Won't start.

[ME 109]

Nothing you've done sounds like a cause Steve. Stumbling on transition is often a blocked pilot jet but that is usually only one side.

As others have said, confirm spark.
Confirm coil grounds, make sure the little black wire connecting the coils is in place.

[She'llbe]

Didn't you have a problem with a piece of fuel line inner had broken away and caused starvation of fuel a couple of years ago? Did you change all of your fuel lines when that happened? May be the same problem.

[Jean]

Boy, I WISH you had an old fashioned ignition 'cause it would surely be the capacitor!!

Another thought. Mine started acting funny and I found the choke cables' outer jackets (the spring-looking part) had pulled out of the choke lever housing. When I moved the lever, nothing was really happening at the carbs.
I wish it didn't take me as long to SEE this as it really did, but I have some REALLY CLEAN CARBS now.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Ken, as completely and unassailably true as that is, in my limited experience with Brit bikes, I have found that they somehow manage to defy the unassailable. Beemers, however, seem to be more responsive to simple laws of physics.

I'm certainly not disagreeing with your take that Brit bikes aren't terribly responsive to simple laws of physics. Why might that be? Beats the hell out of me! But the name Joseph Lucas did pop into my mind. For that matter, the bit I've read about him suggests that Ed Turner (Triumph honcho for the non brit bike guys) might have more than a little to do with it too. He seems to be a man of his time, a man dedicated to making money for the corporation, oh, and for himself. After all, some of the pennies not spent on product will find themselves in his pocket, put there by appreciative stock holders.

To me Ed Turner appears to have positioned himself as the only man deserving any credit for the good things that happened under his watch. In other words, probably not much different from business men of today.

I probably ought not end this post bad mouthing Ed Turner for taking other people's credit. He was a hell of a designer with an uncanny eye for style. When we think of Brit bikes the pictures in our minds are more likely than not to be an Ed Turner design. (The last incarnation of the Ariel Square Four, the four piper, was beautiful and was also designed by Turner. It had THE LOOK!)

All of the above is in my not so humble opinion. (And not all that much on topic.)

Ken

[SteveD]

Fuel flows perfectly well. Spark is good.
I'm convinced it was my tweaking that caused this. It was fine, then it wasn't, before and after.

ust tweaking a carb screw

Unfortunately, "tweaking" might undervalue my efforts. I'm guessing hamfistedness might be involved.

[SteveD]

Left the hamfistedness and returned to some judicious tweaking. Fiddled with the throttle screw and BINGO! Success. Some trial and error moving the screw here and there and it worked.

Initially I had used a thin feeler gauge to find an equal spot for both sides, then screwed the thing in a turn.

Tomorrow I'll work out exactly what position they're now in...and record it.

Thanks for the banter.

[sterob]

Well done Steve....glad you made some progress...
I was just going to offer my thoughts, but glad I now don't have to embarrass myself.....lol

[SteveD]

Back to square one.

I did get it started last week, but when I went to use it the other day, it wouldn't co-operate! It just cranks, but doesn't start. Battery gets flattened after 8-10 goes.

Starting technique is 1. Full choke. 2. Closed throttle. 3. Hit starter button. 4. When engine catches, open throttle. It's not working for me.

The throttle screw was set one full turn in (cw) from a .007 gap. Cables were a tad loose to touch and opened equally, free play less than 2mm.

Mixture screws one full ccw turn out at the moment (from closed cw). Seals on the screws good. Starting jets clean, gaskets good, spark is present.

Because I had them, I put new ngk caps on but I was looking for something to do ...don't think that was the problem.

Fuel is about 10 days old.

A few months back I installed a new electronic ignition can and ICU and it's been running well. That's about all I've done to it, except to attempt a tune last week.

[ME 109]

Is the engine catching at all?

Any clearance with the throttle screw will not allow an idle? Always needs to be some opening of the butterfly for idle, if I'm not mistaken.

Are you opening the throttle at all when trying to start?

Weird that you got it going the other day and now it's playing up again...

[sterob]

Maybe start from scratch Steve and check EVERYTHING.Easy stuff first...( compression, spark, fuel.....)
Don't assume anything...It might just be a coincidence that you started having problems just after you did something.
You will know what happened when you find the problem...Good luck.
I'd love to help you but I's just too far away....

Steve