@BillyLaneChoppers I too understand the pain of a hyper extended Knee due to wretched Panhead with 4 speed transmission setup. 20 years later I still feel it sometimes! Still have the bike too!😂
I love these videos. My wife bought me an iron head few years back for Christmas. My Harley, mentor. Died couple years before I actually got my bike. I've been lost in the wind by myself Down the RU-vid rabbit holes, so thank you very much. It's not hard to see in these videos How much you love what you do, And how good you are at it. Keep up the good work brother.
Hey Billy, Great video. These are the best videos IMO that you do. I love listening to you explaining about Harley V-twin tech. You have the talent of explaining the working of the engine better then most others. I've been riding and working on HDs for most of my life and still learn something useful from videos like this from time to time, (and I'm 69 years old). Please keep doing videos like this in the future. Thanks - later
Dedication at it's finest...NO HALF ASSED SHIT GOING ON HERE!!! BILLY Goes all in or nothing!!! Dedication,Focus,Hard Work!!! Dialed in on the MONEY!!! Thanks For Sharing Billy..
Never get tired of seeing old iron being brought to life with a kick, and the sound, oh shit I miss the old bikes. There's just something about the sound of a carbureted v-twin with 2 3/4 drag pipes. Thanks man.
Super clear and informative instruction. Understanding how your vehicle works will always help you operate it it. Short story with an important tip. About 2 years ago I came across a guy kicking an old chopper. I offer to lend my younger leg because it was Vegas summer heat and I felt for the guy. I proceed to try and start it with dirtbike knowledge, and nothing was happening. The ignition was switched off, a gas tank switch he said did not work. The point being, the basics are more important than a good leg. Thanks for another helpful video Billy!
Dang Billy, you make a heck of a good teacher! I met you at the Gas City, Indiana AMCA swap meet. Nothing like a dude with an engineering background teaching us. You break it down real nice.
Excellent How To Video on tuning and Kicking . I will be going back to it until I have it memorized ! Thanks again for sharing your experience and Knowledge of the rest of us !👍👍
Hey Billy I watched my Uncle Del kick his old panhead in about 65 in Lompoc Ca guess he caught it on a bad day he had a heck of a time with it that day
I ride a 48 fl panhead, I'm just a country boy from Tennessee, I don't know about all them degrees you talking about over my head, I set my timing mark about 7/16 before top dead center and the old pan starts and fine, great video, tks a bunch,
After owning probably 150 British bikes, over 45 yrs, with K 70 tires on them. I finally like em. They look good on the WLDR. Merry Christmas to everyone here. Smitty
Thanks Billy, always good info. I wish I knew the don't lock your leg thing as a kid. At 16 I was riding an 88 inch shovel and I hyperextended my knee many times cranking it. I. 53 and it still haunts me.
Having owned a stock '57 Panhead and a stock '39 Knucklehead. I used to say she starts last kick every time. Both started first kick though. Great info, Billy.
I was taught exactly that same way to start my '67, except without the technical explanation. Just roll it around until the slack is taken up, then kick it. It nearly always started within 3 kicks or less. I was more knowledgeable on my '45 45 WLA; never had an issue. It wasn't until the '62 Sportster with magneto that I found out about the kickback. Fortunately, it only bruised my shin. The 2004 Dyna had both electric start (no kick at all) and fuel infection. I had it for about 3 years before I went down on it (left turn in front of me), so that was what I was doing on my 65th birthday - in the hospital. I loved it though. Because I'm a statuesque dude (vertically challenged), but stout, like you, It was easier for me to kneel on my seat and kick with my right leg. Same technique, though. As an interesting side note, I pull start my push mowers and trimmers the same way. Pull the cord until the slack comes out, then give it a yank, and it normally starts by the third pull.
Excellent explanation of rear cylinder firing and then front firing very shortly after. Which brought me to think about how the cam profiles look. Now I understand why they look so lopsided. Engineering simplified. Thanks Bill.
Always love your content, Billy. I ride a 95 bad boy and 81 fxs, so your channel is the best thing on RU-vid if you ask me. Can't wait to see your work on outlaw tv
I have been watching you and Indian Larry since the beginning. What sets you guys apart from the others to me is that you guys do not act like idiots and are good at what you do.
