Poor starting

All items are generally accepted for all Husaberg models.

To confirm speciffic differences check out your bike's sector at the bottom.

Light yellow for 501/550, light blue for 650.

Husaberg generic info

Starting

There are five sections laid out below that will aid starting:

• Technique

• Mechanical

• Fuel

• Ignition

• Water

TECHNIQUE

Stance when kicking

Sit right up nearly on the tank and especially with the above Taff crescent mod: kick all the way through the stroke. Always sit forwards and in or forward of the lowest part of the seat. The nose of the seat is ideal.

Why not put your right foot on a tall piece of wood? A piece of wood under the sidestand? Gently turn the engine with your foot until you feel the engine lock, hold your foot on the kickstart and keep it under pressure, pull the manual decomp lever, if it falls through compression then stop after your foot has travelled 3" and return kickstart to the top of it's stroke. Launch yourself up off your right foot and jump down onto your left.

Guide

UHE has a Hard Starting Guide for the Dell orto. Since the article was written, many other things have been discovered about the Husabergs so it's best to gather all the information you read below and in the UHE Downloads Section.

MECHANICAL

The auto de-compression issue

The auto de-comp sits in the exhaust cam lobe on the underside and suffer from rapid wear on leading edge. the answer is to buy the latest decomp which has an end profile like a clog.

This was for machines through from '01 to as late as '03. Essentially, the decomp lobe would wear down and not lift the exhaust valve the .040"(1mm) to release some compression while the engine turned under starting. There was also the problem that the lobe return spring would be either weak or unwound which equalled "ineffective". This meant the engine was trying to fight full compression. The partial cure at the time was to add a 'blob' of weld onto the decomp and then re-profile. Husadawg has some great photos.

Your auto decomp probably looks similar to this one from my 02 650. Note the pranged end just this side of the spring. Common problem. (Ned37)

The auto de-comp. bleeds only a fraction of the trapped charge engaging near 85 BTDC and closing near 15 BTDC with a peak valve lift of less than .040". "E" Cranking compression should be roughly 130 PSI. (Lineaweaver)

Decomp return spring

The springs can lose their strength and cause fluctuating turnover speeds in the engine. It's not clear whether they lose strength or that the factory strengthened them but there is a clear difference. (Le frog)

The latest 'dutch clog' spring can also seem a little weak. The weight must return very quickly. If it is 'floppy' its too weak and you'll have full compression. Look carefully at the photo below and you'll see that the arm has been bent upwrads and then down onto its point. The initial angle however was nigh on vertical thus another 1/4-turn has been added and this changes the characteristics of the spring entirely!

Clog bent spring

Manual Decomp cam modified

The dark area in the photo below represents the 45 degree edge filed in what was otherwise a 'half-moon' profiled decomp lever. It means that the "half-moon" is contacting the rocker below the centre of the shaft and therefore isn't being forced back and against your finger and the manual lever. The edge is about 2.5mm wide.

To check the valve timing

Turn the engine to TDC on ignition mark, check both lobes are up symmetrically. Lay a ruler diagonally across the lobes and it should be absolutely parallel to the top face rim of the head. To change the valve timing, you must slot the holes in the cam sprocket to allow adjustment. It may pay to have the ruler tilting down toward the front wheel very slightly. This will actually level out as the camchain stretches. If the camchain link isn't where you want it, turn the engine over 3/4 times until it is. It moves on a bit everytime.

Adjusting tappets

If engine is standard, and racing; adjust every 2nd ride. Take the rocker caps off and remove the plug, next, take the ignition cover off and using a socket and T-bar, stepped 17mm spanner or socket bar turn until both sets of tappets are closed (wait for the inlets to close-now stop!): use a rod through the plug hole to try and make sure that the piston is as near to TDC. The timing marks on the flywheel should be at 12 o' clock.

Undo both tappets together and loosen, then adjust gently you should feel the screwdriver tighten "lightly" with your finger tips and from here back-off 1/6th-of-a-turn (or try joeUSA's tool) and hold tight whilst tightening the lock nut. Check it again and if the 1/8th-turn is less: actually turn the screwdriver back against the nut slightly as you're locking. See this katoom for excellent photos.

