BSA Super Rocket Advance and Retard.

[dicky-yrrep]

Hi good morning to everyone, I'm new to the forum and also new to the classic scene. Ive recently aquired a BSA Super  Rocket in lovely condition she starts easily, stops (sort of!!) and generally performs well. ive started to increase the runs out to around 30 or so miles and so far no problems at all, so, here come a few questions.
With regard to advance/retard to start the bike i pull the lever back toward me just about half of its stroke, full choke and a tickle on the carb and away she goes normally first time then i push the A/R all
the way forward and reduce the choke gradually until i dont need it at all. However i'm now being told that whilst riding at higher revs i should slightly move the lever back to assist the engine and to reduce the heat at which she runs, like wise should i alter it when climbing a decent size hill?
The exhausts are a nice straw colour which again i'm told is a good sign also, sorry if this offends anyone would it be worth fitting an electronic addition which hides in the toolbox to eliminate the A/R
as most ads claim it automatically sorts out the optimum firing position automatically.
The bike is fitted with a new magneto and runs well but obviously the last thing i want to do is to cause damage. I'm also adding castrol valvemaster as a lead and octane additive. One last thing, can you give me some advice on warm starting do you always retard and do you need to tickle at all?
Many thanks i welcome your comments. Dicky.

[Justin_Faithfull]

Hi & welcome to the forum, & to the wonderful world of classic motorcycles.
All BSA A10's are generally reliable as classic motorcycles providing they are looked after well. Yours sounds to be a nice example of the slightly faster Super Rocket.
As your magneto is working perfectly I would not change it. As regards the advance/retard, providing the bike is timed correctly (which is normally done on full advance), you should really only need to retard a little for starting, or if your engine starts to labour on hills or in slow heavy traffic. Otherwise you will normally run fully advanced. You will get to know the A/R position for different running conditions by how the engine sounds & feels as you are riding.
Your starting procedure for cold starting sounds about right, although you may not always need choke, flooding the tickler is usually enough, with the correct A/R position. When warm or hot just tickling the carb. should be fine (again correct A/R position).
One other tip worth doing, is to regularly look in the top of the oil tank after starting, to check that the oil is returning nicely.
Have fun.

[country boy]

How Do fellow biker, the advice given by Justin Faithfull I agree with completely  and I would like to add my own advice. Cold starting..A/R lever about halfway back ( each bike is different. what works on your bike may not be right on another )give a good flooding with tickler ,only use the choke if cold weather ,twist grip about quarter open, one gentle kick to suck some fuel in then a decent kick, a second kick may be needed. once she fires up you can restore thr A/R lever straight away. (and the choke if used )
 When warm, never use choke, A/R as before,a good tickle (some fuel may have evaporated )give a good kick at quarter or one third
throttle . this usually works. I sometimes use the A/R if I come to a hill and the engine starts to labour this works well but I usually just change down.
                    regards.