Starting

When I was introduced to motorcycles every model had a kickstarter. We looked down in disdain at those that also had an electric starter. We reckoned that if you were too drunk to kickstart your bike, you were in for a walk. If you had an electric starter, it was thumb and twist, and go - wobbling down the street.

To start my Norton Combat Commander Interstate (12:1) and later my BSA B50SS (10.5:1), I'd stroke it through until I was right at the combustion stroke. Then I would leap up in the air for all I was worth, coming down on the kicker. Most of the time I was rewarded with a snarl and a lummpy idle. Sometimes I had to stroke it through several revolutions to charge the electrolytic capacitor; if it over-charged the zener diode shunted the excess juice to (positive) ground. . . Don't ask.

Now let's suppose that you just bought a 96mm or 99mm piston kit - compression varying by market. To ensure that your motor will start with higher compression pistons, here are some tips: It is hard to start or won't turn over at all. First make sure that your brushes are fairly fresh and there is no smearing on your commutator. Run a high gauge (12 or larger) dedicated ground lead from your battery's negative lug to one of the starter motor's "feet." Make sure that all joints are clean and tight; maybe smear on some copper head gasket sealer or copper-based anti-seize on them. Pull apart your starter motor and note that the reduction system is planetary. If the sun gear (the one that is a pressure fit in the housing) turns, the output shaft will not. Two caveats - the sun gear is _very_ hard and not very thick. Be very careful that you don't drill through to the teeth. Stake the sun gear (the largest gear; with teeth on its inside diameter) to the housing. This can be done with set screws: make sure they are threaded through the housing and into the sun gear. Be extra cautious about not going too deep. Or tap woodruff keys (or similar) into the grooves on the inside. Either way, use a thread-locker, or if you are brave, a metallic epoxy. If your starter bushes are worn to where the shaft wobbles, replace it. In fact, if such meets your budget, replace it anyhow. Run a starter motor with four replaceable brushes. Try a Rick's starter, they are bulletproof. And their sun gear is locked by multiple woodruff keys.

If you are running a Gen I engine (920s and early 750s) shim up that shaft that holds all the gears. On Gen I bikes make sure that idler gear #2 doesn't grind. If the rotor gears are toast, you must find a good one.They are rare. The gear that wears the most is idler #2. Strangely it is still available from Yamaha. We'll reluctantly come up with a new example. Before you purchase one, try just turning around your existing one. There is plenty of groove depth for it in the cover.

If the teeth on your rotor are too worn to engage the stock configuration every time, they will slip with high compression pistons aboard - every time. The rotor is still available, but runs over $500. Check eBay, but it's been a long time since I've seen a Gen I rotor. There used to be a company that drilled out the rivets and flipped over the gear to expose a fresh surface. I don't think that they are around any more, but this job could be farmed out to your local machine shop. If this proves impossible, try buying the parts to switch to a Gen II set up. Be warned that you may need to change all the ignition parts as well.

For Gen II (and the putative Gen III) things are a bit different. This set up was stock in Virago 1000s and 1100s, and the TR1. Parts of the mechanism lay outside of the engine oil bath and they nust stay that way. Make sure that all seals are fresh. Update any questionable parts to the latest available; they fit. Except the bendix; get the right year. Clean all surfaces and apply a a layer of lithium grease to anything that turns or slides against another part. Assemble.

What do I recommend if money isn't a concern? Buy a trashed XVS1100 and use eveything on the left side of the engine. You will need to drive out some bushings and fabricate some aluminum rods. You might have to fiddle with the engine cover to keep it oil tight. Once you get everything setup, acquire one of the Yamaha fix-it kits (or a replica). You will have more juice, a single pickup, and a roller cluth starter system that won't grenade if the engine backfires. And maybe buy an Ignitech unit to handle ignition. No more grinding.

It embarrasses me to mention something so obvious: of course, if your engine has had a compression release installed, engage it. Cold and hot starts will quickly school you on when it can be left off and to what degree it should be used if it is adjustable.

The Yamaha 500 singles had a compression release that was operated by the kickstarter. Via a cable mechanism a half-flat rod rotated and bore down on the exhaust rocker, lifting the exhaust valve off its seat slightly as long as the kick arm was being stroked downward. If you are an incurable tinkerer with a big Virago engine, you may want to install a solenoid on each exhaust valve cover. It would be a simple matter to have a relay kick in whenever the start button was being pushed and operate the solenoid(s) to bear down on the exhaust rocker(s) to accomplish the same end.

More to come . . .

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