Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

. . . that the smaller the engine is, the harder it is to start? I'm talking aero engines here as the starting mechanism is the same in almost all sizes.
I have noticed this along with others. My Enya 09 is a real bugger to start, takes a lot of effort, my Enya 19 is better, my OS LA46 starts up with a few flicks of the prop and my mate's 180 engine (can't remember the make) starts every time with one flick.
Has anyone else found this?

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Rob:

My experience is that the smaller the engine the more difficult it can be to find the right settings for starting. Once they are learned the smaller engines are not particularly more difficult (or easier) than the larger ones to start.

My engines range from 0.02 CID up to larger than 2.3 CID, they are all one of two flick starters. Once I learn the right combination.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Yeah, you have to whack the prop with the littluns.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

and if two flicks don't do it ya just wrap yer beard around the spinner a give it a yank...:D


dave

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave:

My beard wraps aroung the spinner only after I get the engine running.

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

William,

As long as you don't face-up with the prop, it's OK to use the beard type pull-starter...

Props have been know to break, when they clash with faces...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Hmmmm... You may be on to something!! The MD80's JT8d_219 engines seem to start fine (as long as we have APU air! :D)

Cheers!

Jim

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I've always found that larger engines will start with the needle set for normal running. On smaller engines like an 0.049, I have found it necessary to open the needle about half a turn, then set the fuel mixture after the engine has had a few seconds to stabilize. But other than that, I have found little difference in starting either.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Except they need less beard...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Mick:

Quite true, but I have plenty of beard to go around, thanks.

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Bill,

Streuth! It looks like you've pulled a few buses with that, I don't know about .049s...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

It looks like Bill started off using his fringe to start engines. However, this resource rapidly dried up . . .

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Rob:

Actually, it's a little hard to get it dry down here in Fla. But the air conditioning helps. Haw.

Plenty left. Here's me with a knock-about antique (more than fifteen years old) plane, and a Magnum 1.08 powered Stick.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Lookin' a little like Flyboy Dave there---

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

....true, James....but I found out it's better to wear a hat in the blazing sun !

( I think that's where Bill went wrong....sunstroke ! [X(] )

....don't tell him I said that. :)

FBD. :D

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

That is because the carb is around the back with a long intake, you cannot choke the carb so you adjust the needle richer. With other small engines with a front carb you start them the same as with larger engines. My only problem with small engines is that they seem to be easier to flood.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave, Bill,

I am feeling a little 'hirsutely' (is that right?) challenged with you boys and your piccies - I do still have some of my fringe left though...



...wish the take-off strip had a bit less growth on it.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Mick:

We'll accept "Hirsutely Challenged" for the purpose of this discussion.

While I must also admit your mug is not the worst I've seen posted on RCU, it also would be greatly improved if it were not "Hirsutely Challenged."

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I have found that OS .10 and .15 engines start just as easily as bigger engines. But .05 and .06 engines are a great pain in the butt. And the 2 experienced modelers I know who tried .07 engines both failed to get them to run out a full tank of fuel in the air. I will never again buy anything smaller than a .10. Life is too short to spend it dealing with balky engines when flying is what I want to do.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Those .07s must not have been Norvels, or there was something else wrong. All 6 of my Norvel .074s start as easily as my K&B .61. And my Norvel .049s are almost as good. If you're going to stick with .10s and up, it's your boat anchor, but my Norvel .074 will outpower most .10s, and some .15s, and be WAY lighter.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave, I saw a picture of you earlier in your soul stiring racers crouch aboard a Bultaco, Were you clean shaven then or did you manage to get all that hair stuffed into a helmet?

BTW you road race guys were always my heroes. I contented myself with falling off XR 750s on clay ovals.

jess

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Jess:

How about a Harley KR on AMA flat tracks, then graduating to a Black Lightning on the AAMRR circuit? All without a beard, in my case.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

You Ole Boys!!! AMA Flat Tracks, Harleys: You wouldn't know what to do with a proper racing two-stroke.

You'd probably get your hirsuteness caught up in the chain.

350 LC Yamaha, Snetterton production races, those were the days. Too many sprains, breaks, crutches, hospital food, getting older and more sensible and having visions of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair...

Do you think it is a "recognised truth" (see, keeping in with the thread) that old bike racers never die: they just fly RC planes?

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Mick:

My one venture into Jab scooters was a Yamaha YDS-1 250cc that I never liked. It was reasonably fast, but I just couldn't stand the "Riing-Diing-Diing" of the engine.

And about that time Charles MacCowan and Sid Biberman got me into Vincents, everything else left very shortly thereafter.

And AMA wouldn't allow the 1000cc bikes, so I just had to go AAMRR.

Bill.

PS: Picture is the Black Lightning. wr.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I was squared away when I first got out of the Service in '68. I saved
most of my money in "Nam, and when I got out I bought a new BSA Hornet,
that's a 650 factory flat-tracker....and put it on the street....it was fast.
And I bought this 250 Bultaco Pursang MK III for racing.

At one time....when I was a motorcycle mechanic, I had a stable of 5
racing bikes, and a street bike. That's all we did, was race bikes. :D

Dave. :D

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

[I was squared away when I first got out of the Service in '68. I saved
most of my money in "Nam, and when I got out I bought a new BSA Hornet,
that's a 650 factory flat-tracker....and put it on the street....it was fast.
And I bought this 250 Bultaco Pursang MK III for racing.]

That Hornet must have made quite a street bike[X(]!

