Intresting ride!

So I was out for my second ride, on my new to me husky, working on the lean jetting issues and trying to get the starting procedures figured out. Thanks to this forum for the starting techniques they are definitely helpful! After stopping for a quick break and checking the plug I started the bike and it sounded a little off. I put it in gear to drive off and to my surprise ......IT WAS GOING IN REVERSE! WOW that was a shock. I hit the kill switch and started it again with no issue. I guess there was enough of a kick back the engine actually fired up? Any one else have this happen before. My 2005 Ski-doo MXZ has an electronic reverse which is the engine running backwards.

if on a big bore (400) and timing should be around 3mm BTDC and it ran in reverse, I would check where it is firing as that generally occurs when to close to TDC not like 3 mm before

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check the timing. . Is 3 mm btdc the correct specs for this bike?

LOL, bet that was a surprise! Never had it happen over the years

You sure the bike doesn't have a Bultaco engine in it?

Yup, a timing thing.

my 88 250 more and more often until i swapped out the sem...it would roost the front tire

Just fixed a Parcar golf buggy and they have 2 pickups one each side of TDC. You spin the starter one way for forward and the other way for reverse. Simple and smart setup.

This happened to me a few times on my Bombardier (Garelli) Junior Cross. It was always when I least expected it

Happened to me a few times over the years with my Stormer and a Greeves ME I used to ride. Trying to leave the start line backwards!!

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't such a big surprise when taking off. It needs the reverse alarm like my sled

I'm making a tool so I can check the actual ignition timing with my dial indicator.

Other question is what is the actual husky spec for this bike with the motoplat mini6? Can't download any of the ref. manuals.

TIA
Bill

I had the reverse running bulto Sherpa years ago...I got to the point where I could deliberately start it backward with a bit of a wimpy kick...won a lot of bets with that trick... I could tell if it was running backward as it used to" knock" a bit more than usual at idle.

the first time it got me though..near rode into the next door neighbors po ol

Happened to me also . Stalled going across a hill all rock and of course as luck would have it the kick starter was on the down hill side . That was the only time it happened so far .

So I was able to check the timing tonight and it worked out to be 2mm BTDC. Which according to an 87 430 spec'd at 2.3mm and a race set up of 1.9mm mine doesn't seem to be too far off? Any opinions? If I retarded it to 2.5mm would it make it easier or more difficult to start?

-if you moved it to 2.5mm you would be advancing the timing from your stated 2mm btdc. if you are not experiencing kickbacks, you could leave it as is.
-what do you mean, "race set up of 1.9mm"? the more advanced, the more response, the more stress and octane requirement. a "race" setup would be book spec or perhaps even more advanced..
-how are you measuring timing? in my 400 and 430 i have run 1.5-1.8 with little or no kickback.

The further away from TDC you move the timing the more difficult it becomes to start and the chance of kickback increases. According to my data your 2.00mm setting is spot on. There are other conditions that can cause the motor to pop and subsequently turn in the opposite direction. Whether its enough to ignite the motor in that direction is another thing but possible.

Some of the things that come to mind begin with a slow piston speed from a weak kick start which are then combined with one or more of the following: a lean condition due to an air leak, low octane or old fuel, near empty carb bowl, intermittent sparkplug malfunction, ghostly spirits (sorry, I couldn't resist that one ).

Had 360 start backwards it was due to water ingress in stator so yes timing.
Couldn't for the life of me work that out at 3am in torrential down pour on a long distance trial, was running like a dog before it stalled..

the alpina's massive flywheels would take it back over tdc if you wimp kicked it up to compression

Surprise hinted at the cause, kicks that dont spin the engine over fast enough to keep it going the correct direction when it fires.