Be warned that setting the tappets with feeler gauges is at best fraught with problems! to get a feeler gauge in is hard. Then the pads themselves wear concave which gives a false reading.

Weak and failing electric starter '00 - '02

For three years owners struggled with weak starters that were classified as 'restarters' and only to be used after the engine was warm. Typically the starter would spin through and not quite 'catch' the engine and batteries went flat quickly.

There was an error in the '03 parts manual whereby they simply failed to realise that the whole set up had been upgraded for that year. The parts book was corrected in '04 when Husaberg went to the present Parts # system.

WAS IN '02

9 250 247-01....Free wheel outer part 01- (outter)

10 250 245-01...Clutch mechanism free wheel 01- (sprague)

11 360 035-01...Needle bearing free wheel 01-

12 250 248-01...Free wheel inner part 01- (inner). Changed to part No.250273 for '03.

BECAME IN '04

20 800.40.020.000 .......03 FREE WHEEL GEAR 03 (outter)

24 0405 101310............02 NEEDLE BEARING K 10X13X10 02

25 800.40.025.000 ........03 FREE WHEEL HUB 03 (inner)

26 800.40.026.000........ 03 FREE WHEEL 03 (sprague)

Don't mix the 'sets' of parts! (read Engine whining ....below).

By comparing old and new, it should be very easy to get the right parts. But remember, the sprague was only 40% of the problem for owners wishing to have good electric starts! The battery needs beefing, the starter motor wants beefing and with the new starter, owners need a new mounting bracket. Then we have the modified decomp which matches a later ('03) camshaft.

CBR600 and Yamaha R6 Starter motor

Discovered by Scully, the CBR600 starter motor is stronger and fits EXCEPT that the mounting bracket has to be fitted from the later model ('05 plus). It can be noted by the fact that the original mounting bolts are used but the starter is longer! Loonyberg fitted one and it's really easy!

Ned37 then found that infact the starter can fit the original bracket but you just need to drill fresh holes and a little filing. However, no big deal to do ok! Next, Ned discovers that due to the windings in the Yam R6('99), the starter from the Yam spins far faster and enables his big 650 to start everytime.

Honda starter	Honyam starter	Honyam starter	Honyam starter mounted

Broken valve spring

This can be a rare problem on machines prior to 2004. The bike is difficult to start, MAY make a slight tick-tick noise and can give the same or similar symptoms as the SEM ignition or carb troubles. This thread gives you an idea of what to look for.

Sprague bearing

How it works! (Neil E).

Taff's crescent mod

The kickstart lever engages quite a long way into the stroke but for earlier kickstart engagement see the modification below. Take 2mm out of part of the crescent so that as the 'keyhole' part moves clockwise it can drop open and lock into the outer gear. You'll need to take a tiny, tiny bit off the case as well (the small area above the screw hole-in pic 3-only) using a flat faced rotary file. The first photo shows the standard Pre '04(?) part and the newer, 'squarer' crescent modified by Taff below it. Note the alloy around the left phillips screw that has been removed in the middle photo.

FUEL

One idea is to remove the plug and look for wetness. If it isn't wet you haven't enough fuel! A quick trick is to poor a thimble of fuel into the 'sock' and also into the combustion chamber via the plughole. Remember not to touch the throttle until you have kicked through and only then to catch the engine after it has started.

Restarting

One thing to remember! the bike needs to be lean to restart and they are usually rich. Most members that have leaned off their jetting have no restart issues. There really is no reason why a well jetted Husey can't restart first time everytime! (see Tuning;carburation)

Old fuel

In these days of unleaded you should try and start the bike monthly and run for 5-minutes in order to burn the old fuel in the carb. the fuel in the tank shouldn't be more than 3-4 months old. Renew if so.

Fuel level

It's sooooo easy to do! "well it ran a minute ago and now it won't start again!". a look in the opaque tank says that you have 7cm/3" of fuel left so you're OK. YOU ARE NOT OK!. Remember there isn't a reserve in truth, there is just 'open' as the reserve was never used by Husaberg.

