Manual spark advance

[57pan]

I have a single point ignition with manual advance. The original handlebars with the internal throttle and spark advance grips are long gone.
The timer is held in the advanced position by a spring. When I start it I have to disconnect the spring and retard the timer then try to keep it going long enough to reach down and manually advance the timer and reattach the spring.
I've been thinking of putting another throttle grip on the left side, but since a throttle cable doesn't work very well for push-pull (like the old stiff wire), I would leave the spring in place for the advance and devise some way to use the left "throttle" cable to pull the timer to the retard position.
A couple of questions:

* does this sound feasible? has anyone done anything like this?
* on the original internal spark advance which way do you roll the grip to retard it?

I'm open to any other suggestions. Well, I mean, besides putting in one of those slick two piece timer units with auto advance.

[PanPal]

It sounds to me like it would work. I know you pull towards you on the top of the grip to advance the timing. This turns the timer clockwise. Good luck!

[57pan]

you pull towards you on the top of the grip to advance the timing. This turns the timer clockwise. Good luck!

Advanced is counter-clockwise, isn't it?
So, when you roll the top of the left grip towards you it is actually retarding the timer??

[Jonderson]

I use a regular $4 automobile choke cable set-up, with no springs at all. Just push it in to start, then pull it out to go. I have the knob sort of hidden along the underside of the frame where your left thigh would be. Very handy, easy, and damn near invisible.

[PanPal]

Your right, when you pull the top of the grip, it pulls the cable in. Counter clockwise is correct. Sorry about the incorrect info. 57pan :-/ I was thinking about this again last night and still had it wrong. Where is your spring attached? I was picturing it pulling off the horn bracket. The choke cable sounds like something that would work also, but I use my manual advance all the time while I'm riding. Never back to completely retarded unless at a stop light, but depending on the RPM's I slightly retard when I'm chugging along and listen to the motor even out a bit. This is on my bike though. I don't have a users manual that explains correct use of the grip while riding.

[57pan]

Where is your spring attached?

Here is a pic that I happened to have from before I did the rebuild, but it is still set up like this.



I had thought about using a choke cable (wire) to actuate the timer advance but I think there are times when I try to start it and it quits before I can reach down to advance the timer. If I used the choke cable setup I think it would be better but the left-grip throttle would be the surest way to quickly advance the timer when starting it.

[VintageTwin]

Naw..naw..naw..keep it like it was original. All that you have is easy to fix. Go look in the seach box-thing for the handlebar section. I postd that I think. I just rebuilt mine. Do you have the org. spirals on it? Have you ever removed them. They are both the same, push type. You got a Linkert on there? Don't go butcher something till we talk about it. The manual retard is a beautiful thing. Women will tear your clothes off, it's so "motorcycle" to operate in public. SAVE THE SPIRAL RETARD.

[57pan]

Do you have the org. spirals on it? Have you ever removed them. They are both the same, push type. You got a Linkert on there?

No, it doesn't have the original handlebars anymore - no spirals. No, I don't have a Linkert - but everyone is telling me that I should put a Linkert back on it, so I'm kind of keeping a look-out for one.

[VintageTwin]

You can get a set of '54-59 handlebars complete (with cables and wiring) from V-Twin for about 335. retail. Ask them if they are finished without having to handfit anything. Or, well maybe....you're better off calling Kick-Start at (616) 245-8991 and see what he has. Anyway, I'd put it back to stock. The only probem is that all of the AM push spirals are no good. They may have made them work at V-Twin when they're assembled complete (the catalog shows a complete set) (VT 25-0600), but I don't see that Chuck has them listed as a complete set of one piece bars. He'll tell you where it's at.