Kicker splines recovery?

I have long opened up the pinch slot and removed 3+ splines on either side of the gap and run through a grade 8 bolt with grade 8 nut to try and stifle the eventual wobble that distorts the splines til can trap on the shaft. What I find, again, is the outer 3/16" bands of splines are beat down ~1/16" and about half circumference band ~1/4" wide left proud of the actual load bearing splines. Trixies is still able to remove with some effort but fear next time may not. Seems like if I just remove the center band and dress the outer splines, kicker might not be a risk to trap itself on hardend steel lips. On pre-Peel the splines were also skewed out of line and was a terror to remove and replace till replaced, and beat towards meanness again. {Peel spoiled me on 1 kick starts so easy fired before finishing the stroke, so not excessive kicking] What have others done to help ease KS on and off - till it just spins uselessly but still removal-able w/o cutting off so new money can replace it, again.

One way to recover messed up kicker splines beyond my means.
http://www.voc.uk.com/net/docs/5.3/5.3-643-8.pdf

Note: the 2 worn KS's , one came on Trixie and the other was new one that just came off after ~10,000 miles, and are not nearly as bad as they can get. R one was last one used on easy going short lived Peel.

Hi Steve

I have always had troubles with keeping my kick start tight on the sharf, didn't matter what I did to make it stay tight after a few kicks would wobble on the spline, but sinse I replaced the nomal kick starter with a T140 Truimph folding kick start for the Norton spline from RGM I have had no more problems with it coming lose, have had it on my Norton for 2 years now and the best thing is its longer and make kicking easyer as well it folds out of the way.

Ashley

That's both comforting and depressing to read ashman. Comforting in that my next Ms Peel may follow your aftermarket custom non Norton path, but I'm sticking to the good book for Mrs Trixie. Its comforting that I"m not the only one that is too incompetent to fasten on a ks to matter long and depressing I'm not alone.

I can only say the RGM folding unit is the bees knees. I have used it a bunch on my combat, not even a hint that it will ever loosen. plus it makes it easier to kick.

Are you guys pushing it or beating it? I remember ludwig mentioning how some people whack at the KS.

My KS was very beat on the inside and rather sketchy, but I put a good bolt into it and tightened it down as best as the bolt would hold, the shaft was in pretty good shape. It's been good for 2 years now, but I don't snatch it and give it a good push, plus when it starts easy that helps.

I have to say I did use it early on when it was rather loose and that didn't do it any good, but so far, so good. I know it can be a pain to keep care of, but it may be one of those things that needs constant attention. If it gets loose at all, fix it. It probably helps that I'm old and can't hit it that hard too, or that many times. I give up if it doesn't start after 3 and start looking for problems. 4 max.

Dave
69S

Mine had a bit of wobble but I recently added a washer (now there are two) and all is well for now, hopefully I fixed it before the splines got too much wear.....I could not get it tight enough to eliminate the wobble with one washer put can with two and it is holding so far, will try drilling the hole a bit bigger at some point

All's I can say is if not truly fixed and your gearbox lasts a long time, you'd better make some provision now for serious puller grips when it does come time to remove. My 1st no-name but ^(&&$@!>< Combat had three.5 different alignments of the inner, middle and outer wear spline bands so both the lips and the mis-matched grooves about swore me off Commandos with one testicle worth of manhood lost giving up. Never ever again, I'll just torch the SOB off.

Some stay married to childhood sweethearts, but most don't get it that good first off, similar to Commandos.

Other thing I forgot to mention is the hole the bolt first goes into on the KS sometimes is too small for the job and when tightening the bolt, the bolt binds in the hole, resulting in not being able to properly clamp on the shaft. I did open up the KS hole a bit and it helped the clamping action.

Dave
69S

Yes like the pdf article about goes into, the pinch bolt needs to be very robust and the bore it passes through should be opened up to relieve bolt from bending more than clamping. I was able to hand diddle Trixie's KS back on last pm to check clearances for Ms Peel strange shifter mounting. I'm considering tapping set screws to bear-bind in the groove of the shaft, before going bonkers and making shaft a square shape and KS to match.

I have never understood why the splines are so small for the Kick Start Lever. We all move the lever to an angle we like, then push. Why do we need so much fine adjustment for the placement of the resting lever? We are, of course, stuck with what the Norton Gods have given us.

I put the Commando Specialties lever on my bike (I believe it's from RGM). Solved my wobble problems, and I now have a place for the back of my right foot.

Well following this logic none of us with rational minds would have anything Norton left. So admit it to your self when able, only childish reasons exist to even own or ride a motorcycle or mess with drugs and married women. I've taken the easy way out with Ms Peel like the racers, most Norton thing about them being the logo on tank. Commandos may be the most man hood developing and destroying motorcycle ever created and sold in numbers. Only Spragthropes worse but they are totally make believe, while Commandos can hurt and cost ya. Shit even I have to modify things on Trixie to get realistic function, wiring and brakes and new sizes of current bearing and such, but its still really Norton parts numbers.

Maybe another trapping binding bolt at top of KS mount might nip it up from wear, or more likely in my case just bend and wear enough its trapped on better than ever as soon as begins to wiggle again, ugh. Maybe tapping a bolt into the face of the shaft could hold in on w/o wear to back up the 2nd pinch jam bolt?

I remind thee Miss Trixie Combat is hand start easy with video proof but that ain't good enough for this area of Norton engineering on AMC box meant only to handle 35 hp for ever.

Clamping a spline onto a shaft by a pinch bolt is flawed engineering. I have waisted the bolt down to allow it to apply more pressure to the "pinch" and used a high strength Loctite on the splines after first cleaning with de-greasant. Works well providing you're not one who needs to remove the kickstart every weekend. I have toyed with the plan to grind the splines away and fit a cotter pin type KS as per the T140. Whether the KS would clear the exhaust is the issue. It would save replacing a 70 quid KS shaft. Velocette used a square shaft. That took a bit of abuse and never wore out, a Thruxton Velo kS is only about 7 inches long though.

Gripper you have opened my mind to another way, but am not yet up to speed on how to do it. May be can give me some search terms to understand or some photo's to guide me on another Commando learning curve ball. Will try the locktie suggestion to fill in gaps and limit the wiggles as something i've not tried yet. I've no more fear to heat the snot out of stuff, not after what pre-no name Peel put me through for like 5 yrs first time though, never again please. Peel is different with different rules I'm following for Trixie, so may just run a shear bolt through hers.