Starting for the first time

Who in their right mind would get off in traffic to kick one off? Forgive me but I'm just having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around that one.

Extreme Northern Minnesota. Three of us on our way around Lake Superior.
Once upon a time there was a Norton rider who had stayed at the tavern too long. As we pulled up to the stop sign to get on the highway, my 850 died. We instantly noticed a sheriff's car parked facing us about 200 feet away. My two good buddies took off. I gathered it all up, and with very deliberate and planned movements, got off of the bike, put it on the center stand and started it on first kick. I then got off the bike, put it on the side stand, got on and rode to the next tavern up the road where my buddies were waiting.
Once upon a time #2
Pitch dark, no moon, and no street lamps. I put on my helmet and put the bike on the sidestand. You always want the first kick to be a good one, so I had raised up as far as possible. My next sensation was the pavement smacking me on the side of my head. Not knowing that this was happening, I fell like a tree.
DON'T KICK WHILE ON THE SIDESTAND.. There is a lot of stress on that sidestand bolt.

jbruney said:

Who in their right mind would get off in traffic to kick one off? Forgive me but I'm just having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around that one.

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It was hard to watch!
He had learned this " from the side" starting method and it was the only method he was comfortable with.

Glen

I prefer the center stand, if on the side I first straighten the bike and kick the booger. When I got it years ago it wasn't that difficult at 180#, and now many years later at 230# all it really takes is a twitch of the right leg.
Have I told you guys of late how much I love my 850 and how glad I am I decided to spend that $500.00 in spring 1978 and buy the venerable old lady?

Well, in my Pre-Alton E-start days when out riding I always started mine on the side stand. At 160 lbs I never could manage starting it on the wheels; every time I tried it I nearly dropped the bike because I had to pretty much jump up/romp down on the kick lever. Initially I worried about the side stand strength but I saw that when I would romp down on the kick lever it actually "unweights" the side stand a bit since that down-force on the opposite side tends to stand the bike upright. So I quit worrying about it. Over the 6 years I had the bike before the Alton I couldn't detect any problems as far as bending the side stand doing that. Maybe I was just lucky!

worntorn said:

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

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Blimey... dude should get a mk3...!

Last summer a member of this forum contacted me , he was in area with his 2 sons , all on old bikes , his was ‘72 Combat .... they were from central area of USA and had crossed ferry to Yarmouth ... they/he needed exhaust tool and some wire ... I rode out to local campground where they were camped out and he got his Norton back together .... he was kinda short stature only get one toe down at a time on Norton ... he had bike tuned so he could literally just push KS lever past TDC and bang it was running , he said he had tri-spark ign. , everything else looked like original setup , I looked for electric start but no sign .... I watched him start that bike several times , no drama just a little push on lever and it was running , the 3 made a long ride to Cape Breton Island for a sleep then an even longer ride next day the length of our Province back to Yarmouth to catch the ferry ... he sure made it look easy .... even compared to the hand start videos ....

Yeah, I've heard of that but I couldn't even remotely manage that on either of my Nortons - my original 750 back in the day or my current 850. I can't (couldn't) push either of them through compression by just "pushing" with my foot/leg. I have to basically get all my weight behind it.

When I brought my Norton new I was 17 years old and skinny as a rake, I was a 9 stone weakling with skinny legs, I picked it up on Saturday morning and the dealership was full of harden Harley riders getting parts etc they all were looking at me when handed the keys to my new Commando, after the salesman went over the bike with me and when ready to go I got on and one kick she fired up, then rode it out the door, it took me sometime to get use to kicking it but using the side stand or centre stand, but after awhile I decided it was best to learn to start it without using the stands at all, so for the last 43 years I never kicked on no stands, once mastering how to kick it without using the stands helps if you snuff it at lights etc.
The last 7 years I have had the T160 folding kicker which is a lot longer and makes the kick even easier, but if the bike is well tuned it should alway start on one kick unless its got a belly full of petrol, now with the Joe Hunt once started for the day it fires up on half a swing on the kicker, first kick for the day takes a big full swing on the kicker, mine is also a high compression motor, but my mates have troubles kicking it and just get it all wrong.
These days not many riders have kick start bikes and where ever I am I alway draw onlookers when its time to kick it to life and of course you always get someone yell out "how many kicks to start it" they normaly get that fools look on their face when it starts first kick while sitting on the seat, and yes I still have skinny legs lol.

Ashley

It is a dying art and each machine likes it's belly tickled just so so.

swooshdave said:

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

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we should start a checklist just to ensure our legs don't fall off...

the last 2 items on my list are

X-1) ensure the battery is connected, and ignition turned on...
x) ensure the transmission is in neutral.

Not to many mates now have kickstart bikes so the one that are left we are arranging a kickstart bike run only bikes with kickstarters allowed, won't be to many of us lol any make model welcome.

Ashley

850commando said:

we should start a checklist just to ensure our legs don't fall off...

the last 2 items on my list are

X-1) ensure the battery is connected, and ignition turned on...
x) ensure the transmission is in neutral.

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I did as you suggested and then added the following item:

3. Install Alton E-start! The downside is that I am not eligible to go on the kickstart-only rides!

850commando said:

we should start a checklist just to ensure our legs don't fall off...

the last 2 items on my list are

X-1) ensure the battery is connected, and ignition turned on...
x) ensure the transmission is in neutral.

Click to expand...

To add to your first point:
Check battery voltage with a meter, ignition on; if under 10 volts quit kicking.