I have a broken knee, it has been operated several times and I have to live with it, my current status, I can do many things but it is not as strong as I would like it, for this reason I bought an MK3, I thought that the electric assistance would be the right way to conquer my dream to have a Norton commando and use it travel the pirenees from east to west as i do yearly, unfortunatly, the electric start broke to pieces 3 times allready, so I have given up spending any more money on it, I rebuild it but with a too loose anti backfire device to prevent to use it again, so I had trouble starting my Mk3 after the rebuild, kick starting would be the only option from then on.
I learn the way to kick it, for me it worked:
1- Don't use the Choke
2- Ignition OFF
3- Tikkle the Amals
4- Kick once
5- Find the max resistance and situate the kick on top position
6- Turn on ignition
7- Give a bloody long push all the way down with al your body weight with the bike in the center stand.
I did it several times a day, after a week it started every time, now I can start it even with no stand, I learned the way...my way, so my Norton and I are friends right now.
After the first starts I discovered more things like that the ignition trigger was not centered and was "jumping" a bit so if was giving false info to the ECU, my carbs where wrongly set, things normal at this early stages of the project, what help me most was not to surrender and as many in this forum I insisted and insisted to adress each problem I could find...again and again and again until kick starting is not a problem anymore.
Today my project is not finished yet but it will be in a few weeks.
My Knee will not improve but I am sure that I will kick start my Norton with no problem, it may even be that i set the antibackfire clutch correctly if the bike one day decides to go perfect, we wil see.
This is my story I am happy to share it specially with you Torontian, being injured it easy to surrender and sell your bike but ...Is it worth to sell your dream?
Get well soon.
Best regards from Spain