Starting a 1971 750 norton commando

I am having trouble starting my 750 with kick start.
The bike has electronic ignition and a Mikuni carburetor.This is my first norton,the compression is awesome but hard to keep up at 65 years old,any tips

Rob

Use the flywheel inertia to get through the compression..... bring it up on compression, and a little beyond as it leaks by, then use whatever you got to get the whole mess spinning

try this

petcocks on, choke correctly on with the Mikuni cold motor only, set the kick start lever at about 9pm instead of at the top it wants to go to, this will make your kick motion more downward immediately rather than at first backward at 10pm, on center stand, and drive it down firmly by rising up high with your body and straightening your right leg while at the same time opening the throttle about half way with right hand to insure the rich mixture is drawn into the motor

with EI and a single properly set Mikuni ti should start first kick and certainly on the second kick

Thanks for your advice guys,I am also looking into electric start.

Rob

You can add a compression plate under the cylinders to bring the the compression down and/or get a thick copper head gasket from JS Motorsports to accomplish the same thing. With the first option, a good honing is needed to remove any ridges the piston rings have left.

These options are much less expensive than an electric start system, requires much less labor and will offer a long term solution as you age. And trust me, you won't miss any power.

Maybe set the timing down to 28 btdc might help.

Push it through with the key off first, then key on and fire it up.
Confidence is king!

You can add a compression plate under the cylinders to bring the the compression down and/or get a thick copper head gasket from JS Motorsports to accomplish the same thing. With the first option, a good honing is needed to remove any ridges the piston rings have left.

These options are much less expensive than an electric start system, requires much less labor and will offer a long term solution as you age. And trust me, you won't miss any power.

Maybe set the timing down to 28 btdc might help.

Push it through with the key off first, then key on and fire it up.
Confidence is king!

Click to expand...

Thats great advice thanks

Rob

buy a e start from Colorado Norton works

1up3down said:

try this

petcocks on, choke correctly on with the Mikuni cold motor only, set the kick start lever at about 9pm instead of at the top it wants to go to, this will make your kick motion more downward immediately rather than at first backward at 10pm, on center stand, and drive it down firmly by rising up high with your body and straightening your right leg while at the same time opening the throttle about half way with right hand to insure the rich mixture is drawn into the motor

with EI and a single properly set Mikuni ti should start first kick and certainly on the second kick

Click to expand...

With a Mikuni, choke on, no throttle.

I don't know whether Alton has a US distributor, but their electric start kit is very well thought of here in Europe.

Web site: http://www.alton-france.com/ekitnorton.html

...cool thing about a kick start bike, it'll force you to be a better mechanic/operator :idea: :mrgreen:

Longer kick start levers are available. Accessnorton has a few threads discussing them.

I didn't look far enough - US distributor: http://classicbikeexperience.com/alton-ekit-for-norton/.

Hey, I'm nearly 73 and don't have any problem with my 70 S. You just need some practice. Like others have said get it up on top of compression, and give it what for and you need to get it through the second compression in the same stroke. I find I need to get on the riding pegs to do it, but that way I can put my weight into it. And I'm no heavyweight, 175. Can't help with the Mik, I've got the Amals. Good luck. I've always said I'll ride until I can't kick it into life anymore, but I don't ride a whole lot anymore.

Im running the stock Amals but I had a heck of time starting the old boat anchor the first year owning it.
Make sure it is fully correct in terms of timing, valves, plugs compression etc. If the bike is on the money
it will start first time almost always.
Im the proverbial 9 stone weakling (fully dressed mind you) so I agree with the start your plunge with
the kick lever about level, 9 o'clock, where you get the best leverage. Come down like you mean it
and it will burst into life.
You cannot buy a electric start without a note from your doctor.

Watch a Husky guy start his Norton right after the rebuild.
The coil fell off on the way back. Needed some tweaking but its all good now.
Bike has come along way since this video.

I was told to bring it to about TDC and a little past. Push it a little past and then start it. Its not all that bad. 61 years old hear and it looks like a fat guy on a little bike.

Most new Norton owners usualy have ridden Jap bikes or some others and when they get on a Norton they try to kick them like they are starting a Jap bike and it will never fully work, it does take time to learn the secret to kicking a Norton but once mastered you will find they are pretty easy to kick over, weight or size of the person makes no diffrents to kicking over a Norton, its how you kick it that does, if the motor is cold then the first swing on the kicker should be the biggest kick with a full swing on the kicker, once a Norton has been started for the day the rest of the kicks should be a lot easier with lest effort to kick it over, but if your Norton takes more than a few kicks to start then you will tirer quickly and start to make mistakes when kicking and thats when you can get hurt, kick back is the worst injury you can get, so make sure everything is set right, it should be a one or two kick to start everytime,
I run a Joe Hunt maggie on my Norton and its set up for a one kick start everytime, a big swing on the first start up for the day then usualy just a half kick for the rest of the day, but always make sure you are on top dead before you kick will make it easier on you.

Ashley

In the 41 years that I've owned my 850, it has become increasingly difficult for me to start it. It's not the bike, it's me. Just can't seem to get the follow through with my leg any more. At the top of the compression stroke (the way I've always done it), sometimes the lever barely moves when I jump on it. It feels like the bike wants to hurt me. Bringing the kick lever only half way up doesn't give enough rotation to get the thing started. It's frustrating enough that I'm seriously considering an e-start mod this winter.

And for some reason, the 850 is harder to kick than a 750. I can start my buddy's combat 750 easily. Go figure.

I have a 71 as well and have found a very specific process to get it started on the first kick;

-roll the engine through one kick with ignition off (pistons appear to stop at or very close to TDC and I move them to ease the first hard kick),
-prime the carbs and kick through hard (introducing fuel/air mixture),
-turn on ignition and it starts on the first kick.

Diverting from this procedure will result in flooding, no start and much colourful language. The bonus is that no one could ever steal the thing as no one else could get it going. If all else fails; a shot of QuickStart in the airfilter; its like catnip for Commandos.

BC

thanks for all the advice.I am sure that i need to tune it my mate is the only one who can get it going after 10 attempts. bearing in mind my warsell electronic ignition and the 34mm Mikuni carb.
Is there any special tool i require?.What is the step procedure to tune my 750.

Rob

Just a reminder of something I've been told (but have no first-hand knowledge of), that some EI systems "time-out" after a minute or so.
So if you've been kicking and struggling for more than a minute or so, you'd have to switch the key off and back on again.
Also understand that a low-voltage battery may not supply enough threshold juice to activate them at all.
I'm in a similar position, getting increasingly hard for me to start the motor. Please keep us posted with your progress?