Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 446 Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 7:47 am Post subject: When to tickle
When to tickle is another one of those Black Magic things about Amals.
Do it right, starts right up, do it wrong, you have drippy mess and / or fouled plugs.
Obviously, tickle when cold. I do it for a 3 count, just to the point of hearing the fuel top out in the tickler. If any drips, I wipe it off. Done correctly, it will be very minimal, if any.
The fun starts when one stops for awhile. More than 30 minutes, less than 2 hours.
Is the engine cold, do we tickle or not. Try to start without tickle, nothing, now tickle, flood the engine. You know the drill. And the more people watching, the more likely this will happen and the more kicks it will take.
The problem is, when we stop we turn the fuel off, do our thing and come back. The fuel starts evaporating from the heat of the engine. If it is a short period, no issues, long enough to empty the float bowl and it is an issue.
We turn the fuel on, and try to start the engine on an un full float bowl.
As we try to start, it is slowly filling up, then we try to tickle and flood it.
I have been saying we, maybe I should say I, because I have experienced this several times.
One solution is to leave the fuel on if it is a short stop. This will keep the carbs full. I realize this goes against the grain, but it has worked for me.
Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 898 Location: Boulder, CO
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:55 am Post subject:
So the gas evaporates? Interesting, i was wondering where it went. Shouldn't it refill fairly quickly once you turn the taps back on though?
The issue of when tickling becomes necessary again is a bit of a puzzle isn't it. How much does the engine have to cool down before tickling is needed? As you say, guessing wrong gives a flooded engine and frustration. And I suppose NOT impressing the admiring crowd (not an issue around here, people are too self-absorbed to even notice).
I'm not sure the issue here is actually evaporation. It doesn't re-start because the engine is cool enough to require a slightly richer mixture. Closing the enrichener (choke) should do it. Tickling it dumps raw fuel down the carb throat which either fouls (floods) the plugs or if your lucky enrichens the mixture enough for starting.
It does require more tickling at cold start due to fuel evaporation. It needs to fill the float bowl first, then flood a little fuel in the carb throat.
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At the end of 1967 the Norton Commando was announced.
The Norton Commando was greeted with a certain amount of scepticism because on first sight the commando appeared to comprise of the old Norton Dominator twin cylinder engine mounted at an inclined angle in a set of new cylinder parts.
It was not realized that the new Norton Commando Isolastic method of engine suspension damped out all engine vibration and produced a machine which had uncanny smoothness for a vertical twin. In due course the critics were silenced and the Norton Commando had the distinction of being regarded as the first of todays so called superbikes. There can be little doubt that the original design concept of the Norton Commando has proved correct, since comparatively few modifications of any real consequence have been made since production commenced during 1968.
Now nearly 40 years later Norton Commando riders like us are a breed of our own, and as far as we are concerned its still more fun to go for a blat on the old Norton Commando, and fast. As a Norton Commando owner and enthusiast, my goal here is to promote and give credit to those who keep the Norton name going.
It is more deserving to give credit to the Commando itself, for after all these years it continues to be respected. The original Commando designers like John Favill are those who deserve the credit for developing this incredible motorcycle.
The Norton Commando Roadster and Interstate of the late seventies, never died. Although the Norton Villiers factory dispersed the tradition lived on. Today Kenny Dreer in the USA is developing the new 952 CC Norton. What a great looking bike this is, and its engineering is still based on the original layout. It will be interesting to see how the new 952CC Norton does in todays tough motorcycle market. One thing is for sure, I would own one if I could afford it.
