Alton Electric Starter - Share Your Experience

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Hi Andy, correct on both counts re the chain.
I haven't done a lot of miles since the pics as we have been chasing yet another electrical gremlin - very slowly due to a cold winter and a lack of time.
Quite happy with the chains so far though.
cheers
iain
 
Thanks for that, you will have no issues with the chains.

I have replaced quite a few Alton chains but Alton wont buy, it must
be because they are French and I am a fat old English guy.

Andy
 
the Iwis Alton starter chain is very different from the Alton chain. compare them side by side and you will see the diff, I fitted the Iwis when I fitted the Alton, I'm hoping to get a lot of trouble free miles before pulling the primary cover (RGM belt drive in oil).
If you are fitting an Alton kit do your self a favor and buy the Iwis chain straight up, not even sure I bought my Iwis from Andy.
 
I installed an Alton in a 1974 850. With any aftermarket item I always figure that there will be some handiwork required to make it fit/work. All in all, it was an easy installation even though I changed a few things.

1st... I installed the BIGGEST, and I mean THE BIGGEST battery I could find, something like 22 or 24 amp/hour. I believe the more amps the better in this case. Using a shoehorn I could just fit it lengthwise in the bike. I made a bracket and mounted the solenoid in the area of the original rectifier.

2nd...I learned this the hard way though short of disaster, ALWAYS use the FULL TORQUE PRESSURE on the crankshaft nut, something like 70 ft/lbs. The entire turning force and possible backfire is driven through a small woodruff key only meant to keep the original stator in place. If you don't use the full pressure the key WILL shear. Underline the word "WILL"

3rd...the inner primary cover supplied by alton was of very good quality but not a perfect match up with the outer primary cover. I made a center washer with an off center hole also drilling the primary case hole slightly off center so I could bolt it up and balance between fitting flush and oil retention. I used silicone to seal up everything.

6 months later the bike is still happily turning over with the starter but I would make the recommendation to only use this when hot.
 
I would also like to add that I got EXCELLENT service from both the USA supplier and the factory. They get 5 stars for that.
 
installed my Alton exactly one year ago

now over 400 flawless starts

with some 10 years on my Norvil primary belt set up the belt and front sprocket are showing signs of wear so will be replacing both shortly

really liking my dry belt and Alton, after two spine surgeries and looking at another one no way I could start my Norton without.
 
because the motor starts much easier when hot and not as inclined to kickback...

there is a safety device in the system made to break away in case of a kickback, like putting a fuse in the electrical system. A very good idea as it will save some very expensive parts. It is in the first gear coming off the starter motor and it contains some plastic buttons that will shear if anything bad happens. Cheap to replace but a headache to be avoided.

2ND...it usually requires more time to start and battery condition might mean a discharged battery and an end to your days ride. Boyers do not function well below 12V.

3RD...as I mentioned before, the only thing allowing this system to turn the crank is a small woodruff key designed to keep the lucas alternator stator from turning. Now it is receiving a huge load and the only thing that keeps it intact is the 70 foot pounds of torque on the crankshaft nut. You MUST tighten it to the stock setting or you WILL be sorry. I didn't initially and when rechecked, found the key was halfway sheared through. I got lucky and caught it before it spun, but it can really make a mess if it does spin.

Perhaps I am being overly cautious but it will certainly cut down on potential problems.

The Alton is very well made and thought out and the service I received from the dealer and factory was first rate.
 
seattle##gs said:
It is a powerful starter motor, really beats the stuffing out of the original Prestolite unit.
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If it's not for starting a cold engine, it's useless.

Is it only Mr Seattle who avoids using the starter on a cold engine?
 
Since fitting mine i have never kicked it up again. Fresh rebore and pistons a PW3 cam and big valve head mean it takes a big heave to get going. I fitted the red microdigital boyer as my 35 year old one had finally given up and have a 20 amp hour battery. It start no problem an when trying to setup carbs did about 10 starts one after another as engine cut as i fiddled about.

Am sure my manual say 80 foot pounds for rotor nut on crank. That's what i torqued mine to.
 
Just thought I'd add…

Today I started my Commando for the first time in 6 months (alton/shorai batt) I did nothing other than open the fuel petcock, tickle the Amals, turn on the key, and hit the button. The bike started as if it had been running yesterday - virtually instantly.

Why 6 months from last start? Well, the reason I started the bike was to move it from where it was garaged at our old house in San Miguel de Allende so I could ride it to our new one. I've been riding my new BMW R9T and the Norton has pretty much become a "display" bike though available for "special events." It was in long term storage at the old house's garage but some people are going to rent the house for 6 months and need space for their car in the one-car garage. So I had to bring it here to share space with the 9T and my wife's bike.

But my point is that the Alton is THE way to go. :)

I've had the Alton for 3+ years
 
well, I do not, at all, understand the comment about not using the Alton for cold starts.

I have started my bike with the Alton for one year now and every initial start has been with a cold motor, including starting all winter with colder temps.

Every start has been instantaneous, like immediately within two seconds, of course using the powerful recommended battery

The trick, just like when kick starting, is to first tickle the carbs good then hit the starter button, boom, right now it starts.
 
I too agree that cold starts are not an issue, also fresh rings in mine and it turns over very easily from cold.
One of the earlier posts suggested that the woodruff key is transferring the starter load but i disagree. The clamping force of the 70ft.lb torque on the rotor nut us creating enough friction for all to transfer the torque to the crankshaft. If the nut comes loose the friction is lost and the key will fail as it is not intended to take any significant load.
 
seattle##gs said:
You MUST tighten it to the stock setting or you WILL be sorry. I didn't initially and when rechecked, found the key was halfway sheared through. .
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Seatle says in his own warning that he did not torque the nut up correctly.

I don't mean to offend him but if he did not install it correctly then he can't blame it for failing surely? I do however thank him for sharing his problem an we should all learn from his experience so we don't suffer the same fate.
 
Triton Thrasher said:
Is it only Mr Seattle who avoids using the starter on a cold engine?
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I installed my Alton in the autumn of 2013 and have ridden almost 5,000 miles since installing the kit. It has not faltered yet whether in hot, cold or rainy weather.
 
FWIW, woodruff keys in tapered joints serve ONLY to position the parts. The tapered joint handles all the torque. With a properly fitted/tightened tapered fitting, there is no torque at all being transferred to the key.

OTOH, tapered fittings can be damaged or poorly manufactured. Some machinists blue will quickly show if the taper joint is as it should be. If it's not making good contact throughout the surface area, some work with some valve grinding compound will quickly make it right.
 
FWIW, woodruff keys in tapered joints serve ONLY to position the parts. The tapered joint handles all the torque. With a properly fitted/tightened tapered fitting, there is no torque at all being transferred to the key.
Click to expand...

thanks Mike996 for posting this, seems some dont understand the concept of taper and key.
 
madass140 said:
FWIW, woodruff keys in tapered joints serve ONLY to position the parts. The tapered joint handles all the torque. With a properly fitted/tightened tapered fitting, there is no torque at all being transferred to the key.
Click to expand...

thanks Mike996 for posting this, seems some dont understand the concept of taper and key.
Click to expand...

However, the Alton starter sprocket fits onto the parallel section of the crankshaft that would normally occupied by the Lucas rotor.

http://www.alton-france.com/download.html
 
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