My G5 Dilemma

[itma]

never mind, I have made a special tool for getting my foot out my gob

[cbranni]

I feel quite sad that in a matter of days you have given up and are selling the bike, hence my remark "speechless". Its a shame because its evident you have the ability and the confidence to ride it, and the only problem you have is starting it, so to me its quite simple you need to practice starting it, follow Itmas advice crank the engine over listen to the different sounds, use the valve lifter to get it past the compression stroke, then kickstart it.........just takes practice, I hope you change your mind.
Colin

[Janet]

I wasn't going to put in my two pennorth for fear of being called a patronising misogynist or getting further meouw comments but, since the lady has already decided to sell the bike I can't do any harm.

Firstly, I could never describe myself as you have described yourself, so anything I say may have no relevance. However, I have a lightweight bike, but it's only a 250 and a later model, so may be much easier to start than yours, I don't know, never having had a G5, but I believe I'm right in thinking that the basic set up is the same.

ITMA was spot on in his first reply. If there is nothing wrong with your bike, then it is your technique.

When I got mine I couldn't start it very often but everyone else seemed to. Even now I don't have your 60% first kick success rate, often needing on to set up and one to go. I've got a lot of weight but not much oomph in the leg department so, whereas Glyn can give a bike a lot of welly, I can't. I can't tell you how to start yours because they're all a bit different. What I needed to do was to practice and learn what works and what doesn't. By trial and error I now know that starting from cold needs no throttle but from hot need it lifting slightly.

You mentioned thinking of putting electronic ignition on. Have you looked at your ignition setting? If so, is there is something wrong with it? If not, why didn't you check it? Strangely enough, after I'd set up the ignition correctly I can generally start it hot or cold with very few kicks and when it won't go no matter how much I try, it's usually because I've flooded it when it didn't need it or forgotten to turn on the ignition switch. Go on chaps, admit it. I'm not the only person who's done that.

My bike isn't all pretty and shiny like yours even though it should have chrome where yours shouldn't, and since getting it almost two years ago I've been working my way round it, breaking bits in turn and then fixing them. I should hate it by now but I don't. Without it I wouldn't have met so many lovely recovery drivers. Your bike has already been rebuilt so haven't got the problems I have with mine so I think you've given up too soon. Note: That is an opinion, not flaming you. They're bikes that aren't well thought of because they are hard to keep reliable, which is ITMA's point about lightweights not being good bikes for novices, but when you've got one doing the business it feels wonderful.

Obviously you've decided to get rid of the bike. I don't know why you yearned for a G5 but I hope you find another bike of your dreams that suits you better.

[en7jos]

Hi Moggy,

Welcome, and I guess sadly goodbye too!...

But I see you don't have any bids on eBay yet, so there is still hope that you might change your mind and persevere. Your first post was so enthusiastic and optimistic, so I can see why it seemed such an about turn when the bike was spotted for sale a few days later.

Go on, stick with it for a bit longer! You just need to find that 'bond' with your 'dream' bike. If it makes you feel any better, it used to take me forever to get my G3 started whereas my mechanic could always do it first kick. Now I seem to be the only one who can start it and it usually shows life first kick, even after a longer lay-up. They all have their own quirks and after a while you get tuned-in to the feel and noises.

Thick skin might be an advantage on this forum, but read around a bit more and you'll soon see that behind the cutting comments and awful humour, it is a fantastic community of real enthusiasts and experts.

Go on, stick with it!

James

[Samuel]

Giving up is easier than sticking with it. But sticking with it offers the possibility of ultimate satisfaction instead of regret.

[Rob Harknett]

Is it too late Moggy. If your bike starts OK for others, it would start OK for you. It's just a question of getting the knack. Simple as that,
5'3" female or 6' knowing nothing or a whole lot about bikes does not apply. With a litle help and determination, you would had got the knack how to start your bike OK.
I have been riding bikes for 55 years and only recently got my dream bike on the road. a 650 CSR twin, I kicked the dam thing it kicked me back hurt my leg, I got breathless. I did not want to ride it in case I got caught out like you did. Eventualy I got to know the settings and what the bike liked, to start first kick. Any thing else that did not feel right could had been overcome, like perhaps your small hands had problems with clutch and brake levers. Theres little tricks to over come that. I only discovered these little tricks that had been applied to a G2 I brought from a lady rider.

[Rob Harknett]

P.S.
I could not start the bike I got from the lady rider either. There was a little kill switch of the toggle switch type secretly hidden under the head lamp. This switched on/off the power to the ignition switch.

[1608]

Hi Moggy, don't give up on the bike because its difficult to start. Many blokes post questions on this forum asking "how do I start it" or "I can't seem to get it right" blah, blah. The simple knack to starting any bike especially a single ( provided that the bike is set up correctly), is not weight or strength but speed of turning the engine over. This is one of the benefits of a valve lifter. To use a simple analogy a boxer's punch is far more effective when combined with speed. Believe me, when you master the valve lifter you will start the bike, with a little practice, easily. click THE KNACK below

THE KNACKEdited by - 1608 on 03 Jun 2011 11:42:33 AMEdited by - 1608 on 03 Jun 2011 11:53:12 AM

[itma]

Sadly I think we are going to see more of this sort of unhappy situation; the lady is no a learner and is a rider of more modern bikes so there is no problem in her owning a 350.

We are going so see a lot of newcomers to the classic bikes, who come with great enthusiasm and overly great expectations, probably fueled by the sort of crap written in the Bike press who are likely to be very disappointed.
Older bikes need an entirely different riding technique, and an entirely different set of expectations which is very hard to explain
on something like a forum.
Harder still to acquire is the necessary cynicism and world weary caution.

The lesson here is not to venture into this odd world of our obsolete bikes with out someone to hold your hand and guide you through the pitfalls.

I for one would never advocated buying that particular bike, all lightweight prejudice, aside, because of the wording in the original advert infers to my jaundiced outlook that the seller had some very odd ideas about his bike.

Its not going to help the classic bike movement at all, if riders like moggy find them so dangerous or frightening enough to sell after a few weeks, it won't be long before some interfering civil servant has a "good idea"

I hope she changes her mind.Edited by - itma on 03 Jun 2011 3:19:42 PM

[rex.webb]

I well remember when our "YOUNG" new rider came to our section,later bringing Sarah with him. A certain Richard Hobbs,now our Scribe and a keen member of our section.
We all held his hand (Well talked to him and listened to his Questions),making him feel WELCOME!.Anyone who wishes to join us at our meetings will get the same receptin and "HELP". GIRTON Monday 13 June the next one.