kickstart lever splines worn (2015)

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Pete.v and Stephen Hill nailed it - check the splines to ensure that they don't crowd the compression slot, allowing clearance to pinch the shaft, and use a Grade 8 bolt.
 
I just got back from the Tutukaka rally and had the chance to look at kick start levers. The earlier ones had the split opposite where the crank is attached to the boss. whereas the commando has the crank attached to one side. The earlier ones are smaller in section so that when you crank them up tight, they wrap around the spline very tightly. In the case of the commando, you need extreme force to close the boss around the splines. I think that is not necessary. Also with the commando, the 3/8 bolt does not engage with the groove in the shaft.

On both my commandos I have bored out the unthreaded hole in the leaver [ to 9/16 " ] to take a stepped bolt [ though in my case I have made a bush to go over the 3/8 bolt ] When I crank that up tight, the bolt now engages the groove and it can not move of the spline like it had done on both bikes previously. Both my levers have had their splines stuffed by working loose, but they do not work loose now. There is still a problem with my levers as I have bored the hole in alignment with the thread, but as the bolt is tightened , both holes become out of alignment, causing the bolts to bend. The solution to this is to make the hole elongated to allow alignment. Also, a ramp shape needs to be put onto the face where the head of the bolt rests in order to let the bolt rest in the correct position [ by sliding across the hole ] when it has been tightened up with that 2 foot long bar.

Why not ask the suppliers to produce a new kick starter lever with the split opposite the lever as with the earlier models and with the alignment of the hole to line up with the grove in the shaft as mentioned above. [ I wonder if all shafts are made the same though ] If the leaver is made longer as well. it will but less wearing pressure on the shaft and bearing when kicking the bike over. [ the principle of levers ]

Dereck
 
The kick start on my bike was loosening up every tenth kick or so and I was using my bike as my main transportation so I had to tighten it daily. I put loctite sleeve retainer on the splines NOT THE THREADS and it would go for months without needing tightening. Eventually I replaced it.

I've also had to open up the slot on s kickstarter because the slot would close up before it was tight.
 
kerinorton said:
I just got back from the Tutukaka rally and had the chance to look at kick start levers. The earlier ones had the split opposite where the crank is attached to the boss. whereas the commando has the crank attached to one side. The earlier ones are smaller in section so that when you crank them up tight, they wrap around the spline very tightly. In the case of the commando, you need extreme force to close the boss around the splines. I think that is not necessary. Also with the commando, the 3/8 bolt does not engage with the groove in the shaft.

On both my commandos I have bored out the unthreaded hole in the leaver [ to 9/16 " ] to take a stepped bolt [ though in my case I have made a bush to go over the 3/8 bolt ] When I crank that up tight, the bolt now engages the groove and it can not move of the spline like it had done on both bikes previously. Both my levers have had their splines stuffed by working loose, but they do not work loose now. There is still a problem with my levers as I have bored the hole in alignment with the thread, but as the bolt is tightened , both holes become out of alignment, causing the bolts to bend. The solution to this is to make the hole elongated to allow alignment. Also, a ramp shape needs to be put onto the face where the head of the bolt rests in order to let the bolt rest in the correct position [ by sliding across the hole ] when it has been tightened up with that 2 foot long bar.

Why not ask the suppliers to produce a new kick starter lever with the split opposite the lever as with the earlier models and with the alignment of the hole to line up with the grove in the shaft as mentioned above. [ I wonder if all shafts are made the same though ] If the leaver is made longer as well. it will but less wearing pressure on the shaft and bearing when kicking the bike over. [ the principle of levers ]

Dereck
Click to expand...

Great parts analysis. Thanks. You nailed it too.
 
Yup ,the bestest thing is to go out and buy a Grade 8 or greater 12 point Black oxide bolt 3/8 , 24 x 1 1/2 . Crank that puppy down hard and forever using a power bar. Yes you can enlarge the slot a bit with a hacksaw but if it doesn't pinch up closing together onto the shaft then don't. :|
 
milling drilling the hole to a taper so bolt jams in the groove makes good sense to me but still takes metal deforming torque to withstand the leveraged kick downs, do not really want to weld and can not deal with next car trouble till Monday, will dream up something that might even finish off the raw shaft end.
 
I have 2 Old Nortons, a 99 which is not hard to kick and a HC 750 which I cannot start at all as I am not heavy or strong enough to spin it (13 stone) , gave this one to the son!. It was clear that the shiney new folding Kicker was not man enough for the 750 so swopped with old rusty 1959 non folding 99 kicker . Been working fine on the 750 for about last 20 years. Proper steel ,properly made by Shelleys for Proper Nortons , those were the days. Also 58 year old cams and followers still unworn happily churning in their intact oil bath feature !.
 
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It is my personal opinion, fwiw, that there were a bunch of out of speck shafts installed back in the day. My 1974 would never get over two years out of a kickstarter. I tried everything. When I rebuilt the gearbox a few years ago, I replaced the perfectly good looking shaft with a new one and I have not had a problem since. The norton mechanic helping me thought I was wasting money replacing it. Best thing I ever did.
 
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