New classic brit bike owner/what have I gotten into?

Piefairy said:
Has anyone tried this kicker on an Atlas? I like how it folds in, and its extended to help.
https://nycnorton.com/product/folding-kickstart-lever/

Also, I keep reading negative reactions about kicking with the bike on center or side stand. I'm looking to put a side stand on the Atlas, just for convenience, but if the stand is strong, what is the real negative to kicking on it?

Thanks
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Stands are not for starting. Occasionally maybe but it accelerates the wear or worse. Never on the side stand. They can break no matter how strong you think the are. Angles and multiplied force and math and well, bad.
 
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Sidestands are sometimes not good for anything except occupying a mounting lug. Mine turned loose three weeks ago...Ethanol vs lacquer paint as it lay on the ground. Keep it on the centerstand. That you may trust.
You must have a dirty carb(s) and/or issues with other adjustments. Go through the things thoroughly beginning to end completely without distraction and adjust them. If that doesn't do it move into another phase, but completely eliminate one problem and do the next one.
I stored mine for 38 years and it was over 2 months of work before starting even entered the equation, and another month before it hit the road.
Sorry, but I've gotten a headache following this one
 
There are no negatives about kick starting on the center stand .... it is the preferred way.

The Atlas side stand is strong enough for kick starting. The negatives you may have heard of pertain to the hybrid Nortons, i.e. Atlas engines in Matchless frames, which had a weak mounting clamp. Nevertheless, use the center stand preferentially.

Kick starting with no stand is cool, but I have made too many trips around the sun to try that again.

Side stands are necessary when parking on soft dirt or grass .... you cannot trust the center stand in those cases.

Slick
 
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texasSlick said:
There are no negatives about kick starting on the center stand .... it is the preferred way.

The Atlas side stand is strong enough for kick starting. The negatives you may have heard of pertain to the hybrid Nortons, i.e. Atlas engines in Matchless frames, which had a weak mounting clamp. Nevertheless, use the center stand preferentially.

Kick starting with no stand is cool, but I have made too many trips around the sun to try that again.

Slick
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What side stand would you recommend? My bike does not have one on it. I've been looking at featherbed side stands. Baxter Cycles seems to have a nice one, but not sure. Its a clamp on. I can weld, so if a good side stand needs a welded tab, I can do that.
https://www.baxtercycle.com/product/13-1694-uk/

I did go ahead and order the Mikuni single carb setup from mapmotorcycle.com , turns out they are in my back yard. I am looking for a reliable, low hassle ride, and from all I have read, they tend to be the most stable and reliable option. I realize I will have to relocate the oil tank, possibly, but I was thinking of replacing it anyways. It doesn't look well made and when the bike was running, it hissed and not from the cap.
 
getting it running should be step one, even if just. the amal concentrics are super easy to deal with. as soon as you start replacing parts, you're throwing variables into the mix and you muddy the waters. do a search about cleaning your pilot jet.

spend just a bit of time cleaning what you've got. it'll also allow you to check for leaks, worn out parts, etc. do a google search for amal tuning. there's a couple good sources that are well written and plain as day. high octane, non ethanol gas makes this much easier. no joke.

the mikunis are super tunable, but because of that they are less straight forward than the amals, in my opinion. lube the cables, straighten the kinks out as best you can, check the slide heights as you engage the throttle, and get it idling and revving cleanly. once that is accomplished, think about replacing parts. one thing leads to another. get it running and find out what surprises the motor holds in store for you before you worry about anything else. for real.

the bike will move around on the stand while running on smooth concrete. welcome to british bikes. you paid extra for that feature! the norton atlas is well known for vibrating. you may spend some money (a lot, and sooner than you think) chasing a smoother motor, but that's what you have bought. it was a great design in 1949, milked into the mid 70s.

don't weld a sidestand lug on. the frames are not made of great steel and can tear fairly easily. the stands that clamp on and use a lump that sits against the engine plate to stop it from twisting is the one you want. they are expensive, but cheaper than your bike falling over.
 
The center stand is strong enough for kickstarting if in good condition and if all the frame fixings are there. This is not always the case as there should be thin bolts that go through the stand pivots to the engine plates and they are often left out . It is possible to bend the lower frame tubes if things are loose. Kicking the bike over on the side stand is likely to find you in a heap on the floor laying on top of some pointy bits of metal. Not boring is it !
 
Stick with the Monoblocs, the wear rate is much lower than on the later concentric's and the pilot jet is very accessible. To clean out the pilot jet you need a #78 or a 16 thou drill, its a 17 thou hole that will not be cleaned out solely with carb cleaner and air.
 
Piefairy said:
I just purchased a 1962 Norton Atlas from a restoration garage out in Texas, the bike is unrestored. I haven't touched or ridden the bike, but they have great reviews. Spoke to the owner of the garage, they only restore classic brit bikes. Engine and trans were gone through less than 1,000 miles ago. Numbers matching. Front wheel was swapped for a Honda from what I understand as well as a disc brake (requiring the left fork to be modified).

I've been looking for an Atlas at a good price for a few years. I rebuilt a 74 Honda CB750 2 years ago and convinced myself that I can maintain something like this. The bike is a good strong runner, starts in 2 kicks, per the 72 year old owner.

I am looking for a good place for resources, manuals, tips, tricks, parts, anything for this classic. I am worried about a kickstarter with such high compression 2 cyl engine, but I think I can always lengthen the kick arm if needed.


Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the input t Ingermanson
pierodn said:
1962 Atlas.
Sorry, but what was the first year for Atlas manufacturing?
Click to expand...

First year was 62, there were some changes done in 64 from what I understand, like 12 volt electrical. But still the same bike more or less.

I'm going to be switching to the Mikuni carbs, atleast for a bit. The stock carbs look like they need a rebuild from what I can see. I can operate the breathers with my fingers, but they dont like to close all the way or close at the same time. I wont be junking any parts off a classic. If I don't think I will be using it, I will be sure to offer it up to the community.

As to just lubing the throttle cable, half of the exterior housing is missing, just the metal braid covering the actual cable is left most of the way. Its also stretched to the point that I have about 10 to 15* of play on the throttle, even with it adjust all the way out.

I should have the new carbs in this week. They are suppose to come pre-tuned for the Atlas, but we will see how that goes.
 
Got the new carbs and they are on. Changing the carbs made the bike a WHOLE lot easier to kick over, even with the oil in the sump. I don't know a lot about carbs, but I do know the regulate the fuel/air mix for the bike, what would make such a big difference going from the dual to to monoblock? I would have thought if anything, it would be harder due to having to get twice the air through the carb. Also, there are two hoses on the Mikuni carb, I have no clue what they go to and I don't see a reference to them in the instructions.
New classic brit bike owner/what have I gotten into?


I'm thinking the bottom one is an overflow vent for the fuel bowl, and the top one is... just a vent? I have fuel routed to the large inlet.

Thanks
 
Overflow and atmosphere vent. Don't have an answer about your carbs but glad you can kick it.
 

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