An electric starter that rocks the engine - does not rotate it?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I have been reading up on the Maico Letta 250 Scooter that I owned as a teenager fighting the nostalgia trap at present.
I knew the electric starter always sounded strange - it rocks the engine rather than turns it over!
Made me wonder if this was used on any proper motor cycle engines in the past.

The old shaped  petrol Smart four two run out model used the alternator to operate the stop start system with a normal starter motor for normal & cold starting.

[Johnwebley]

The Yamaha 200 twins, and Villiers powered Bond cars had starter/dynamos,

In the case of the Bond,it could start the motor in reverse,

So giving a reverse gear,



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[K2-K6]

As John indicates, a system to rotate crank with charging system and thus start the car.

One type "Siba Dynastart" was manufactured near where I grew up, the man who lived at the bottom of our garden (well not in our garden you'll understand, but abutting property  ) was a director there.

https://schmittparts.co.uk/products/siba-armature-sachs-0686-072-002 as example of the type.

Fitted in Meshershmidt as well and obviate the need to have reverse gear fitted when used on a two stroke motor.  Invalid cars with Villiers motor used them too, I believe.

[Laverda Dave]

I think Suzuki also used the alternator as a starter in the GT185 and the GT380/550 triples.

[Laverda Dave]

My Matchless G2 250CSR had a hill start mechanism fitted as standard and this was directly linked to the speed of the riders legs but even that was hit and miss

[Bryanj]

The yamaha 200 would start backwards if the timing was out! My old boss found out the hard way after one would only start with a bump!

[Athame57]

In the case of the Bond,it could start the motor in reverse,

In the 1980s I had  a flatmate and one morning she kicked the starter and it went backwards,  it did that a few more times too. Apparently they were notorious for it.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maicoletta

.I've been trying to remember what the starter motor sounded like when you pressed down on the large T shaped ignition key. It was iirc a sort of strange heavy rumbling noise - apparently many of the scooters offered for sale do not have a working "Pendulum" starter system. There is no kickstart so I guess they must bump start them - not easy unless you live at the top of a hill as they are quite  heavy at 146Kg.

Found a video of the Pendulum starter working.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA9Yh_upkE8