Good vid bro will have to watch it a couple of times again handy to know. One of my nick names in the 90s was electric start lol used to love hand starting bit hard now because every thing has a button only. 😁🇬🇸👍
Whelp! I learned something today! I have an '85 FXST with a kicker. Mostly, I just mash the button to get her lit but, from time to time, I'll kick her - just to see if I remember how. What I've notice over the years; after rolling it over a couple of times to prime it, it would generally light on the 1st or 2nd kick. If it didn't light on the 2nd kick, I was going to be there awhile! Never dawned on me to KICK it when the rear cylinder was firing...🥵
Merry Christmas! I see so many guys that have a hell of a time starting their bikes, and there beautiful custom built bikes with new crate engines, and then you have legendary bike builder Billy with old beat up classis bikes firing off with a hand on first hit. I refer many to your channel, not being a dick or know it all and the comments and looks I've got are like, I been doing this a long time I know it all and that was an insult. This isn't the internet or tv. I think no wonder you're not on his level and lookinv stupid jumping up and down tfying to start your sh!t. I build my drag cars ground up and my bikes too. This last one im getting lined out was a Proudfoot Titan that I'm getting right. I always say id love to work a week or couple days next to you.
Gret Video. Very helpful to alot of people. I still have one question thou. This video shows the shovel timing mark entering the hole. Some use in the center, some use leaving the hole. What is right and wrong? Why would not the factory put the mark in center of the hole? This had me confusing for the last fifteen years……. Anyone?
The mark should be to the right of the timing hole. You’re going to have gear lash between the pinion & cam on a cone engine, between the pinion & timer gear on a flathead, & between the pinion, idler, & timer gear on an OHV generator engine (Knuck, Pan, 66-69 Shovel). There’s going to be timing scatter due to this, & static timing with the mark just entering the hole allows for the scatter.
This is the 1st time anyone told.me.to.time on the rear cylinder. The manual says put the line in the cented of the hole. My question is how would your bike start if fired in the center hole. I would like to see you do a video showing both timing and how the bike runs.
I’m not telling you to time to the rear cylinder. I always time to the front cylinder. I’m saying that you want to kickstart when the rear cylinder is firing. If you kick through the front cylinder firing sequence first, your chances of a successful start are reduced. The original Harley-Davidson manual in my hand reads, “turn engine very slowly until timing slot on flywheel appears at rear of inspection hole”. That’s how I’ve always done it.
Is there an advantage to standing on the left of the bike versus straddling the bike when kick starting? My dad had a ‘71 Super Glide and he always stood over the bike versus next to the bike.
I think the advantage is huge, and probably should have addressed it in more detail. With the straddle start, you are only able to shift a portion of your body weight to your right hip & leg, & you’re really kicking through your hip in a vulnerable way. I center all of my body weight directly over the kicker pedal, compress myself into a focused mass, and explode through the start directly downward. I only weighed 145 pounds when I started riding, so I had to learn this technique I still use. If I stall in traffic, I’ll straddle start in a hurry.
There’s always some disparity in actual timing due to things gear lash. What I do in situations like yours is, time as described, then back off the timing a little at a time, until it quits kicking back. I’ve done this hundreds of times, and almost always with my board track racers. You can usually do this, check it with a dynamic timing light- and the light strobes on the mark every rotation.
wow i would have guessed 225 , you look much bigger , and i dont mean fatter!!! I have a funny story for you , I built a WLA over the winter last year ,my first vintage kick start harley. Not knowing what to expect first warm day in feb ( freek 50 degree day in NY) i fired it up for the first time all went well. I rode the bike around the block and it was supper rich so i came back home shut the bike off made some adjustments and then this time i kicked it while i was sitting on the seat. Well it wasent a very strong kick and i forgot to retard the timing . It kicked back so hard and drove my right knee directly into the edge of the right handle bar grip!! I literally couldnt support my 200lbs fat ass for 4 months. 10 months later im still not 100 percent! But i put 500 miles on that thing over the summer , kicking it with my left leg , and retarding the timing of course!!!@@BillyLaneChoppers
I rode 45 flat head,pan head,and shovel..I know how to kick'em,but unless they are a collector,these young guys don' t need to know because they will never ride one...and the sniwflakes of today won't even ride motorcycles..they have electric cars and bicycles
Thank you Billy for another great video. I have a friend who kick starts his bike while sitting in the seat. I've been kicking Shovels and Sportsters for many years with my left knee on the seat and jumping down on it. It's the way I saw my dad do it. It may not be right but it's a tough habit to break.
