Best e-start for Pre-MkIII is...

Which is the best e-starter for a Pre-MkIII?

  • Total voters
    29
possm said:
...I found a basket case Mk3 and rebuilt it updating the starter/ leads ignition, battery etc I now have 5000 miles on it and am happy with my decision.
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I do have to say, my original 2-brush MkIII w/ original cables was 100% reliable over the 10 years that I owned it.
 
grandpaul said:
I do have to say, my original 2-brush MkIII w/ original cables was 100% reliable over the 10 years that I owned it.
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Did it have a clutch cut out switch?
A mate of mine has had a MK3 commando for over 35 years
I believe he has heavier battery leads and solenoid
But that's all
And it's always started fine on the electric starter
 
cNw said:
While a cut out switch can be beneficial, it also renders the kick start option non functional.

Matt
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Hi Matt, to be clear, if I were to do it, I would place the switch in the white/red wire from the spare button (on standard switchgear) to the starter solenoid, so only activation of the starter motor would be disabled without the clutch lever being pulled in. Kickstarting should be unaffected.
 
On the fecebook page; not quite as lopsided, but similar nod to the CNW kit with 110 votes in...

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I have both an Alton and a CNW in service and they both have over 20k miles on them over the years. When people ask which one is better, it depends. The Alton is subtle and looks better on a stock bike in my opinion and you don't have to run a belt, it did shear the nylon plugs after about 4k miles but one phone call and I had 2 new sets within a week at no charge from Alton. I am not a fan of the stator and nylon shim game as it all seems fragile versus stock if clearance isn't exact. The CNW seems bullet proof and looks like a piece of art with the inner billet cover. And with everything Matt does it is industrial and problem free. If I could only have 1, I would go CNW for reliability and customer service and quality of the parts. I also run Matts kit on the mk3 with his starter motor, and upgraded MK3 starter gear / sprag and it is flawless. But if I was sneaking a starter on a stock restoration, I would go Alton so it wouldn't be a focal point looking at the bike. I also have several stock MK3s that start with the tap of the button hot or cold with all stock components........
 
allver67 said:
I have both an Alton and a CNW in service and they both have over 20k miles on them over the years. When people ask which one is better, it depends. The Alton is subtle and looks better on a stock bike in my opinion and you don't have to run a belt, it did shear the nylon plugs after about 4k miles but one phone call and I had 2 new sets within a week at no charge from Alton. I am not a fan of the stator and nylon shim game as it all seems fragile versus stock if clearance isn't exact. The CNW seems bullet proof and looks like a piece of art with the inner billet cover. And with everything Matt does it is industrial and problem free. If I could only have 1, I would go CNW for reliability and customer service and quality of the parts. I also run Matts kit on the mk3 with his starter motor, and upgraded MK3 starter gear / sprag and it is flawless. But if I was sneaking a starter on a stock restoration, I would go Alton so it wouldn't be a focal point looking at the bike. I also have several stock MK3s that start with the tap of the button hot or cold with all stock components........
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Well said.
 
I am not a fan of the (alton)stator and nylon shim game as it all seems fragile versus stock if clearance isn't exact.

ditto
 
jimbo said:
I am not a fan of the (alton)stator and nylon shim game as it all seems fragile versus stock if clearance isn't exact.

ditto
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I have to reply to this as I do not agree with the word "fragile."
The Alton stator needs to be set up so that it does not touch the Alton Rotor.
So Alton supplies the "setting up" nylon spacers that are not left in place.

With the rotor in place;
One assembles the stator with bolts finger tight.
Then insert the nylon set up spacers between stator and rotor to get the stator/rotor gap even all the way around.
Then tighten the three stator bolts
Then pull out the nylon shims used to create the even spacing.
To be sure, I then test the rotor/stator gaps all the way around the stator with a feeler gauge
I even rotate the rotor half a turn and check again
I have never had a problem doing this and the gaps do stay as set

Dennis
 
Personally I've not had a problem with using the Alton set up plastic shims
 
I have voted for CNW. I have had a CNW kit on order since June 2022 - all good things in life are worth waiting for. Matt and I keep in touch regularly. I know that Matt has had difficulty with suppliers. I have also seen his recent post on here re family.
 
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I have had the Alton with their revised rotor on my 850 since early 2013. It has been totally "unnoticeable" function-wise. Never had to pay any attention to it at all; has worked perfectly for 10 years. I'm sure, based on my experience with a good number of other CNW components, that the CNW starter is superb but I like the Alton's "less noticeable" appearance and that it allows the OEM ham can air filter. DO NOT buy an Ebay Alton (if any exist) with the original style rotor. Two of them exploded on my Commando. Alton customer support was excellent and they replaced the rotor twice in late '12/early '13 - the second time with the new rotor - very quickly and at no charge.
 
I’ve posted these clips before but they seemed appropriate to re post again here.

The first clip is posted partly for humour (!) but mainly to show just how damned difficult my 920 was to kick over when first built (it did ease with a few miles, but not really by that much). It shouldn’t have been a surprise really and I’ve no one else to blame, I built it with 11:1 CR and gapless rings, so it was never gonna be easy !

The second video shows just how unbelievably easily the cNw e start spins over that same motor.

As mentioned prior, the belt and the starter have been utterly hassle free, despite being ‘quite robustly tested’:



 
Fast Eddie said:
Yeah, but what makes it worse is that she was only 8 or 9… knows NOTHING about motorbikes… and despite my protestations… she was right !
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I'm convinced that they go to a secret school at a very young age to know how to nag/control their men :) I'm alone in the world but every woman I know has some sort of go at telling me how to behave or what to do!
 
DennisMo said:
I have to reply to this as I do not agree with the word "fragile."
The Alton stator needs to be set up so that it does not touch the Alton Rotor.
So Alton supplies the "setting up" nylon spacers that are not left in place.

With the rotor in place;
One assembles the stator with bolts finger tight.
Then insert the nylon set up spacers between stator and rotor to get the stator/rotor gap even all the way around.
Then tighten the three stator bolts
Then pull out the nylon shims used to create the even spacing.
To be sure, I then test the rotor/stator gaps all the way around the stator with a feeler gauge
I even rotate the rotor half a turn and check again
I have never had a problem doing this and the gaps do stay as set

Dennis
Click to expand...
Who would leave the nylon spacers in place??
 
No disrespect to anyone on here, but this is a rather pointless poll. As far as I can see the only valid response was from @allver67 who has experience of both. I think we all Know the pros and cons of each type. I have an Alton, but as it’s the only one I have experience of, I cannot vote to say it’s better than any of the others.
 
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