My racing was post Nam also, a close encounter of the worse kind with the NVA ended my Marine career on Christmas Eve of '67 and I spent the next year in the hospital. Unable to find a real job, I flat tracked a BSA (not as well as that Dick Mann guy;), a KR and finally a XR 750. I did enduros on Husqvarnas, Bultacos, and anything else I could get a sponsored ride on until more gainful employment brought it to a halt. The money was OK but not nearly as much fun.

I never did any road racing which doubtless accounts for my still being alive today:)

The nostalgia gets thicker and thicker!

jess

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

[PS: Picture is the Black Lightning. wr. ]

Absolutely gorgeous machine, BIll. Is it still around?

jess

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Jess:

Very seldom was it that clean. I have no idea where it is now, but I hope it's still making someone happy.

It will sound strange, considering the inflated prices on them now, but I really did buy a complete Vincent Rapide for $25 in '62 or '63. It was bedraggled, and had a bent fork blade. I had it running for less than $100 total. Making it look good was several more bucks, of course.

Sid Biberman had a Lightning he called "The Rattler." His was set up for alcohol and dragging. Sadly, it is no more. It went out west and the new owner parted it out rather than reinstalling the complete road package.

Pictures here are my last street Vincents. The "C" Rapide is on top, the "C" Shadow was taken at a show in North Carolina. Rode it there, wiped it off and pout it on the stand, then rode it home. I can't do things like that anymore.

I sold out in '74, haven't had a motorbike since. Been tempted though. The Aprilias look like fun.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Back to the business at hand....I have an OS .15, and an OS .25
(worn out) that were both one flippers....and they were both air
bleed carbs. The .25 was one of the best idling two strokes if ever
had, and very reliable.

Just about any small engine will start easily....if it is properly primed
and hasn't been sitting for months. If they sit and get gummy....

....a spin with the electric will get them going. ;)

jessie....I'm still riding....:D....I got this shaft drive cruiser a month ago.
It's an 1100 Yamaha air cooled V-twin....very smooth. 75 degree crank.
You know you're getting old when your bike has floor-boards. :eek:

Dave. :D

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

"Black Lightning"? Is that a Vincent? (It is a long time ago, when I was just a yowth...)

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

keep those darn bikes off the airplane page - I can't concentrate!
My cousin has recently restored (perfect 10 restoration ) a Bonneville and my kid just picked up a clapped old Yamaha twin which he is restoring (I never thot anyone would restore a Yamaha).
First bike I ever really rode was a BSA Golden Rocket.
I still want a Hayabusa (the ultimate cheap thrill).

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Mick:

The 1000cc Vincent bikes were the Rapide, the "Normal" touring bike, the "Black Shadow," which was a lightened and more powerful version of the Rapide. Finally there was the "Black Lightning," a;so commonly just called the "Lightning." This last was an even more lightened version, built to order, a real fire breather.

With careful tuning the Shadow would peak out around 140 mph. Doesn't sound like a lot now, but you have to remember we're talking about the early 1950s, when a fast Ford would just barely make 100 mph. And all the Chevrolets had only six cylinders.

Sid's Lightning, the "Rattler" I mentioned, ran that speed in a 1/4 mile drag, burning alcohol.

Some Jap company (think it was Honda) greatly insulted the memory of Vincent by calling one of their rice burners a "Black Shadow." And now there's a fellow on the west coast who has bought all rights to the Vincent name, he's trying to get production started on a "New" Vincent with a Jap engine. An even greater insult to Phil Vincent.

Bill.

PS: Sorry Dick, this one has really gone off topic. My last Beezer was a "Big Valve Super Rocket" 650cc. wr.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

I don't think this is off topic at all. We are talking engines, hobbies, and enjoying ourselves. What better topic:D

I can't currently ride due to shoulder surgery resulting from a traffic accident. My Harley keeps giving me reproachful looks. (Let it be known that the accident was quite spectacular and NOT my fault).

I have however been plagued by a urge to acquire and restore an old Britbike.* My wife could probably develop a real dislike for you Bill;)

jess

*My first "real" motorcycle was a BSA, following a Cushman motor scootor which my mother reluctantly approved of despite the thing's repeated efforts to kill me.

jess

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Yeah, in the 50s 140 mph was 'going a bit' - it wasn't until 1979 that I had a bike that would do that - a Yamaha FJ 1200.

Bill, I would have said a YDS1 was more than 'reasonably fast' and yes, they did rattle - weren't in racing fettle until the pistons were slapping well. By the time I got to ride one they were up to YDS7 and the YDS1s were getting on a bit. Did focus the mind somewhat when that 250 hit the power band... and you were listening to every noise the engine made in case it was considering nipping-up - always happened as you were dropping into a turn. Had a good supply of leather patches for my arse though.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Is it a recognised truth....

...that only moderators can take a thread WAY off topic and get away with it:D:D


dave

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Mick:

I had the full kit with the YDS1, it came with two sets of cylinders, pistons, and heads. You changed the cylinders for port timing, the pistons and heads gave you four different compression ratios, all to set it up for a particular track.

"Reasonably fast" means it was a competitive machine at the time, ir you had a big enough set to run it at its limits it would do the job.

But I still didn't like it.

120-130 through the uphill turn at the Glen was a lot more fun.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

ZagiDave:

Depends on the forum, thread, and moderator. 1/2A is pretty casual.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

:D....at least I tried to fake it !!! :)

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Wouldn't know. I haven't seen a thread off topic. Whatcha talkin about?;)

jess

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Hey Jess if that brit bike bug bites hard my buddie has a nice Norton 750 Commando he would part with sittin in my shop. ;)