MKIII strange starting

Hi Lads,

I've had a great summer on the MKIII, I've clocked up about 800miles just pottering around, no big trips.

I upgraded the starter motor, cables, all the gears, spragg and battery.

I still get the odd whirring noise from the starter, it sounds like the spragg has not engaged & the starter is just free spinning.

We have had unusually good weather this summer & I attempted to start the bike with just a tickle (original MK1 carbs) and NO choke. On at least 5 occasions the starter would just whirr around & not engage BUT when I put the choke on it would engage????

I know there is no mechanical link between the starter & the choke but this has happened enough times for me to post it on this forum!

Is there ANY chance engaging the choke somehow alters the combustion pressure?? almost like a big singles decompressor?


It could be just coincidence but it seems to help the starter/spragg engage when the choke is on!!

Any thoughts . . . . . .

Try it without wearing your fav-o-rite socks.
Or with your chewing gum tucked behind your left ear.

And report back.

Mini Minor owners were known to leap out and attack their engine with a hammer if the starter sticks.
Yours sounds like an improvement on that.
Perhaps someone indoctrinated your starter to know the choke needs to be on to start from cold.
Mechanical telepathy - do do dooo do, do do doooo do....

Rohan said:

Try it without wearing your fav-o-rite socks.
Or with your chewing gum tucked behind your left ear.

And report back.

Mini Minor owners were known to leap out and attack their engine with a hammer if the starter sticks.
Yours sounds like an improvement on that.
Perhaps someone indoctrinated your starter to know the choke needs to be on to start from cold.
Mechanical telepathy - do do dooo do, do do doooo do....

Click to expand...

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Two things sprag slipping or overload device slipping ,the choke thing is removed . To be sure take off the primary cover isolate the power from the coils so the scoot does not fire up , messy and you should see what is slipping no more wondering .