Clutch Starting Do's & Do not's

[qldzxr250a]

I Did a search on the forum and couldn't find a link about clutch starting do's and most importantly DO NOT'S.

Was wondering for all those newbies out there (i.e myself) could u all shed some light on Clutch starting techniques??

i know the basics - find slope, roll (or be pushed), release clutch

but wondering about finer points - gears, choke, Throttle etc.

much thanks.

[sAsLEX]

jump starting?

run the bike along yourself, get up to as fast as you can get it, leap on to bike drop your weight on to the seat, and drop the clutch while in 2nd, sometimes choke, but no throttle till it fires or you will "flood" it

works for me like that



Did have one stubborn bike so tied some rope around the forks and towed it behind my mates car, a bit tricky when i rode over the slack rope and it then tightened out from under the fron wheel.

[HDTboy]

I use 1st gear and just pop the clutch out with the key on, make sure to grab the clutch again as it fires so you can give it throttle if need be

[Ixion]

Hahhahah . The bump start question !.

Oh I like this one.

Here ya go. This is the by the book method. This will start Manx Nortons and Velos! I'll give you the full monty for starting a big single or V twin, some of it is a bit simpler with a multi cyclinder or two smoker

1. Retard ignition (if manual)
2. Put bike in first gear.
3. Pull the bike BACKWARDS with clutch engaged until you feel the engine hit compression - ie it becomesreally hard to pull back. This is CRITICAL with a single or twin. You may get away without it on a multi.
4. Set choke/tickle carb etc.
5. Turn ignition on (if you have coil ignition)
6. Take a deep breath and psyche yourself up
7. Pull clutch in, and push forward as hard and fast as you can, running alongside the bike.
8. Once you've got up to as fast as you can , leap onto the bike, as if you were going to ride sidesaddle. You want to hit the saddle as hard as possible. EXACTLY as your arse hits the saddle, drop the clutch fast . Once the engine fires, swing your leg across into normal sitting position
9. If you've got a convenient hill to roll down, you can do it sitting astride. You still need to do the pull backwards bit. Then get astride the bike, STANDING ON THE PEGS. Roll down the hill, once you've got enough speed, leap up a bit and come down sitting. As before, exactly as your arse hits the saddle, drop the clutch.

Thing is, its a BUMP start, not a push start. If the bike's set up correctly one turn of the crank will start it.

PS . DONT FORGET TO RETARD THE IGNITION.

Throttle depends on bike, but usually best to keep it full closed or almost so.

[justsomeguy]

What does Retard the ignition mean?

[Ixion]

What does Retard the ignition mean?

Ignition timing needs to vary - retarded at low speeds and starting, advanced at high engine speed. Most modern bikes (maybe all, I don't know) do this automatically (or have electronic ignition, which does everything by black magic). Older bikes it may be manual. You set it retarded for starting advance it at higher revs.

The consequences of failing to retard a manual ignition are painful beyond description.

[justsomeguy]

Ignition timing needs to vary - retarded at low speeds and starting, advanced at high engine speed. Most modern bikes (maybe all, I don't know) do this automatically (or have electronic ignition, which does everything by black magic). Older bikes it may be manual. You set it retarded for starting advance it at higher revs.

The consequences of failing to retard a manual ignition are painful beyond description.

Sorry - what???????

Well my bike has the red start button so is that the electronic version?? Don't remember any switch lever, etc to change ignition timing......(don't know where to look either)

Why do you need to jump on the seat??

[Ixion]

Sorry - what???????

Well my bike has the red start button so is that the electronic version?? Don't remember any switch lever, etc to change ignition timing......(don't know where to look either)

Why do you need to jump on the seat??

Don't worry about it. Your bike is too new to have to. Trust me, anyone who needs to know about manual advance and retard will know about it. Unless they're an octopus (Hey, that could give a new twist to the term squid ).

You jump on the seat to give as much weight as possible on the back wheel. You want the wheel to turn the engine, not skid.

[Motu]

All of that....including the pain.Most important is to push like you fucking mean it! Put all your physical and mental powers into making it start! One small point to add to Ixions method....as you finish pulling it back on compression,pull in the clutch to make sure it's free.Once apon a time all races started this way,it was a racers start.....one of the thrills of getting it right,going from sidesaddle to straddle under full power...was feeling like you were as good as Mike The Bike.

[Ixion]

All of that....including the pain.Most important is to push like you fucking mean it! Put all your physical and mental powers into making it start! One small point to add to Ixions method....as you finish pulling it back on compression,pull in the clutch to make sure it's free.Once apon a time all races started this way,it was a racers start.....one of the thrills of getting it right,going from sidesaddle to straddle under full power...was feeling like you were as good as Mike The Bike.

Yith. In fact it was the ONLY way to start a racer. No kickstart on them , and obviously no electric start. How do they start race bikes nowdays ? Most bikes don't have kickstarts anymore. Surely they dont have electric starters ? That would imply batteries, alternators, God knows what . Never actually thought about that.

One other word of warning. If bump starting MAKE BLOODY SURE YOUR SADDLE IS WELL SECURED AND WILL NOT FALL OFF. Don't ask me why, just take my word for it. You do not want the seat to fall off as you leap on. Don't ask me how I know, I'm not telling.

[loosebruce]

And er make sure your engine run switch is on, been there done that for about 20mins, when i realised it was off, i parked the bike and gave up till i got some breath back, cabbage i am.

[Artifice]

you definately dont want to be bump starting it in the rain with no saddle eh? wet arse tends to cunduct ay. not that ixion screamed like a wet rag or nofingk. i wouldn't know. i wasnt there.

[Flyingpony]

Following on from the above posts:

Try using your kick start if you have one.

Ensure you have enough petrol

Ensure your ignition is alive! That's, key, kill switch, and your hidden ignition undo point

If you need choke to normally start, use it - unless this is your 3rd+ jump start attempt in which case the engine has enough fuel to air.

Next I'd run pushing the bike as fast as possible, quickly jump on and engaged 2nd gear.

Have always used 2nd gear 1st is too low and just makes the rear lockup instead of forcing the engine to turn over as desired.

As for throttle play, I've always given it about a 1/4.

If it's still not started by your 5th attempt, something else is wrong.

[qldzxr250a]

Just got shown (real easy apparently ) a way on 90 ZXR250A, find nice angled driveway/road have it in 2nd, Full Choke, ignition on, start rolling/walking your bike, as u gather speed bounce in the seat as u drop clutch to put the required pressure on back wheel.

no throttle + no running = apparently easy clutch start
i will be trying this method 2morrow if my batt still playing up.

i feel no throttle and no running and jumping feels much less like death.

[loosebruce]

Just got shown (real easy apparently ) a way on 90 ZXR250A, find nice angled driveway/road have it in 2nd, Full Choke, ignition on, start rolling/walking your bike, as u gather speed bounce in the seat as u drop clutch to put the required pressure on back wheel.

no throttle + no running = apparently easy clutch start
i will be trying this method 2morrow if my batt still playing up.

i feel no throttle and no running and jumping feels much less like death.

Angled driveway eh, nice for some. Just have to watch in the wet you have to er bounce on the seat, gives more weight to the rear and lessen the chance of it just locking up and doing nothing.

Welcome to the club, and plus there wont always be that angled driveway you speak of, i almost fit my leathers again now, because of that damn ZXR, i wasn't built to run.