A real kicker of a question

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Before I installed the Alton there is no way...No Way...NO WAY I would have switched off the engine in traffic! ;) And that included back in the day when I had my first Commando, was in my early 20's, thought I was the best motorcycle rider since Mike Hailwood and wasn't afraid of anything...except stalling my Commando in traffic! :)

Wuss...

Stalled at a traffic light going uphill.. with my girlfriend on the back. Right side passenger footpeg up (to clear the kick lever), hold the front brake, snick into neutral, balance on the wheels, kick start, pillion peg back down for the girl's right foot, find first gear, and pull away before the light changed again. Got thumbs up from the car behind me. I was 24 at the time.
 
Those of us of slight build have now slinked off to a dark corner awaiting sundown to come out and try to start the thing up on its centre stand.
There have been days when I just turned the key off and fired up the Trident. Those little 250cc pots much easier to kick over!
 
God just made you guys have to kick harder is all... Besides I believe most of y'all live longer too. … Could be because since it took more time to get the bike started the out of control bus up the road missed careening into you thereby shortening your young, at the time, life.

If possible I too like the center stand a bunch just in case a knee gives out. Also if the bike has taken the notion to become cantankerous, which being English could be anytime you want to ride.
 
When I used straight 50W in the bike I dreaded it stalling in traffic, light, etc. But once I switched to syn 20W50 it was easy peasy to start it once warm, I could just about push it over with my hand.
 
God just made you guys have to kick harder is all... Besides I believe most of y'all live longer too.

A buddy of mine recently had a knee and a hip replaced. He swears that 40+ years of starting a Commando wore them out.
 
I've only kicked over one 750 before, an earlier one... widow maker frame and all... was a veritable screamer, and it was holy hell to crank. When I got this 850 I was thinking 'Oh Lord help me', but it was easy to crank. I knew very little about them... lower CR and all that, but years later I'm grateful for it.... Young men=750 Old men=850
 
I've only kicked over one 750 before, an earlier one... widow maker frame and all... was a veritable screamer, and it was holy hell to crank. When I got this 850 I was thinking 'Oh Lord help me', but it was easy to crank. I knew very little about them... lower CR and all that, but years later I'm grateful for it.... Young men=750 Old men=850

Odd that you say that - my buddy's 72 Combat is easier to kick than my stock 850. He had an 850 for a while too, and he'd tell you the same thing.
 
I only recall it being a tough one to get over as compared to my 850, but then it was a bit of a hotrod. I was 19 and awe struck when face to face with a Commando too after the HD's.... Scary things they were.... Small very fast... didn't stop that quick, but they sure got rolling.... All that aside I really had to come down on that thing. Guy that had it had it tampered with because nothing could satisfy his need for speed.
 
Well, I have always straddled the bike on it’s two wheels. I would not be a fan of kicking it on either stand.
The real key here is no matter how you prefer to kick it, is that it fires off on the first pass. Each of us have
a preferred pre kick approach to try to ensure this happens. A lot of variables come into play. How long to tickle her. How much to close the choke. Where to place the throttle. Whether or not to kick her through with key off. What to say to her before attempting all this. Do you praise her, threaten her, promise a clean up,
or to just give her a cold shoulder. After all this, when she lights off with a Norton roar on the first kick, you put a big smile on
your face and say “Oh what a clever boy I am.”
 
Once hot it is much easier even with 20-50 cold is a bother. Runs great once it gets going.
 
Wuss...

Stalled at a traffic light going uphill.. with my girlfriend on the back. Right side passenger footpeg up (to clear the kick lever), hold the front brake, snick into neutral, balance on the wheels, kick start, pillion peg back down for the girl's right foot, find first gear, and pull away before the light changed again. Got thumbs up from the car behind me. I was 24 at the time.

Hmmm...much nicer people than those I encountered. When I DID stall my Commando in traffic - either my original 750 back in the day or my 850 prior to the Alton (both bikes were one-kick starters) there were no "thumbs up" from the cars behind me, just honking and cursing. :(
 
I was on the Dunstall in traffic when died at a light, so i flipped the right peg up and gave it a good pook were upon it kicked back and tossed me over the handle bar on to the pavement. the driver in the car behind me was laughing... it started second kick.... No pictures
 
I’ve never started a Norton but am going to have to this weekend as my rebuild will be at that point. I’ll bore you all with the details. I run my Yamaha SR 500 single without the decompression cable attached as a sort of anti theft measure so I am hoping the Norton won’t be any more difficult. Once the 500 is dialed in it’s a pretty easy starter other than the compression.
 
Wuss...

Stalled at a traffic light going uphill.. with my girlfriend on the back. Right side passenger footpeg up (to clear the kick lever), hold the front brake, snick into neutral, balance on the wheels, kick start, pillion peg back down for the girl's right foot, find first gear, and pull away before the light changed again. Got thumbs up from the car behind me. I was 24 at the time.
How old are you now. Just askin.
 
I doubt there's many folks running around that could get one of these old beasties going very quickly unless they were shown how, and at that it would take them some practice to become proficient.... So more than likely if your bike is a kicker only model and being stolen you'll catch them pushing and panting while the neighborhood dogs barking plot their course for you.
 
To some extent it is how many times you have to kick it. If is a first kick starter and you are old you will not be in too bad a shape. It is when you have to do this over and over that you then face trouble...not to mention being drenched with sweat!
 
Tickle, choke, engage the pawl and push until you get resistance (compression). Key on, ratchet the lever back up, positively engaging the pawl again and stomp. Once is normally enough. For the record, I'll be 69 in two months.
 
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