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Ryan 550k

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2009, 08:36:43 am »
Choke cable may be a possible issue.
Thank's Mystic.
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Offline Gordon

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2009, 08:41:29 am »
One or two for the 750, on most mornings.

Three or four for the 550.

When it's below freezing I find it helps a lot to give it a few priming kicks before turning on the ignition.   
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Offline Inkscars

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2009, 08:44:17 am »
What's a kick start? :D
I only use that thing to look cool in public.  ;D
In all reality, when it's cool, if I prime it, and set it TDC, one kick usually gets her going.
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Offline BVCB650

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2009, 08:55:22 am »
Quote from: Inkscars on October 01, 2009, 08:44:17 am
What's a kick start? :D
I only use that thing to look cool in public.  ;D
In all reality, when it's cool, if I prime it, and set it TDC, one kick usually gets her going.




Sounds like you're starting a John Deere. ;)
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Offline honda750k

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2009, 09:02:32 am »
Was 1-3 at most on my old 550 to get it fired up,   the 750, I havent gotten to the point of starting daily yet, so I honestly dont know yet.  I"ll check back when I've got her firing up smooth as silk.
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Offline BeSeeingYou

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2009, 09:54:20 am »
One quick click of the stater button or 1-2 kicks on the kick starter.  After I got this bike from a 25 year storage I gave it a general cleaning and tune and it started on the third kick the first time. 
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Offline Johnny5

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2009, 10:52:43 am »
Pull choke, hit the starter button for a half second. Bike fires right up.
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Offline MJL

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2009, 11:15:34 am »
When I pulled my 750 out of winter storage last spring it took 3 kicks to get it going. Usually it takes one kick to get it going during the summer.
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Offline bucky katt

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #12 on: October 01, 2009, 11:22:07 am »
1 until it goes below 45 or so, then maybe 2 or 3.
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Offline Bob Wessner

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #13 on: October 01, 2009, 12:52:42 pm »
One or two.. unless I forgot to reset the kill switch.  ::)
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Offline Tretnine

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2009, 01:00:22 pm »
One, if I'm lucky. 2 if I'm not so lucky. And, if I screw up kicks 1 and 2 maybe 20. Don't know why... but if I miss my original opportunity I've got more useless kicks than a 3rd grade soccer team.

My other 550 starts easier and if it's run daily it's a one kick affair.
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Offline paulages

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #15 on: October 01, 2009, 01:24:36 pm »
december morning or july morning?  ;)

try priming it by kicking over a few times with full choke, kill switch off, and WOT. flip the kill switch on, lessen the choke, and try normally.

on the 718 i've found that if i set the mixture screws for easiest start, it doesn't idle well, and the same is true for off-idle response. the result is exactly as you describe: tough to start after sitting a while, but first kick the rest of the day. yours shouldn't be so tricky though in stock form.
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Ryan 550k

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #16 on: October 02, 2009, 02:13:01 pm »
Quote from: Inkscars on October 01, 2009, 08:44:17 am
What's a kick start? :D
I only use that thing to look cool in public.  ;D
In all reality, when it's cool, if I prime it, and set it TDC, one kick usually gets her going.

Really?  How do you know when it's at TDC?  Surely you don't take the points cover off every time you do this?

Weather this weekend is crappy, supposed to be better by Mon, I'll give priming it a shot and report back.
Question about choke.  When choke is on it's restricting the carbs airflow right?  Is that flap supposed to be all the way closed when you have the choke on?  Or just mostly closed?
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Offline bucky katt

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2009, 02:14:57 pm »
i went out to the garage to fire up the k4 real quick and it was fired even before the kick starter finished it's stroke. i'm confident enough about the way it starts and runs now that i'm going to pull the starter and lighten the rotor up some.
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Offline Inkscars

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2009, 02:22:43 pm »
If you push slowly on the kicker you can feel it catch better when it's there.
When I worked at the mower shop, we used to do it do we didn't have t crank on it 5 or 6 times. gets old when you work on 5 or 6 a day.
Yes, Honda mowers.


THe flap should be CLOSED
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Offline mystic_1

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2009, 02:25:52 pm »
Quote from: Inkscars on October 02, 2009, 02:22:43 pm
THe flap should be CLOSED

Yup, the flaps should close all the way, they have a spring-loaded sub-flap that lets air in when the choke is engaged.

mystic_1
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Ryan 550k

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2009, 03:16:07 pm »
Quote from: mystic_1 on October 02, 2009, 02:25:52 pm
Quote from: Inkscars on October 02, 2009, 02:22:43 pm
THe flap should be CLOSED

Yup, the flaps should close all the way, they have a spring-loaded sub-flap that lets air in when the choke is engaged.

mystic_1

Ok, this actually may be the issue.  I've taken a look at the flaps with the choke engaged and they don't close all the way.  Close, very close but not all the way.  I think I know why too.  I'll look into it next week and report back.

Quote from: Inkscars on October 02, 2009, 02:22:43 pm
If you push slowly on the kicker you can feel it catch better when it's there.
When I worked at the mower shop, we used to do it do we didn't have t crank on it 5 or 6 times. gets old when you work on 5 or 6 a day.
Yes, Honda mowers.

THe flap should be CLOSED

I'm gonna pay attention to this as well and see if I can find TDC by feel.  Thanks Inkscars.
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Offline bucky katt

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #21 on: October 02, 2009, 03:20:37 pm »
thats how i used to kick over my ironhead sportster, slowly moved it to just past tdc on the compression stroke (to keep from breaking an ankle)  :D
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Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.
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Ryan 550k

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #22 on: October 02, 2009, 03:24:51 pm »
Quote from: bucky katt on October 02, 2009, 03:20:37 pm
thats how i used to kick over my ironhead sportster, slowly moved it to just past tdc on the compression stroke (to keep from breaking an ankle)  :D
Quote from: Inkscars on October 02, 2009, 02:22:43 pm
If you push slowly on the kicker you can feel it catch better when it's there.

So I should ask, what should I be looking for when moving the kick slowly through rotation?  Just so I have an idea of what to recognize.
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Offline bucky katt

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #23 on: October 02, 2009, 03:26:58 pm »
it will feel almost like the kicker wants to stop, or bind up. as soon as it feels like it's freeing up again youre set to go.
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Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.
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Offline Inkscars

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Re: How many kicks start your SOHC in the morning?
« Reply #24 on: October 02, 2009, 03:29:21 pm »
No problem man. Just makes it a little easier. good luck!
It will kick freely, go pretty slow, pick it back up to untouched position, push through again, repeat until you feel a "drag" or you have to push harder then you did the other couple times. It took me 1 rotation to find mine, and then the second to kick it the first time

You kicked an iron head bucky? You're a man amongstt....... men.  :D
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