Colin the Bear

Cold starting is quite a knack. It's very easy to flood the engine at low temperatures. The fuel mix condenses as it hits cold metal.

I tend to spin the motor with no choke or throttle for a short burst and then add choke in small increments. Use short bursts of starter with no added throttle and listen for the motor firing as you release the button and all the batteries power is transfered to the spark. Try to catch it with the throttle at this point.

I've never understood the use of low profile tyres for general road use. What's the advantage, taking into consideration their apparent poor performance in adverse weather conditions?

Items on e bay will be as described but unless the photo is of the actual thing it may be a generic photo and be nothing like the pic.

Result.

It's the old, take it to bits, can't find anything wrong , put it back together and the fault has gone, routine.

M&P used to be a big player and I've had lots of stuff of them. Glad to see they're still around.

It won't be spare for long

Mine has a starter clutch. A real pain. They don't give much warning before they wear out. I'm on my third. Mind the bike is 19 this year and 60k mile on it. I wouldn't advise a novice to tackle mine. Not a problem for someone used to spannering. I don't know how yours is. You're lucky there's a repair kit at that price. The last time I did mine 3 or 4 years back. Part cost £150.

Bendix Why's it called a bendix anyhow?

Used to be a squirt of wd and a tap with a toffee hammer when the bendix got stuck on the reliant. the bendix is a centrifugal device on the starter motor. The spinning of the starter motor throws it in to engage and turn the engine. You may have a weak battery that's not spinning it hard enough to throw it in. Or it may be full of crud and salt making it stick. I'm not sure where it is on this bike. If you can see it then a squirt and a tap. A tap mind, no clouting it.

Dog bites, Loft boarding, in pitstop?

Have you checked the terminals are tight? Simple things first. Vibrations can loosen connectors or even break them.

check the terminals are tight and the earth strap is connected to the frame.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Multime ... 147&sr=1-6

This multimeter is £3.40 inc postage.

It used to be recommended to smear the gasket with grease. It helps it to release next time and maybe get a couple of goes out of it. Don't know if it's appropriate here.

Possible sticking choke. Make sure it's working as it should.

The white smoke is probably condensation burning off.

The black smoke is money wafting down the street ie unburned fuel. It hasn't done a job of any kind apart from maybe fouling the plugs and coking the head.

An engine is it's at its most vulnerable when cold. The lubricant is sat in the sump and isn't at working temperature so it's at its least effective.

Precision parts haven't expanded to their working size, so consequently bearings may be dry and tight.

Using high revs to warm the engine will increase engine wear and not speed dissipation of heat by much.

The first part of the choke raises tick over speed. Once you've started the motor, let the bike sit on fast tick over for a few minutes, typically while you helmet and glove up.

An extra 90 seconds on your cold start routine will add many tens of thousands of miles to the life of the engine.

High revs when cold is a no no. Let it warm up before using high revs.

Finally got the chance to try the switching off the engine suggestion.

Noise still there, so I guess this points to either wind noise or the front wheel

I'll check the carbs suggestion next

thanks

If you've turned the engine off it won't be the carbs now will it?

I think you're trying to solve a problem you don't have. I believe sky divers get a wooshing noise as they jump out of the plane.

Get some ear plugs

I wouldn't think epoxy would be any good for sealing a hot oil system without sandwiching it between something.

These days a wash is the only upgrade mine gets.

It's the hammering it gets in the engine that limits its life. It's already millions of years old. I've never seen an oil drum with a sell by or use by date. If it's the right grade I'd use it.

It should be more or less fine. Ebay seem to have hoses for £15, like I say not sure if flange or a part of the hose yet, but it looks more or less like it is the flange.

this kinda stuff

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Why do people who have little experience put videos on youtube showing how to do things they can't do.

The basic principles are cleanliness, temperature and secure clamping. And don't blow it. Let it cool naturally.

I would have thought with the amount of heat involved to get this cooling device to the temperature of molten aluminium, it would be best to remove it. I'm not sure how your matrix is constructed but the heat may open other welds.

If it is the joint that has gone, I'd be checking with a professional for the cost before having a go yourself. A skilled welder can do things in 10 mins that a novice amateur may end up botching.

Handy piece of kit though.

If it's copper to steel or steel to steel it might be easier to hard/silver solder the joint.

And tyre pressure.

I seem to remember having a bike that made a whooshing noise and it was the induction noise from the carbs.

Some crackers there GOG. http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z28/Colin_the_bear/www_MessenTools_com-Humor-risa-jijiji.gif