tips and tricks for kickstarting a Commando (2014)

Every bike will be slightly different from every other one as far as how much to tickle it, whether to crack the throttle or not, and/or whether to use the enricher slides.

ALL will benefit from application of proper body english to take full advantage of the rider's total weight in a kinetic balancing act that can be accomplished with no danger to the kickstand mounting points.

I'm finding that the older I get, the easier it used to be. Weighing under 140 doesn't help.

Fast Eddie said:

Nater_Potater said:

I said it before, I'll say it again: STUPID AMERICANS! He's an embarrassment to us all! At least he has good taste in bikes, even if he can't start it.

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We've all been there at some point, even those of us who aren't American !!

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You'll please note that it was a stupid American (me) that made the first disparaging remark. Call it "self deprecating". 'No offence intended to my fellow countrymen.
When I get rich and famous and want to ride the Norton, I think it might be good practice to avoid anyplace where throngs of cameras might congregate. Yes, the Norton is very camera-shy.

auldblue said:

Well this usually works for me!

J

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I have never tried starting a bike with my left leg, this always looks bizzare to me, but hey ho....

When my now wife was a young lady, and about 135lbs I taught he to start my BSA A65 Thunderbolt, she needed the main stand, I have difficulty starting a bike on the main stand....

I taught her just to prove to her it was technique and not a feat of strength...wiff of throttle, up on compression, throw yourself up in the air and let it all come down on the kickstart together with a complete follow through......OK, she found the Commando a bit harder, but like Eddie says, stands vary and the Fastback one was short....the wobbling worried her....

When I production raced it you had to kickstart (no stand!) the dead engine, and I seemed to get away aalogside some of the electric start bikes, even though I started in neutral and some of them were already in 1st gear.....time setting the timing (points) for a good start paid back more than worrying too much about full advance! and small throttle carb settings needed to be right too. Of course the engine was warm and no choke or tickler was used. Those with 850s and over 10:1 preferred to extend the kickstart about 2"....

Push starting the same bike or my 10.25:1 Rickman involved pulling it back on compression, which seems better than easing up, or over TDC to me, probably less unburnt fuel in the inlets that way...

More recently I found a borrowed PR replica almost impossible to kickstart!...but the kickstart lever it self was set too far anticlockwise on the splines (too low to get the full swing) and later in the day I had things happen like the jet needle fall out of its clip!....and noticed cracked carb rubbers (MKII Amals)....moral....poor set up hinders starting.....anyway we just threw it on the rollers in second which overcomes most things, which is great until you are on your own without the rollers :roll:

In the 1980s I knew a bloke in Melbourne called Cripple he stood approximately 5/5 and wayd around 9 stone and he wasnt crippled. To start his Black Shadow he put it in 2nd , pulled the clutch ,trotted along for a dozen or so steps ,droped his bum on the seat and popped the clutch . I didnt see him have to do it more than twice . He would be around seventy now I hope that he is still riding.(E Start ?)

There was a guy called Dave Potter who production raced a 750 Commando, as it was a dead engine start against the Foreign electric start bikes, he used to pratice and practice until he could get away from the drop of the flag to be up amongst the leaders in the first corner.

My kick lever was up in a near 12 o'clock position. Was told that's not right and move it anti-clockwise a little. Did that and it still won't start for me. Hot/cold, with/without choke, touch of throttle/no throttle. No go. My right knee give me jip quite often, but I am fine kicking my Enfield 500 (single) into life. Actually, that seems easier lately! Won't give up, but for now, I'm glad it's a Mk3.