Question for those with Alton E-Starts

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I have been kicking mine now for 39 years and it has always been a one kick starter, I will spend my money on my other project bike, waiting over 4 months for parts would put me right off, but for near the same money as a E/S a Fullauto head would be on top of my list before I needed a E/S and I enjoy kicking my Norton to life, it might be old school but remember it is 40 years old and it keeps my right leg strong :D

Ashley
 
No replies..... stringing people along.........
it's a shitty way to run a business and treat your customers.

( I.M.H.O of course)
 
Finally good news... My kit is on the way from Alton to my dealer (CBE). As soon as they recieve it, they'll turn it around and ship it to me. So maybe it should be in my handsby the end of next week.
Too long in coming, but from others experiences with the kit, it should be well worth the wait.

JD
 
Just bought a beautifully restored/modified '73 Roadster from a bloke in Brisbane who was the Australian distributor for Alton for a couple of years. He built my bike up as a demo for the starter and it works beautifully. Unfortunately he had to relinquish the dealership because the french were not following through with their promises and he was waiting months for any orders to be filled. The way he told it he got sick of having to make excuses to his customers. Seems the makers are either overstretched or otherwise just not committed to any english speaking market! :roll:
 
Off the subject but that head looks like it was cast in someone's backyard.
Is it original Norton?

J
Question for those with Alton E-Starts

This was the last time if fitted my Alton before it expired though a dodgy shock absorber.[/quote]
 
rx7171 said:
Off the subject but that head looks like it was cast in someone's backyard.
Is it original Norton?
Click to expand...

Well it's on a 69 bike. But I take your remarks with some hilarity , cos I've always thought it looked a bit shitty also but hey ho I'm no Brad Pitt myself!

J
 
Finally good news... My kit is on the way from Alton to my dealer (CBE). As soon as they recieve it, they'll turn it around and ship it to me. So maybe it should be in my handsby the end of next week.
Too long in coming, but from others experiences with the kit, it should be well worth the wait.

JD

Jeff, I ordered from CBE in May and finally got my Alton in mid August.

Don't forget to replace the main seal while you have the inner primary off!

I absolutely love my Alton, it spins the motor fast and it fires in about one second, just wonderful.

Like the above poster I kicked my Commando for close to 40 years and now that I am a lot older guy and have done well enough through my life to afford an Alton it means I can ride it almost every now and look forward to starting it. And after two spine surgeries having the Alton installed is now the only way I could keep riding.

I have some ideas about installation that might be helpful if you want to PM me.
John
 
Alton was extremely responsive with me - I could not have asked for better support than I received from them. But I suspect the current demand for the Norton Estart has overwhelmed their very small shop. I can't imagine they can do anything about it except produce them as fast as they can. Enlarging their operation makes no financial sense simply because at some point...sooner rather than later...everyone who wants an E-start for their Norton will have one. Then what do they do with the "enlarged operation? Go out of business, most likely.

All I can say is that the current version with the revised alternator rotor is an excellent product. It's worth the wait, as frustrating as that might be... :(

No, I am not associated with them. :)
 
Though the Norton start is really a popular item, their main business in the past has been alternator replacements for British motorcycle dynamos. With the starter prouduction getting added to the ongoing alternator/generator business, they must be a bit overwhelmed right now. I shipped them an Alton alternator for repair a couple of months ago, not ready yet. I'm sure it will show up in the next month or so, they always get there eventually.

Glen
 
Can you fit a belt primary drive with the Alton? Pardon my ignorance.


absolutely yes

I have had a Norvil belt primary for 15 years and have not any issues at all fitting the Alton to it
 
1up3down said:
Can you fit a belt primary drive with the Alton? Pardon my ignorance.


absolutely yes

I have had a Norvil belt primary for 15 years and have not any issues at all fitting the Alton to it
Click to expand...

Yes you can fit belt drive. I read on this forum somewhere that 30mm wide belt is the largest you can fit. I got a 32mm RGM belt drive kit it needs a different spacer but Alton are able to supply it and spacers for certain other belt drives (check with them) i had to grind a 1mm off inner face of their primary case in the area of the crank pulley for clearance but it was a 1mm thicker than old one and your pulley may sit different on your crank. Alton will also supply a nylon ring for fitting on the reduction gear shaft next to shock absorpter. They say the kit was designed to work with standard chain setup but has no issue with dry belt drives. They were very helpful with me an i would suggest you discuss your plans with them an they can advise you.
 
Today is the day. It was indeed a long wait....... UPS dropped off the package from CBE with my Alton e-start kit. Looking forward now to it's installation. Probably better that it arrived later rather than sooner. If it arrived sooner, I would have probably rushed to do the install to get some riding time on it. Now that late Fall and Winter has arrived, I can take my time and pay intimate attention to the details for it's proper install.

JD
 
how is this install coming along please? I am thinking about this kit as well.
Question for those with Alton E-Starts
 
It took so long to recieve the kit, I started on another project on my '74. I'm fitting a disc brake on the rear.
I almost have that wrapped up while the Alton is sitting in its box next in line for installation. Have a few months before its riding weather, so the urgency of installation that I had last July when I placed my order has sudued a bit. In July I upgraded my battery and found the same solenoid Alton uses and basically had the electrical side of the equation good to go 5 months ago.
It is my understanding that they have worked the bugs ou of the lates version and are now shipping (hopefully) more quickly.
I look to January to start the Alton install.

Jeff
 
jeffdavison said:
It took so long to recieve the kit
Click to expand...

When fitting the Alton E-start yourself you could consider to order a kit from the shelf from a European Alton dealer; delivery within a few weeks :idea:
 
My Alton had it's first proper test run up yesterday - wow.
Some other work has been done too, there are fresh rings in newly honed barrels so the kick starter does a good job of holding my weight, but the starter really winds things over easily. So good that the kick start machine next to it almost started too :mrgreen:
 
My Alton is now passing thru Customs here in NZ, a mere 4 months after ordering it. Creeping arthritis in both hips means kick starting is literally a pain in the arse.
I suppose while I have the Primary apart it would be a good idea to replace the isolastics of unknown age and look at the swingarm bushes.
Hey Iain, what battery are you running, I'll be replacing my 3 phase Trispark as part of the install :cry:, so will need a new reg, any up to charging a Shorai? I think they need more than 13.7 Volts.
I'm never buying one of those useless Motobatts again, had two die on different bikes.
 
With customs now, so only another 4 months to go then :mrgreen:
I am running a motobatt at the moment, the largest that would fit - MTBX 16U or some such.
I have had a mixed run with them as well, but i have also tried Shorai and operator error has killed a couple of those on different bikes. If they go dead flat they either won't recharge or wont hold a charge for long from them on. If the motobatt is a good one they seem to be more tolerant of idiots like me.
I was surfing the Shorai site recently and they are now saying there needs to be 13.1V in the system at idle, which i doubt many Nortons would do, but there are some on here who seem to do plenty of miles with them with no issue.
I don't know whether you saw my post on another thread by i suggest retorquing the rotor nut at least once after a few runs, and then loctiting it. Mine spun the sprag unit and sheared the woodruff key which i think was due to the primary drive sprocket easing on the taper slightly which would then very quickly lose the effect of torquing the nut. When i refitted the retorque resulted in somewhere around 1/16 - 1/8th of a turn - not much but i thought it justified the effort.
 
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