Is occasional kick-back normal

On my 73 850, I have had the top end done, timed it, have a Pazon, and a gell cell in good shape. It usually takes off on the first kick. Had it kick-back pretty hard the other day. It seems to do it once in a blue moon. Is that the nature of the beast (and I use the term lovingly)? Jim

I've never had a kick back. Points or Pazon SureFire currently. Maybe you're not pushing it hard enough? Don't be shy with it.

Dave
69S

I still have points and I've only had kick back one time....and that was after having rejetted and flooded it.

kick back seems mostly to be one of two things

either the timing is a shade too advanced

or one does not kick fully with conviction, as in kind of wimping out near the bottom of kick lever arc

If anything I might have flooded it as Johnnymac said. I kick it over slowly with choke on and key off, then open the choke and kick it over (hard) with 1/3 throttle. With that it usually goes on the first full kick. I believe on this attempt, I ran it through twice with the choke on before kicking it. In winter, that would be fine but might have flooded it since it is hot summer. Jim

either the timing is a shade too advanced

or one does not kick fully with conviction, as in kind of wimping out near the bottom of kick lever arc

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2nd+ - as I've learned the hard way. Its is also slightly possible there is a conduction fault lurking that jerks the Pazion brain to miss time its first spark. Had a Boyer do this till eventually just stop firing till I found tail lens ground strap bouncing into a power connection. Just saying can't forget its a Commando and more than one thing can do the same thing.

Some people use Both feet . If you position pistons before lauching you weight on the crank , the flywheel should throw it through .

However , with the advance fully forward ( fixed ) a further degree of Grim Determination is essential . :shock:

Half hearted , if it fires its still going up . PINKING at load / high throttle might mean the Gas is crap , or its a notch overadvanced .

actually should not have to really stiff legged kick a correct tune and timed Commando as even my Trixie Combat is a step on affair now with points and dual Amals. Once in a while if heated stop has dried out some the gas level a step on it ain't got fuel enough to keep running so have to give a tickle and crack throttle a wee bit for swifter kick to stay running. Not one instance of back fire even though timing is about one degree adv. Tweak back the base timing tiny amount till never again Blue Moon's ya.

Don't think kick-back is normal at all. This has only happened once to me and I'm sure that I had accidentally flooded it. I agree with kicking it strongly and going all the way with it. Don't need to be shy. When it doesn't start on first or second kick I 'm pretty sure its my fault.

Yellow_Cad said:

On my 73 850, I have had the top end done, timed it, have a Pazon, and a gell cell in good shape. It usually takes off on the first kick. Had it kick-back pretty hard the other day. It seems to do it once in a blue moon. Is that the nature of the beast (and I use the term lovingly)? Jim

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Is kick back normal? No, but curtainly not uncommon. Once in a blue moon? Of course! I have never known a kickstart bike not to kickback once in a blue moon.
I like to kick it through with the key off when first starting out.

If you feel the need, bring the timing down 1 degree.........or don't, no big whoop.

Yes.

No.

Maybe.

Yes. After setting timing/carbs up perfectly to avoid this we all forget that the timing chain will thwart all attempts at foot-pain avoidance.

all and none of the above

After reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Persig my world was rocked.Throw in Carlos Casteneda for enlightenment. The Art Of Happiness by His Holiness The Dali Lama. 9 trips to Thailand ,the world's largest reclining Buddha for funnage and impermanence . What a kickback in the ass. Is Buddha holding the mighty Norton timing chain prayer bead kickerbacker factor ?

He's laughing at us keeping track by beads of the degree we're off form perfection and that it takes a Bodhisattvas tools and hands to be happy in the material world owning a Commando.

What do you do with a bird with a broken wing ? (or kick-back to the foot-ankle).

hehe is that a trick question. Depends on if just mashed acute then usually just slip a refrig magent on the area for a few days to a week or till fooled how well it feels so go a day w/o to discover just how much magnets let the shocked capillary bed breath like they should. Chronic cases that ain't fixed them selfves usually means there is a older deeper neck injury finally worn out and magnifying what ain't causing the pain or weak ness. I had this happen a few weeks ago at a car wash as Wes was hot to trot from my place and Trixie so easy to start w/o fear I forgot to change form moccasins, so slipped on wet metal peg knob to crush flesh to the skin of the bones. I took it the first time, after a time tried again even worse injury, so gave up and let Wes kick er off. After peg dried I had no problem stepping on it again and again once each stop we did after wards. Foot colored but didn't hurt. I see broken feet and unless badly missaligned poking out I don't cast just strap and let the motion regrow it back better than before. My P!! dragster was set hi advance but I didn't know nothing back then and it'd took karate lessions to beat its programed in starting backfires. It I didn't get it right i got tossed off with or w/o broken foot or knee. Roll off down hill much preferred.

The Commando can give a chuff & wheeze at times , if youre not paying attention ,but if you want to do some damadge , you need to lock the ignition on full advance .Then its a cough & a hurl .

You shouldnt get on a motorcycle with rubber soled shoes though . Put a foot down one way or another , theyll get torn off or land you on youre nose . The foot cranks like a starter crank .
the old timers hold them so they wont snap your wrist , if it kicks back . Manual Advance let you set it well back . Like the 30 degree BSA advance unit .Still had to position pistons / crank though .

As for a hand start :shock: Cold you could STAND on the foot crank and it not move , at times . Had to set right angles back to turn crank & set pitons then .Would take both hands and leaning to
turn by hand .Then we had endevoured to run the thing in carefully . A lot of the road test bikes were carelessly treated . four to five thousand isnt a bad idea for fully bedded in for best performance .