kick start and e-start -- engine rotate characteristic - ???

no expert on the norton twins, but i've had this starting characteristic since i bought the bike. i don't know if this something normal and common with the 850 engine/gearbox. first, when trying to start the bike using the kick start, initially and about half the time, it feels like the whole engine assembly is locked up. sometimes it does it - sometimes, it doesn't. second, with the e-start - i'll hit the start button, same thing, feels like the engine assembly is locked up. again, only about half the time. i have another thread on the subject of a failed woodruff key on the alton sprag clutch/rotor assembly, and now, wondering if that adding or causing the problem. i weigh almost 200 lbs, and i can literally stand on the kick start lever, and the engine will not rotate. if i exercise th kick start lever back and forth a couple times, it frees up, and i can go through the normal start action. same thing with the e-start - i can hit the button several times, and the engine will turn over. again this only happens about half the time. it almost feels like the engine's at a certain point and i'm fighting compression. BTW, ran a compression check a couple weeks ago, and i'm running 145 and 150. my gut feeling is it has nothing to do with compression, but there's other issues at play here. so, any comments or ideas on what's going on. something wrong or a normal characteristic of the norton twin? my 66 BSA 650 spitfire has 10.5:1 CR, and i can literally turn the engine over with the kick start lever by hand. ideas, comments....

Worn bushings, more than likely (on the kickstart).

That doesn't explain the e-start issue.

Scroll down below my reply and have a search of similar topics...

It's a common occurrence. Push through/let compression bleed down.

Sometimes your engine will stop just before a TDC, then when kicking or pressing the button the crank only has a few degrees to move and pick up speed before it meets compression, so it stops rather than continue. If it stops just after a TDC then it has a lot further to turn before meeting resistance so it can speed up easily. The heavy flywheel will store this speed as inertia allowing the crank to easily get over the next TDC.

Your A65 has a cam with a wide overlap when both valves are open, at kicking speeds you loose a lot of effective compression so like a Combat its easier to kick over than an 850 with less overlap. Plus its 650cc not 828cc.

Treat it like a big single without a de-compressor, stand on the kickstarter and allow the compression to slowly leak away, once just past TDC kick or press the button.

Could it be wet sumped oil causing some of this lock up until you've push it through a couple of times?

thanks for the replies....