slippery kick lever

The other day, I raked leaves waiting for it to warm up enough to go for a ride. My boots got damp and had some mud on them. The ground was damp everywhere. I had real trouble getting a kick in without my foot sliding off the kickstart lever.

I always balance my bike when I kick it over, rather than kick it while perched on either stand. Holy $hit, I couldn't keep my foot from sliding off the lever. I gave it about 10 tries, then rolled it down the street into the sunlight where the asphalt was dry. Eventually, I got a good kick in and it started, but I was really risking injury to either my shin from the kick lever, or my nutsack if my foot slipped while I was coming down with my weight...

At one point I thought about greasing inside the kick lever rubber, so it would spin on the lever arm, but I bet it would shoot right off without tapping the lever arm and bolting on a plate to hold it in place. Is there a known solution to this besides an electric start or push starting the bike?... Something as simple as leaning it on it's sidestand for the occasional kick when it's wet out??

If your boots are wet or muddy no matter what you do your foot will keep sliding off the kicker whether you use the side stand or centre stand or no stand, get the mud off your sole of your boots and get then dry as much as you can before kicking is the simple fix and don't put any grease on the inside of your kick rubber, I am lucky as my Norton fires up on half a swing on my kicker so less problems when kicking it if its wet , but I have suffered the slip off in my younger days and damage to my shin, its not nice I can tell you.
Its one of these things you got to learn to live with but my bike is always kept dry and only got wet when washing it or out in the rain when I was working and replace the kick rubber when it gets to worn inside the rubber, the new kick start rubbers don't seem to last as good as the orginal rubbers these days so when I order one I get a few to keep in stock when needed as well foot peg rubbers.

Ashley

I've had this happen too. Early Hardley Davidsons used flat face kicker pedals so if you don't care much about authenticity you could try to fit one. Or maybe remove it when stock summer runnings says return me to original please.

I thought maybe there was some super secret solution other than "wipe your boot dry with a rag!!!" which is what I should had done...

I've used safety wire around the ends of the rubber to squeeze it tighter onto the steel kick starter shaft. I've also used heater hose in place of the original. And in instances like you described I use the center stand. Never felt comfortable using the side stand. Cj

Really! This is a thread?

This is a funny thread.
My pedal has a slight backwards tilt to it, even when dry I slip sometimes. Wouldn't even try with wet boots. I usually angle my leg towards the bike to get maximum kickage, always on top.

Bought a 72 Sportster xlch a week or two ago, big fat rubber pedal. Knee on the seat, foot on the pedal. Now my Norton has an American friend to talk with in the garage.

Nice pete! 72 is AMF/Harley, I believe and it shifts on the same side as the norton.... right?

My bike is higher compression than stock. I'm 210 lbs and it doesn't just roll over from my weight. I definately have to give it some effort to drive it past TDC. I like my shins without bruises because I'm also a backcountry skier, and I like my nuts safely unbruised in their sack... so I had to ask if anyone had a "trick" or a modification or maybe some technique besides wiping your boot and kick lever off with a rag...

That how I roll. I like asking stupid questions to see who's going to protect the serious tone of accessnorton from miscreants like myself,.. and from you too...

* I went for a cold ride today on my 70. The bike loves the cold,... me, less than the bike, but it ran flawlessly... as usual

The kick start maybe worn and pointing slightly down when it’s swung out to the start position . I’ve found a touch of weld will fix it.

o0norton0o said:

Nice pete! 72 is AMF/Harley, I believe and it shifts on the same side as the norton.... right?

My bike is higher compression than stock. I'm 210 lbs and it doesn't just roll over from my weight. I definately have to give it some effort to drive it past TDC. I like my shins without bruises because I'm also a backcountry skier, and I like my nuts safely unbruised in their sack... so I had to ask if anyone had a "trick" or a modification or maybe some technique besides wiping your boot and kick lever off with a rag...

That how I roll. I like asking stupid questions to see who's going to protect the serious tone of accessnorton from miscreants like myself,.. and from you too...

* I went for a cold ride today on my 70. The bike loves the cold,... me, less than the bike, but it ran flawlessly... as usual

Click to expand...

Based on the responses you ain't the only one with this issue. Need more rubber! Big fat chunk of the stuff. Possibly wrapped in a dry rag for good measure.

On the east coast we are also experiencing peak "British motoring weather" as my dad calls it. Was visiting him this weekend, had a nice drive in his 62' Austin Healey.

Right side shift on the Harley, kick only. Closest thing to an American Norton I could get my hands on. Folks on the Harley forums have nothing but love for Norton's.

triumph2 said:

The kick start maybe worn and pointing slightly down when it’s swung out to the start position . I’ve found a touch of weld will fix it.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what I do

As triumph2 and baz said, the pedal should be pointing slightly upwards (say, 10°) when kicking.
It makes a world of difference.

It could be worse... Stepped in dog shit, boot slipped off kicker, kicker dug into my shin and drew blood. And deposited dog poop in the wound. Ouch.

Put a rag between boot and pedal.

+1 on the angle & the weld fix .

triumph2 said:

The kick start maybe worn and pointing slightly down when it’s swung out to the start position . I’ve found a touch of weld will fix it.

Click to expand...

Thanks, mine is just about level. I bet angling it up 10 degrees with a bit of weld would keep my foot from slipping. I'm glad I started this real thread, yes really...


*She's a beauty Pete! buckhorn bars and all!