[Jeff Higgins]

Thank God it started on the 81st...

My old Ironhead Sportster has never been "hard to start". *After my just completed tranny rebuild, after having sat for three months, it started on the second kick. *My routine is to lift the enrichener (S&S Super E Shorty carburetor), give it three priming kicks, then turn on the ignition. *Usually starts in a kick or two. *Today, however, after having sat for a week awaiting another break in the weather, she defied me. *My usual routine did nothing, so I went through it a few more times. *Then I lowered the enrichener, gave it three shots of accelerator pump, cracked the throttle a wee bit, and tried again. *Nothing. *I alternated these routines several times to no avail.

Finally, getting more than slightly peeved, I said "screw it" and gave her ten shots on the accelerator pump, held the throttle open a crack, and... she fired right up. *Granted, my accelerator pump is turned way, way down - almost off, so it doesn't really shoot much gas at all - but fer crisakes, she's never given me this much of a fight. I was concerned I had flooded (or was going to flood) it, but apparently I would have to try a lot harder to pull that off. *

Absolutely ran like a champ once started. *Just weird. *She sits in an unheated garage, and we have seen teens and single digit temps overnight lately, but it was darn near 40 degrees out today when I got started.

​​​​​​​Just venting, I guess. *I had a fantastic ride. *Really liking the new "C" gear set. *But, man, at 63 years old, I'm getting too old for that nonsense.