Fuel cap breather

If your bike starts but stalls later when warm it can often be the air pressure inb the tank. It can be pressurised or you may have a vacuum! The easy check is to undo the cap everytime it stalls, balance the air, try to start it. The below are for Dell ortos

Pressure Fresh load of cool fuel, you start riding and the fuel wants to expand far more dramatically than you are using it. Because it can't go anywhere except into the carb it rushes the float bowl when the float is open and overfills it. The bike will stall but will start again - and then stall etc etc.

Vacuum As fuel leaves the tank for the carb no air is replacing it in the tank. This results in stalling and the bike won't restart. essentially the vacuum can hold the fuel from going through the screen filters -it has that much strength!

The answer! In the absense of a two-way breather the easiest and best way is to run a breather from the petrol tank cap under and then over and around the bars before disappearing into the headstock nut. Use electricians tape around the pipe to 'thicken it' for glide fit (because the fuel tank is always on and off right!). It can't really loose the fuel unless you do a 360d loop going downhill! any 'spat' fuel sits in the bottom of the loop and either gets sucked back or the air gets by it ala the frermentation loop on your grandma's home made wine!

Choke - identify the correct choke jet - FCR (Dell similar)

Work out what choke jet you need. This area is overlooked simply because the principles of the choke and the jet required aren't understood.

The dell orto carb has a choke jet that can get blocked - especially if the carb and steed haven't been used for a couple of months. It will need cleaning out and should be held up to the light. The hole should be quite large and the trouble is that after cleaning it may be no better. At least .5mm wide is how it should look.

The important thing is to LISTEN TO THE ENGINE. This is something that few people do. they bitch coz it doesn't start yet the engine is trying to tell them something!

The reason we have fun with carbs is because it's the LAST thing we fettle and whilst everything else has a setting: the carb REACTS TO THE ENGINE. And that is the fascination and why it is so hard to help people!

This is what i look for when i start a bike;

Lean on choke The bike is a bitch to start, takes 30 kicks, each time it starts it runs a little longer until after 5 minutes it runs fine but you daren't touch the throttle yet!

Slightly lean on choke The bike starts and judders for anything up to 10 seconds before it builds and builds up revs then revs like an idiot compared to starting! This bike will never 8-stroke and you can go to the loo/tog up ready, lock the garage - the lot-it ain't gonna stall!

Spot-on The bike runs at medium high revs for at least 30-40 seconds before starting to 8-stroke mildly. It should run straight away at high revs and not build up. The revs should stay the same for over a minute before perhaps 8-stroking mildly and losing revs-it shouldn't stall. it shouldn't 8-stroke any sooner. The problem here for the Dell orto is that one jet may start the bike and then it 8-strokes quickly while the next jet down means 5 kicks to start it but a controlled warm-up. The keihin isn't too bad.

Slightly rich on choke Bike starts well everytime, maybe first kick everytime but you need to blip the throttle or the revs might drop and it might stall, similarly, you have to turn the choke off quickly or it will stall. You have to be near the machine! 8-strokes within 10 seconds.

Rich on choke Bike starts fine but within 2 or 3 seconds it 8-strokes.

On the keihin carb even the MJ affects starting-seriously! so every mod you make has a knock on effect.

Different choke jets are available from yamaha but you can't get them from keihin themselves for some reason (well it used to be like that!) so yamaha are the boys!

I have several choke jets and i used to always be swopping them out. everytime you change the needle straight (very last suffix letter) you will affect the starting.

With the dell ortos the starting is really just the effect of the choke jet combined with the slide cutaway and PJ. that's why it's a lot harder to understand but not necassarily a problem in itself.

So next time listen to your engine!!

Fitting a hotstart button to the FCR mk 1

Yet again Cookeye did it and also, so did Steve!

(Cookeye)	Note hot start tube from head. (Steve)	A remote hot start from Ballard's means that on the odd occasion the Berg decides to stop of its own accord, restarting is easy. (Steve)

Dell orto - missing CD jet?

Some Dell Ortos may be missing this jet tube.

