Proof positive people shouldn't watch you kickstart

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Brithit

Brithit

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Yes, even the rich and famous have this problem:

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Last summer I was attending our monthly Euro bike night, and it was pouring out. We were under a covered patio bar area. Most people were busy checking radar on their iPhones, but I was ready to leave, rain be damned! So after my Combat getting poured on for about a half hour, I went out, and with probably 200 or more people watching from the patios on both sides of the street, it started on the first kick. I got a good round of applause. Glad it didn't go like it did for Keanu.
 
cool, i've seen he has multiple commandos, roadster, interstate, various goodies
super nice guy too from what i've read
 
Keanu is the real deal rider with proper attitude, glad he's living a similar life style as the rest of us w/o a thumb commencer.
 
No it doesn't - most the time no matter how many eyes watching. Ole Brithit got a great one kick hit to please all those watching and now with us online. Way to Go!

So after my Combat getting poured on for about a half hour, I went out, and with probably 200 or more people watching from the patios on both sides of the street, it started on the first kick. I got a good round of applause.
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hobot said:
No it doesn't - most the time no matter how many eyes watching. Ole Brithit got a great one kick hit to please all those watching and now with us online. Way to Go!

So after my Combat getting poured on for about a half hour, I went out, and with probably 200 or more people watching from the patios on both sides of the street, it started on the first kick. I got a good round of applause.
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Oh Hobot, I wish that always was the case! I know we most all have been somewhere, and even just a few people in a gas station want to "hear that old motor-sickle" start up. Damn things can start up first time in the garage or when nobody is around, but when a crowd starts to gather.....

And I might add as a Norton rider, I'm proud of Kenau. He rides the things, and not just when someone with a camera is hanging around. The fact that he actually parked his Nortie on the street while doing something else, is pretty cool for a movie star. He seems so understated, and just enjoys the bikes.
 
hehe... that is soo true;

my bike almost always starts with one or two. But not long ago, I was leaving a local pub after an early dinner with an old pal. as I was getting ready to start, a real doll of a gal approaches me and says "nice bike! can I have your parking spot?" "Sure!" I reply, as I notice she's Maggie Herron (http://maggieherron.com/), a locally renown cabaret pianist-singer, wanting to park in front to unload for her gig. Well, after a minute or two of me telling her how much I loved her as she smiled and indulged me, it was time for me to go and give her my space. I think it took about 8 kicks to get started, and then only with the throttle fully open! I think the noise may have shattered a few ear drums or least a wine glass inside the pub...
 
Orsonoce said:
it's one of the murphy's laws: "the more people watching the less likely it will run".
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Luckily Murphy was busy elsewhere a few years ago when I was still at the uni: I went to the uni canteen for lunch and took the Atlas as I wanted to go touring after that. When I went outside maybe 20 to 30 people where sitting on the stairs in small groups and chatting. I went to the bike and did the usual routine: Open the petcock, tickle the carb, kick her through two times to wet the walls and when I wanted to switch the ignition on to finally kick her to life one guy out of a relatively large group of my beloved friends* from the business studies faculty was shouting something like "Hahaha is it broken?". Now there is a very famous saying in Germany thanks to a stand-up comedian which I was using for a reply and everybody recognizes it allready by the first half: "If you don't have a clue ..." *kick* -> *BRAAAAARP-potpotpot* "...shut the f*ck up".

Imagine she would not have started as usual then .... :mrgreen:



Tim

* Do you know why business school grads earn more than engineers?

Knowledge is power. (1) Power is work divided by time. (2) Time is money. (3)

(1) and (3) into (2) leads to "Knowledge is work divided by money" which in turn leads to "Money is work divided by knowledge". So if knowledge approaches "0" money approaches "infinty" for any given amount of work .



Tim
 
Aye , stopped by at a party with a Friend on his 70 Commando ( nice civilised machine ) brief stop round the corner from his place , cool evening .
He's fired his up , and idleing quitely ( on concentrics even :P ) Ive Stood up and swung the kick start through twice , to prime as shes magneto .
Lanching onto the kick start I here " HAAA He Can ' BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA .

Took that Commando for a spin in the sticks , a l o n g delay , mustve had half a litre in the tank , search party out . We get back to the camp site
theres Twenty blokes laid out flat around the pre- unit bushed . Theyve been kicking since we left . ' Argh Whadve ya done to it . wot wot wot . '

Leg over it , tickle , swing her through twice , she starts first kick with the throttle open a tad .

Now , we can see what a set of points are up to , but not haveing a phone , Ill steer clear of these electronic things , if you cant see it you cant fix it . :P
 
The Beast always starts on the first or second kick or I know it is time for the tune up ritual. Yes, I have the original points but when set correctly it is an easy start. I have always enjoyed kicking my Norton into life in front of a group of riders that only know push button starting. By and large these people have been raised on stories of vicious kick backs and broken ankles and view the whole process with trepidation. That said, if my Commando had been sitting out in the rain my boot would have slipped off the wet kick start rubber resulting in a rapidly returning kicker gaffing me in the back of the leg while at the same time I pealed all the skin off my shin with the foot peg rubber. That is just the kind of luck I have.
 
dunno what's wrong there. mine starts at first kick -always-. rain or sun, winter or summer, hot or cold.
am really worried. probably there is something badly wrong there.... ;-)
 
Now , we can see what a set of points are up to , but not haveing a phone , Ill steer clear of these electronic things , if you cant see it you cant fix it .
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hehe, Matt and I are of similar attitude and hold offs from cell phone radiation and black box electronic ignitions. Yes it does add to our sense of luck and fettering testing but all the records or endurance and 1/4 mile times were done the old school way.

The real test of starting happens in thick traffic in heavy rain. Something ain't quite right with plain ole Trixie Combat, I found she always wants 4.75 sec of bowl wetting tickle and 1/4 cracked throttle to start hot or cold wet or dry on 1st swift kick, no pre kick through required, as long as I remember to key on, on top the rest of the fuel tap on ritual. I have hurt myself trying to keep my boot on kicker in the wet lubed swing though. Couple times on Texas trip I'd take off from a stop and barely get into traffic before she died, ugh, turn on taps, wet bottom, one breath one kick and out of there.

That crowd of wasted starter button pushers failure is proof positive a thumb commencer is an IQ waster.
 
Sorry to resurrect an old thread... But does anyone know what kind of mirror that is on Keanu's 750? Looks like it is mounted under the bars somehow...
 
I put out the challenge to Mr Reeves, post on here what your ignition set up is, with some sagely advice from the peanut gallery, we can make it a first kick starter, could probably even rig up some fuel to the silencers to give those photographers a memorable, eye brow burning experience.

His bike did sound pretty sweet.
 
Spaulding said:
Sorry to resurrect an old thread... But does anyone know what kind of mirror that is on Keanu's 750? Looks like it is mounted under the bars somehow...
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Proof positive people shouldn't watch you kickstart


I think he saw this one my bike and stole the idea. :mrgreen:

I got a $10 Emgo from Old Britts (for some reason the taller mirror is less than the shorter one…) and cut it down. I had some problems clearing the grip/tank but that might be different with the stock tank (I don't recall it was a problem with my Roadster tank). But also remember I don't have stock bars.

Hope this helps.

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Look for the Universal one.
 
taken 2004, clears even an IS tank until fork stop broke off.
 
@Swooshdave: Thanks for the info, I'm borrowin the idea.

@Hobot: In 2004 what tires were you using?
 
yes clever one, my eventual opinion too so soon after 'removals' I compromised with ovals
 
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