Easy when hot, hard when cold

[Liakos1982]

So I have been troubleshooting some starting problems. My 58 10SR can take 10-15 kicks to start when cold,  but after a ride to get warmed up, kicks on the first, guaranteed. I have a fresh magneto, so I have been trying different cold starting techniques but am running out of patience, so I need some help!

When A10 owners talk about tickling, flooding the carb, what exactly does this mean? I depress the carb until fuel flows out of it. But this does nothing to help start. Do I need to do this repeatedly?

Choke seems to make no difference either, opened closed no difference...

After numerous attempts to start the bike, I have removed the spark plugs, which appear bone dry.

If one was to make a diagnostic, methodical list of troubleshooting a hard starter, with a fresh magneto, what would you suggest?

[Topdad]

Hi , they sometimes can be quirky ( read pain in the idiot ) but really it should be a second/third kick at most . Tickling is just flooding as you appear to be doing ,re the choke mine doesn't really make any difference except when really cold and have in the past not had one without any starting issues . By the way you say new magneto I'd still check points for being clean and gap and also clean the slip ring with a clean cloth and check the pickups there are some dodgy ones about ,if you get a lot of black of the slip ring they may be to soft.
My starting ritual is this , petrol on, flood carb set choke about qtr open set the piston up on the kickstart for a good swing and kick away opening the throttle slightly during the kick . As soon as it starts choke progressively opened up . Take off cap on oil tank check return and away. That's my way sure others do it differently but it works for me and has done for many years , best of luck, Bob

[KiwiGF]

Are you giving it plenty of throttle after flooding it? Unlike most modern bikes they usually won't start with the throttle shut or only opened a little. About a third open works for me.

If it starts but stalls shortly after they usually need flooding again.

It's an art to work out whether to flood (tickle) the carb when the engine is halfway between hot and cold......flooding should not be needed when the engine is warm.

My bike does not need the choke, it has one but for some reason it makes almost no difference using it!

[muskrat]

G'day Liakos. This topic could describe my missus 
Cold motors usually need a rich mixture, hot a bit leaner, hence ticklers and choke. You say that you tickle till fuel comes out but the plugs are dry The float height may be too low so after the initial flooding and a few kicks, it's now not getting enough. Take the plug leads off, tickle the carb, give her a few kicks and take the plugs out. They should be wet but not dripping.
Cheers

[Butch (cb)]

On my '58 iron head I tickle until gas issues forth. Usually it will give a sign of life on the first kick and if I'm lucky and can catch it and have it running. If not, I'll quite often give it another tickle on the grounds that if it fired at all it used up all of the first lot. And yeah the choke seems to make very little difference so I usually don't bother with it. I guess I'm using some throttle as I kick. I'm on a concentric of some kind.

[Topdad]

I was to scared to say that .... in case it leaked back to "she who must be obeyed " Bob.

[Triton Thrasher]

Are you retarding the ignition too much, or is it automatic?

[Liakos1982]

It's automatic.

[morris]

Just a thought, but did you ever tried it without choke or tickling? If your mixture is a bit rich it may well need nothing at all when cold. 

[Liakos1982]

Ok! Thanks for all the help, I think I found a combo which works. I tickle the carb now, prime the motor, 3-4 strokes, find the compression stroke, re-tickle and presto, 1st kick she roars to life.

[RichardL]

Isn't that the same as sayng that it starts on the third or fourth kick?

[orabanda]

My plunger A10 ALWAYS starts first kick (like most of my A10's - but not all!).

356 cam
7.25:1 pistons
standard 276 carby
modified air cleaner (K & N insert)
31 degrees BTDC
tickle carby, choke fully closed and.........we have ignition!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6--KI2_k344

[duTch]

 

..., prime the motor, 3-4 strokes, find the compression stroke, ...

Isn't that the same as sayng that it starts on the third or fourth kick?

 Would depend how many strokes to a kick / kicks to a stroke....

[Liakos1982]

So I changed the spark plugs, and got a proper 1 kick, no priming!!! Yes! However, the brand new plug failed after a short ride 100km, max. Is there any reason why the plug would burn? I was running champion 4nc plugs they were purchased from de Groot in NL so they were correct for the aluminum block.

[Triton Thrasher]

You will have fouled the plugs. Do they have dry soot or oily black stuff on them?