
If the clutch is in, then a large chunk of counter-rotating mass is not
rotating.  Hence, at a light, reving makes it twist.  Shaft effect is the
rear end rising under power or (the real problem) getting lower to the road
when the throttle is snapped shut (say when you are cornering and the heads
are real close to the road).  New GS bikes with the paralever shaft have
almost no shaft effect.



It's a question of how long you spend at low RPM and how much you need the
extra light.  At low RPM, 3K and under, they don't charge all that much if
at all.  The alternators put out sufficient wattage, it just that you need
to be at 4K RPM to get it.  


Full choke.  Open the gas taps.  Hit the starter and ever so slightly blip the
throttle.  It should fire.  Cranking should be done with minimal throttle.
My R100 likes the throttles to be raised just a bit off idle.

It's an EXPERIENCE thing.  Like Zen, it's hard to describe.  It can be hard
to learn if you aren't paying atttention to the differences between success
and failure.  Especially if you get really pissed off and flatten the
battery while trying to get it to run.

If my bike has been sitting for a few weeks, I give it a short while to
start.  If it doesn't, I turn it off and wait a few minutes for things to
vaporize in the fuel system and then it lights right off.  I've got dual
plugs which make it easier to start.


The BIG fix is the Bing carb upgrade kit.  It's good for a few MPG and the
parts are alcohol proof.  The parts it replaces aren't alcohol proof.  As
long as the bike isn't going to sit for long periods of time, gasohol is
nice since it helps keep ping away.  If your bike doesn't ping on cheap gas
you ought to raise the compression! (Half a smiley, the BMW twins of the
80s and beyond have lowered compression to keep the EPA happy.  Dual plugs
and higher compression give back a big chunk of the lost perfomance).