Bad starting with Boyer blue box

I use the red box which is also digital but with normal coils not the hi energy digital ones with the blue box. Don't have any issues starting. Have you just fitted the blue box ? and by 'starting is bad' what are the symptoms, multiple kicks needed or kicking back.

That sounds like a carb issue not the ignition, next time it fails on the first kick pull the plugs before any more kicks, if plug is wet then tickle less next time, if dry then tickle more.

It should not tickover well if cold so it sounds like your pilot mixture is too rich, the 1.5 turns out on the mixture screw is only a starting point, you need to tune for best idle with a fully warm engine. This will leave you with a weak pilot mixture on a cold engine, hence the need for tickling to raise the fuel level and richen the mixture plus needing to keep the revs up until the engine is warmed up a bit.

Hi William,

May be egg blowing here, but if it has wet sumped, it can be such that even with a good spark and carbs set right there is too much oil drag to get up to running speed when cold.

Just a thought...

George 

The Boyer goes to sleep after about 5 secs after ignition is turned on, it then only wakes up after it get a signal from the Boyer rotor. The Pazon is worse needing 2 signals, but regardless of which one you use, do your full starting drill with the ignition off and only then ignition on just before you do the first kick. Turn off and on for each subsequent kick, this ensures it sparks on first and not second signal (or third for pazon) and so a weak kick has a better chance of firing the engine.

Good info I am sure that is what happens so and kicks before the 5 secs are up is wasted effort and probably floods the engine ????

 

Your have 5 seconds as soon as the ignition is on for the spark to happen as soon as the magnets pass the coils on the boyer rotor, after the 5 seconds has passed the rotor needs to send 2 signals for a spark at the plugs so the crank has to move an extra turn. So you must get the kick in before the 5 secs has passed, after the 5 secs a weak kick may not even get to the 2nd signal and so not spark at all and the plugs will get too wet.

Hmmm, I think I’ve just encountered this feature, having just changed to the blue unit. More investigation to be done….

Hi John, where did you find out about 5 seconds and 1st signal then 2 signals, I didn’t find it on the Boyer website?

Does nobody use the choke any more?

I do!

Not needed to use the choke. Tickle, kick and away. Bizarrely the Boyer blue box I fitted a week ago and had very difficult starting is now wonderful: starting cold within 2 kicks and immediately idles at around 600rpm with no blipping of the throttle to keep running. I checked the plugs after a 30 mile run and they’re a lovely tan colour so not overly rich. At the moment I’m a Boyer fan :-)

Graham, 

You're doing well getting a tan sparkplug. 

Since only the petrol available has been unleaded I've only ever had a black or white plug. No matter what the engine is, modern car, motorcycle, lawnmower or classic motorcycle. 

Black is of course, too rich, but white is either correct or too  lean. A real problem when selecting the correct main jet.

Also I remove the chokes as a matter of course on all my Amals as we don't need them in Melbourne Australia, although on occasions it gets down to 4 or 5 degrees.

If it's a frost I don't usually go for a ride until it warms up a bit.

Don Anson

Melbourne 

Hi Don. I’m using Esso premium fuel because where I live it’s got virtually no Ethanol in it, but still unleaded. I was surprised at the colour :-)