Burman Kickstart jamming

Brian Magee

Forum User
VOC Member
The kickstart on my '50 Comet ocasionally has a tendancy to lock solid. If I stamp on it half a dozen times it then frees up. This sometimes happens after I try starting the bike and it doesn't fire up but also after I have set the bike on compression and then go to kick it over. Using the valve lifter has no effect on the problem. Any ideas before I start taking it apart?

Brian.
 

nkt267

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VOC Member
Brian, does it free up if you put it in gear and rock the bike back and forwards. If it does free up then the problem is most likely the quadrant and ratchet. Sometimes they don't engage properly and jam. If you take the outer cover off inspect the first quadrant tooth for damage and also check the ratchet gear. I believe that you can reverse the quadrant on the shaft if the first tooth is damaged..John
 

Tom Gaynor

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VOC Member
Yes (I have an idea), but you'll have almost certainly to take it apart anyway, or at least remove the outer cover. If you are lucky the quadrant and the pinion are going "tooth crest - to - tooth crest", and the cure is the same as the one for the twin, relieve /grind a lead-in on the first tooth on the quadrant. It's in KTB. The kickstart ratchet can apparently be removed and reversed, like the twin's.
(Lest you think I'm an expert on Burman gearboxes, I know this because I've just stripped mine for the first time, and read all the literature first.)
 

Hugo Myatt

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VOC Member
This crest to crest problem often seems to be related to sloppiness in the k/start shaft bushes allowing it to tilt the quadrant.
 

Brian Magee

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VOC Member
John, Tom and Hugo,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. As soon as I ge time (I am retired so have no time!) I will investigate further. Tom, is the literature you refer to readily available. I must try and get myself a copy of KTB.

Brian
 

ET43

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Brian, all the literature that you need to fettle your beastie can be found at the V.O.C.S. or Vinparts. Apart from being helpfull, they are a good read. Good Luck, ET43
 

Hugo Myatt

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VOC Member
Brian,
Good advice from ET 43. First choice are Riders Handbook, Vincent by Richardson and Know Thy Beast by Stevens. They cover just about everything.
Hugo.
 

b'knighted

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VOC Member
Add the illustrated parts list to help understand how the Vincent bits go together, sadly it doesn't cover the Burman box.
 

Brian Magee

Forum User
VOC Member
Thanks again to those who replied.
Just to let you know I eventually got around to taking the side off the gearbox. The quadrant had been turned round before so I turned it back to see if it would be any better, re-assembled it and broke the return spring on the first kick. I have now fitted a new quadrant and return spring. Previously I had only ridden the bike to the MOT station and back, about 8 miles. This evening I went for about a 25 mile ride and came back with dead flies on my teeth (very difficult with a full face helmet!!).

Brian.
 
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