how many bikers on WW

had a bike with a manual advance and retard lever ? they're all long gone now and even in my days of biking the bikes had auto advance and retard and, even that is out dated with electronic ignition systems But, there must be some people out there who had the skills and know how to start and run an old motorbike, bear in mind, they would not have a starter button and no google to ask,

Not many I bet

Yep , had a few bikes in my past with manual A/R the DBD34 Goldie in particular needed a certain technique to start and wo betide if you strayed from it . Too much advance and it would kick back and launch you over the handlebars and too retarded, wet plug, wet clothes through sweating, and late for work, and oh the language.

I know the feeling as I had an old Triumph T110 , It was fitted with an auto A+R but it was faulty and like you say starting it was like playing Russian Roulette, It kicked back and one time it launched me and I could't bend my knee for a month. That gave me plenty of time to get a replacement auto A+R unit,

I had a Jap bike and I don't think it had any ignition advance and retard system, I used to regularly check and set the timing, but I just set it to the timing mark on the flywheel, later on I would muck about with the timing on me cars, because when you get it just right, the engine tells yoo

Not uncommon on veteran cars also to have manual ignition advance/retard, Usually just a case of flip to retard for starting, then to advance as far as consistent with smooth idling/running, but heavy laden on steep hills could also need some retard.

You're right about the engine 'telling you' Tommy Tee, A trick I was shown to get the timing 'bob on' was to loosen the dizzy and gently and slowly turn it either way until you found the 'sweet spot' and the engine would let you know where that was,

Oh the fun we had in the old days , kids today don't know what they are missing.

My BSA B33 had one, and like Peebee said, it kicked back hard if you didn't pull it back,I didn't have a problem with flooding though.

Peebee The kids of today wouldn't have a clue, We had to be half rider and half mechanic, The bikes needed constant maintenance and repairs, You could get the machine in top working order and a week later, another oil leak would appear and that was all part of the fun. Everyone I knew who had a bike could strip them down and none of them had proper tools, Mole grips, adjustable a hammer and screwdriver was the normal toolkit of the day

TomP a friend of mine sent his son to a fee paying school both junior then senior and it cost a mint. He doesn't know how to open the bonnet on his car or change a wheel. Last week he went to change a bulb in the house, he said he wasn't afraid of getting a shock because it was only 12 Volts .

and they say, Education is the way to go, yea right,,