Starting Issue....

[skiracer]

So I was a little over an hour into a race this weekend and I fell over and the bike stalled. I got right back up, but the bike wouldn't start. I must have kicked it 20 times, nothing. Then I held the throttle wide open for a couple of kicks and it sputtered.  So I let off the throttle one kick and it started. Any clue why this happened?  Later back at my truck it started in the first kick.

1976 250 MC5 Original Owner
1976 Penton 175 XC

[KJDonovan]

James,

Maybe the float got stuck in the up position when you dumped?  Just a guess.

Thanks,

Kevin

[holeshothawk3]

Mine did the same thing. Turns out my float adjustment was off.

[Mike Rosso]

Carl Cranke showed me a trick when you flood a bike and it was so cool. What will happen when you drop a bike is raw gas will pour in and flood the engine and especially in non-reed valve bikes. Carl said if it doesn't start in a few kicks or in the normal amount of kicks it usually starts, is to turn of the petcock, hold the throttle wide open, kick vigorously and when it starts and labors to run is to turn the throttle very slowly back (or closed) and wait till you hear the rpm to suddenly pick up and stay right at that spot and it will clean itself right up. I forget where we were when I loaded up my bike and Carl was there and told me what to do and my bike went from loaded to instant clean running and I said to Carl "how the heck did that work??" Carl said "every carburetor has one lean spot and you just found it". I used that technique ever since and have passed it on........again THANKS CARL and now if you ever use that trick and it works then you have to pay it forward too and thank Carl Cranke. Oh and don't forget to turn the petcock back on after it clears out.

[Mike Rosso]

Should add this that the sound of the flooded engine may not pick up the rpm but for sure the engine sound will change from a muffled or rounded sound to a sharper "tang" note (just like that lean sound on deceleration) and that of course is the lean spot you're looking for to stop at as you're closing the throttle.

[tooclose racing]

James - when I drop my Bing/Jackpiner, I can be screwed.  When I drop my Mikuni/MC5, not so much.  

Either way, I hold the throttle wide open and most of the time I can get the bikes going.  I'm going to try and and remember the suggestion below to turn off petcocks, but in the heat of the battle (XC racing), I will have to put a sticky on my forehead to remember to turn them back on.