Starting for the first time

RoadScholar · Mar 5, 2019

Fresh fuel, turn on the taps and watch for at least 5 minutes to be sure fuel isn't leaking; a tissue edge is a good telltale. Take the machine outside away from what you don't want to catch fire, do have a fire extinguisher handy, CO2 is preferred, but dry chemical is more common.

You, in all likelihood, won't need an extinguisher, but it is the best way to protect your motorcycle and surroundings in the event things go wrong. Incidentally this will impress your by-standers with your professionalism and underscore the risk-taker in you.

Clear the clutch, tickle the carbs, take one or two kicks with ignition off, switch on ignition, know that your machine WILL start on the first full ready kick, think lots of positive thoughts. Kick this piece of history into life!

You can do this, feel it, think it, know it!

Best

jaydee75 · Mar 5, 2019

Check that your kill switch is not on kill. I've wasted a lot of time kicking a bike only to notice later that the kill switch was in the wrong position the whole time. Feels like a dummy for sure.
JD

Tornado · Mar 5, 2019

jaydee75 said:
Check that your kill switch is not on kill. I've wasted a lot of time kicking a bike only to notice later that the kill switch was in the wrong position the whole time. Feels like a dummy for sure.
JD

Know what you mean...but on the '74 850's the kill is a momentary push button...doesn't latch to the ign-off position. Coming off a modern bike, itis weird to have to hold the button down for a second or two to actually get it to stop the engine

swooshdave · Mar 5, 2019

Fast Eddie said:
You want some high quality whey protein powder, mix it with skimmed or semi skimmed milk.

And eat lots of chicken and tuna.

It’s the only way to minimise leg ache after a Saturday kick starting marathon...

If it doesn’t start at first, kick it until it does. Or your leg falls off. Whichever comes first.

ashman · Mar 6, 2019

If it don't fire up in the first few kicks then something is not right, swoosh you picked the right music for that clip, pretty funny but wouldn't have been at the time for sure, first rebuild I did on my Norton I cheated as my mate was there to see it come to life but he didn't see me squit a bit of fuel down the plug hole before I kicked it and it fired up first kick, not sure if the fuel down the plug hole helped, my mate was impressed but I didn't say a thing to him.

Ashley

Deets55 · Mar 6, 2019

Dave,
Just woke up and watched your video. I got so tired watching you I had to lay down and take a nap.
Kudos for sharing, and hopefully your next start up is a little quicker. Especially since your a little older now

Pete

MexicoMike · Mar 6, 2019

Before I actually try to start a bike in that situation, I would have still had the plugs out and with them connected/laying on the head, turn on the ignition and kick (hit start button, whatever) to observe that sparks are present. No point in spinning a starter/kicking until you are half dead only to find out after doing that that there is no spark1

Pete Komarek · Mar 6, 2019

swooshdave said:
If it doesn’t start at first, kick it until it does. Or your leg falls off. Whichever comes first.

OMG

-I would have collapsed from all that kicking! Good idea the boots-I was cringing when you were kicking with sneakers. Nice Bul in the background - AHRMA?

Pete Komarek · Mar 6, 2019

MexicoMike said:
Before I actually try to start a bike in that situation, I would have still had the plugs out and with them connected/laying on the head, turn on the ignition and kick (hit start button, whatever) to observe that sparks are present. No point in spinning a starter/kicking until you are half dead only to find out after doing that that there is no spark1

He may have had spark just at the wrong time...

Tornado · Mar 6, 2019

swooshdave said:
If it doesn’t start at first, kick it until it does. Or your leg falls off. Whichever comes first.

Somebody needs to do a kick-count on this....and give SD some sort of award.
Now that is's started, he will need to rip it all apart to replace the kicker-pawl ;-)

swooshdave · Mar 6, 2019

Pete Komarek said:
OMG -I would have collapsed from all that kicking! Good idea the boots-I was cringing when you were kicking with sneakers. Nice Bul in the background - AHRMA?

As I’ve told the story a couple times my dad was out visiting and I was bound and determined to make it start. He had helped me out a bunch on the bike and I wanted him to hear it run.

I believe it turned out to be an intermittent ground wire.

