Modified Kickstart

Chris,

Sorry to hear you've broke the frame, the bike's a real beauty. What's the vibes like? I know how bad an Atlas can be.

Cash

Commando Kickstart

Hi Chris - what a gorgeous looking Norton - perhaps you can post some decent-sized photos. Thanks for the advice - Terry quotes £64.00 for his kickstart incl P&P and VAT - this doesn't seem too bad assuming it'll withstand a 920 motor needing a few hefty kicks !!!.

Regards - Mark Woodward

Terry reacheable?

Mark, Indeed £64 looks like a good price, better than $159 in California. Can Terry be reached by e-mail? Web site? I only saw a phone number so far and calling the UK from Canada would eat any possible savings.

Jean

cash said:

Chris,

Sorry to hear you've broke the frame, the bike's a real beauty. What's the vibes like? I know how bad an Atlas can be.

Cash

Click to expand...

Chris, what balance factor was used in your Seeley? I was told to use a balance factor of 84% in a Featherbed frame with a forward leaning Commando engine.

Jean

Seeley MK111

Hi all
Cash I had the bike balanced to 84 as per Basset Downs recommendations. The bike was fine. You have to bare in mind that I was racing my Jim Lee 686 8 valve Bonnie at the time & I would say it was the same. ie at a standstill sitting on the bike waiting to go out it would upset my eye sight. Once out & running it was really smooth. I had it set up so that I could buzz it through the gears. At 6,500 to 7,000 it starts to vibe again. Around 70MPH on duel carriage ways & the like it drummed horrible through the tank. I found it was happiest iether side of that & to be honest it was not revving above 4,500 in top. It topped out at about 115mph. I was running a pair of 30mm Dellorto pumpers & it was rich, fuel consumption was mid thirties, so I had a lot of work to do. I never even looked at the gearing. I could not keep off the think & Knocked up six & a half thousand miles over 8 months including winter.
I managed to trace the history of my frame, difficult because it was unused. It turns out that it is a special light weight thin walled tubed frame that was only supposed to last a couple of seasons at most.
My friend help make the Redfern frame & he told me that it was impecable until they jacked it up to 850 then 920 where it pulled the frame apart. I did not help my cause by listening to people who informed me that I had to run with the front down tubes (it looked awsome without them) & that I must have a substantial headsteady. Yes the headsteady made up by a friend at Ricardo's the frame cracked on the headsteady welds!
The tyres cant have helped as I copied them from Gary Thwaites championship winning Seeley Mk111 Commando. The bugger dropped into roundabouts so quick I had to pick it up to avoid the kerb. Then if I was'nt nailing it it would run wide on the way out. I put skinny little tyres back on & it was on rails.

Avery product are a motocross based dealer. He also has alloy 500 Daytona barrels. Grimeca GP forks & drum brakes & is having Grimeca shocks made for road racing. I dont think he is the type to have a website but I will ask.
Jon my mum is of to Florida Monday so I have missed the boat there. However if John gets to Bonniville with the streamiliner Vincent I will ask him to take a kickstart with him.
all the best Chris
Martin I look forward to seeing your bike.
all the best Chris

modified kick starter

Jean, here is one photo of the Norton/Jap starter.

Hi Guys - ref Avery Products - No he doesn't have a website or accept credit cards etc. - he's a good old fashioned chap who accepts cash or cheques - I've only spoken to him by phone but he seems a good honest gentleman.

Re: modified kick starter

katescottageiom said:

Jean, here is one photo of the Norton/Jap starter.


Thanks for the pic, I found a Honda 750 kickstart lever for $15, cut the spline part off, cut the lever part of a Norton Commando lever and the two parts are now off to the welder. As soon as I get them back, I will post a picture of the assembly. Why the need for two bolts to secure the lever to the spline?

Jean

Click to expand...

I'm guessing the original Honda bolt hole was stripped, so he added the secondary clamping.

You'd better be sure that weld holds; one hard kick on a starter that snaps, and you can hyper-extend your knee. No fun, I assure you.

I know what you mean, but I have complete confidence in my welder, he did so many welds on my project that I must have that level of confidence.

Jean

modified kicker

Jean, actually we have completed at least 9 of these modifications, I say we because I do not do the welding, My welder's name is Tuneberg and his real job is with a company by the name of BOA, a German outfit. We have been working together for many years on our various projects, he has a European certification of the highest caliber where they test continuously. I trust him, and so do our customers, and you are correct GrandPaul, it can happen, especially on some of the new shafts that are on the market now.
As to the two bolts, that is the way this one came, and I could not find anything wrong with the original, but...!
jt

I just read a tip that although I have never tried it, makes sense. If your kickstart seems loose on the shaft even if the bolt is tight, grind off the first one or two splines on both sides of the split on the inside of the kickstart lever. This will allow the clamping action to pull the lever tighter on the shaft.

YMMV.

Back to the drawing board...

Got my parts from the welder, looked good until I put it on the gearbox. Seems I forgot to make sure it clears the inspection cover :-(

Tomorrow, I will cut it back in two pieces and this time allow enough room to clear the inspection cover.

Oh well

Jean

Jeandr,
That's why I stepped mine out. Is that a 750 Honda lever?

Cash

modified kick start

Jeandr, very nice welding, You should be in Daytona Bch. Florida, 2 days of vintage racing, 70 F., until today! rain, rain.
jt

Yes

cash said:

Jeandr,
That's why I stepped mine out. Is that a 750 Honda lever?

Cash

Click to expand...

Live and learn, after that blunder I took a better look at all the pictures I could find and they were all stepped out a bit. And yes, that is a Honda 750 lever.

Jean

Re: modified kick start

katescottageiom said:

Jeandr, very nice welding, You should be in Daytona Bch. Florida, 2 days of vintage racing, 70 F., until today! rain, rain.
jt

Click to expand...

Rain! I have been shoveling snow for more than an hour and I still another hour at least before I'm finished. The forecast calls for more snow this saturday... arrrrrgggg (but it gives me time to work on my bike so it's not all bad :wink: )

kickstart?

what's that?

Oh, you mean that thing that rubs against my right ankle when I'm blasting along on my Mark III? - after starting the bike by pushing that little green button with my right thumb.

I think I used it once in the last year - maybe I should just take it off and throw it away.

My other bikes don't have one.

Just thought I'd rub it in.

pkeithkelly,

Yes you sure have.
I reckon I'll have to refit my starter the old right knee has finally give up with next to no chance of a new one.

Cash

Finally

Got my modified kickstart installed today, now it does not touch anything after I had it rewelded. The fun part now is going to figure out which gear change lever to use, either a JPS one I have on hand or make my own rear sets with parts I have and other I will make, all I know is it will take time ;-)

Jean

For those who don't want to read the whole thread, it is a Honda 750 four kick lever (when they had some ) with the splines cut off welded to a Norton bottom. The Norton lever I used was from one of the earlier 750.