Sticking float - Dell orto

Sometimes the float will stick in either the open or closed position. Remove the floatbowl and check for the pivot rod sticking out or bent tabs etc. In the one piece floats you should check by laying the float on a flat surface for unsymetrical floats when looking from behind.

Sometimes water will enter via the breather pipes and stall the engine. See also below. Drop the floatbowl and look for water residue.

Sticking float valve - Dell orto

The floats operate an arm that pivots up and down, near the centre of the arm is a small pin that looks like a plumb bob with a black rubberised tip. The float valve can sometimes get debris on it and stick open flooding the carb.

IGNITION

Stator repair

Repaired at reasonable cost! See this UHE Forum Thread for a fella who repairs them and sends a better regulator!

Stator/ignition

Yuasa YTZ7S conversion

The YTZ7S batteries are 6 amp with cold crank of 130, the original YTX5L-BS is 4 amp with a cold crank of 70 (yoshie). Use an Optimate battery charger (see handy tools). All kinds of prices are banded about but have look at this UHE thread for the pitfalls of the conversion. The YTZ7S is a new-generation Gell-Cell battery and is the same size as the YTX5L-BS.

Flywheel marks wrong

Using the 'dead stop' method I found the marks to be out. It changed the bike! Read this UHE thread. Find TDC using "dead-stop" method. Warning: 8d out on my bike. UHE Forum Thread.

Flywheel with timing marks. (Sandskipper)	TDC tool in parts. (Simon)

A quality plug

A plug can only take so much flooding. Getting thrashed, flooding, running rich, then lean again etc before it cries enough! So don't be suprised if you kick an awful lot that that new plug has already had it! The secret is to get the bike running correctly and then you'll get good mileage out of the plug. I've only used two plugs in the last four seasons racing but I think used 4-5 plugs in the first season alone! I swear by the Nippondenso IXU24. This iridium plug really improves starting once your bike does start moderatlely well.

WATER

Stalls in water

First job is always to push the bike out!

The breather pipes leave the carb and exit under the swing arm. If the tips are in water the engine will stall as the balance of the fuel in the carb bowl is 'upset'. Going through mud and blocking the ends has the same effect.

The cure is to slice down the middle of the ends for 1". mud can therfore never settle here and will always fall away. As for the pipes in the water, firstly the carb doesn't need 6 breathers - it needs just one from the floatbowl so maybe sort this first and with the spare pippe just put a 'T-junction' in and have pipe going down as before AND another relief pipe going up say, under the tank. Some would have a catch bottle here, others a loop so the end points downwards. This means that when in water the carb breathes through the upper pipe.

There are aftermarket "cups" that fit on each pipe for much the same effect that has been mentioned plus, there's another bonus and that is that the inside of the carb remains clean! A lot of debris goes up the pipes to the carb....

Water - in the sock

Water can come in via the air filter and sit in the base of the 'sock'. To check for this, undo the air filter and look for it lying in the bottom. If it's up to the air passageways in the carb then it's likely you'll need to remove the carb and blow the water out.

Air filter wet

The Carb often gets water into the 'sock' area and then moves on and into the small airways in the front face of the carb (dell and keihin). The idea below plus wiping water away: simply using paper towel and a long handled screwdriver to 'stir' is all that's needed! Clean edges of inner frame tube as well. TM's idea below is to create a wall that stops water coming down the frame tube and soaking into the filter. It will take a lot to stop the carb but this is a good idea.

Water in Stator cover

There are several tasks to be done here and all require doing if the job is to be done right!

• Remove all the old tube for the stator wires and replace with new. Silicone in at the cover and all the way in. At the other end again squirt silicone in but this time do a 'shepherd's crook' to the wiring and then zip-tie it in this 'U' shape.
• Electrical grease (holts) or maybe vaseline the stator and inner flywheel faces.
• Drill a hole in the bottom of the crankcases for water to escape (std from '03).
• Silicone the sidecover on for good - never to come off!

After washing

If you didn't seal the intake, pull air filter off and clean out water at the bottom of the 'sock'. Start immediately. Air jet chain and use chain spray.