As for the Bultacos I sold the Pursang, my brother has one of the Sherpas and the other is in my garage. I get to one or two trials a year if I’m lucky.

MexicoMike · Mar 6, 2019

Pete Komarek said:
He may have had spark just at the wrong time...

That's true but I ASSUMED that the static timing has been set prior to the startup attempt. If that step was forgotten, absolutely - no telling when/where that spark will occur!

HMNYC · Mar 9, 2019

Bike started and is brilliant. I only rode it around the block but its absolutely magical (though the brakes are terrifying and why the hell is the shifter over there). I had a bit of a hic-up as I had not installed the throttle cable correctly and it went full out the first 2 tries before I figured it out and flipped it around.

As predicted, my leg hurts but it was worth it!! Thanks for all the tips, I will post a video tomorrow and a photo of my bruise.

Mike

alan hodge · Mar 9, 2019

looked like monkey friggin a football only kidding why not stand on right side with bike on center stand and use right foot?

ashman · Mar 9, 2019

HMNYC said:
Bike started and is brilliant. I only rode it around the block but its absolutely magical (though the brakes are terrifying and why the hell is the shifter over there). I had a bit of a hic-up as I had not installed the throttle cable correctly and it went full out the first 2 tries before I figured it out and flipped it around.

As predicted, my leg hurts but it was worth it!! Thanks for all the tips, I will post a video tomorrow and a photo of my bruise.

Mike

Thats good that you got it running and taking it for a short ride, as for the shifter its on the right side the other bikes have it wrong, but you will get use to it, I haven't rode my Norton for sometime but lately its been out twice now and have no problems with right hand gear change after riding my modren bikes, it just come natrual for me to know which bike I am riding at the time.

Ashley

jbruney · Mar 9, 2019

Sounds good. Now get to riding. You're younger than me so I figure you should be good for say.....100mi. per day in the winter. No sweat. Right?

Looks good also.

worntorn · Mar 9, 2019

alan hodge said:
looked like monkey friggin a football only kidding why not stand on right side with bike on center stand and use right foot?

Nothing wrong with Dave's kick or method.

I rode with a guy who could only start the bike from the side with bike on stand. I guess he started kick starting late in life after owning only e start bikes.
What a gong show when he stalled and had to restart in traffic, with his wife along.

Really , the best is on wheels, boy on top, bike on bottom. And maybe learn how to start the bike this way with a passenger on the back.
It's not that hard.

Glen

NPeteN · Mar 9, 2019

Usually I start a cold engine from the side. I'f it's warm, on top. No right or wrong way.
I'm anticipating my own first start in a month or so, hoping it goes well. Looking forward to seeing what all the fuss over the Kickstarter is about.

worntorn · Mar 9, 2019

There are some wrong ways to go about kickstarting..

Here is one I've witnessed. It required a lot of work and good communication. Nonetheless, it nearly caused an accident.
Rider is in traffic on 74 Norton 850 with wife on back, panniers and camping gear on bike. Rider stalls on takeoff at busy intersection. First he asks the wife to get off. Next he gets himself off while balancing the loaded bike and nearly loses it. Then he and wife struggle bike up on stand while horns are honking and impatient car drivers are squeezing past. He makes his way around to side because he can only start the bike from the side and on the centre stand. He nearly gets run over in process, finally starts bike. Then wife helps get it back off stand. She keeps it balanced while he gets on, then finally she gets on.

The other way is everybody stays on and the rider pushes commencement lever, done and back running in a few seconds.
This is why one should get practiced at starting on the wheels, but us old dogs aren't always fond of learning....

Glen

ashman · Mar 9, 2019

NPeteN said:
Usually I start a cold engine from the side. I'f it's warm, on top. No right or wrong way.
I'm anticipating my own first start in a month or so, hoping it goes well. Looking forward to seeing what all the fuss over the Kickstarter is about.

If you had no experience in kickstarting a Norton then you will find out what the fuss is all about, I have no troubles at all but then I been riding mine for over 43 years now and have the knack, none of my mates can get my Norton started as they don't have the knack lol, its funny watching them try but, I never use a stand to kick my bike, but I have seen bikes fall over from people trying to start their bikes on the side stand.

Ashley

Starting for the first time

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