I owned one of these for 45 years and I'd like to ofter two items. Why turn the key on first? Doing a couple priming kicks after tickling is usually ok, but doing them with the key on? If you kick one of these gently, as he does in his priming kicks, with the piston at the wrong place and the ignition on, it can kick back and really bite you. Turn the key on after any priming kicks. Also - working the throttle before the bike starts doesn't do anything - those Amals don't have accelerator pumps.
My Matchless 500 had a lucas magnito! Compression release, small battery to power the lights, amal carb and a specific starting procedure that no youngster could get going! Haaaa.. no disrespect to young riders!
I agree, I once had an old BSA Lightning with those Amal carbs. Prime kick through twice with the switch off… Close throttle, find compression, switch on and kick like you mean it! Deviate from the procedure and it might surprise you.
I agree, i ended up putting a sudco mikuni kit on my 850 commando! I saved the amals of course. The mikuni cured the carb issues for sure! I have owned many old brit bikes for years starting in the eary 70s
Yes sir, in 1970, it was love at first ride, a '68 or '69 green fastback, that throttle was like magic...My first Norton about a month later was a '69 Commando 'S', there was really "nothing on the road it couldn't pass" that first year...I still have a few.
I did not own a Norton. However, I did have a 1967 Triumph Bonneville. I never used the choke. From cold, I first broke the clutch loose by pulling in the lever and kicking the engine. Usually, one or two kicks. Then, tickle the left carb, turn the ignition on and the bike almost always started on one kick. Breaking the clutch loose, prevented a crunch when putting the bike in first gear. Just what this old guy did way back when!
When I was in the USN, my best friend had a Dunstall Norton which was bored to 830, I believe. He was very generous with his toys and I was fortunate to be able to ride out in the San Diego hills many times and the experience was always heart-stopping. It was, as many of you remember, a cafe racer. She was yellow and just beautiful!
Hi Cork, it would have been an 810 big bore kit on a 750 or starting in 1973, an 850, which was actually 828. Was in San Diego '66/'67 during my first year in the Navy, would loved too had a motorcycle during that time but had to wait till I got out in '69. Bought my first Norton in 1970 and years later in '83 stumbled on a like new red '73 Dunstall 850, still have it...
Back in the Late 70’s I had a Norton exactly like Yours, but my previous bike was a 2 Stroke Suzuki RS 250 which I got used to starting by just snapping the kick starter about halfway down … big mistake on the Norton , if I tried that it would kick back… I spent several mornings laying on the tank in pain…. But LOVED the bike
Bought a 750 new in 1973. It was candy apple blue. Main bearing failure at 2000 miles, replaced with the better German bearings. There were no more reliability issues after that. I changed the oil regularly and used Rocol Moly additive. Removed the head at 15,000 miles and it was like looking at a new engine. Everything was clean and unworn. As for starting, I simply flooded a cold engine, gave it a bit of throttle and it would fire up first kick. Happy days.
I owned two Norton Commandose 850! One was a rat bike that was mechanically restored and the second one was a ground up restoration which was a beauty trailer queen but very much a runner. If these bikes are set up right, they start on the first kick and here is the secret as to me me by an English fellow who worked at the factory. Tickle the carbs as shown in this clip, walk around the right side and pull the clutch lever in and kick through two to three times to free up the pressure clutch plates. Turn the key on. Then standing on the right side of the Norton while the bike is on the centre stand, slowly kick it through till you feel it’s on the down ward stroke and then give it a gentle kick and she will light right up every time. If the Commando is set up correctly will fire right up. I removed the chokes, once the Amal 930,carburetor were resleeved. I always laughed when I saw folks mount there Norton’s and Triumph’s to kick start it like a Harley which really never worked. Also, in the primary use transmission oil,rather that the 20W50 oil. Aw those were the days, as the Commandos were and still are the hot rod of its day. Just my two cents worth🤗
Absolutely spot on, this guy`s asking for a bruised calf doing his way. I owned a Norton 850 for a few years and never had problems starting it from cold, even in icy conditions.
Well done, very well explained. One small thing - Before starting, pull in the clutch and kick it over. This will clear the clutch plates and ensure a smooth engagement when you ride off.
I owned an 850 Interstate for 6 years in the 1980's. Rode it every day. Never had all this fuss starting it except one time in a bad winter when water residue froze in the float chambers. I chipped the ice out, it started first kick in sub-zero temperatures. And no, I don't recall EVER using the choke. The electric foot wasn't much use, I only used that if I stalled in traffic when it was handy to restart a warm engine.
Good friend of purchased a 1975 Commando new....we were still in high school. Same candy red but with the infamous electric start. He still owns the bike (and I still own my 1975 Honda CB750F). Beautiful motorcycle to this day.....always loved the look of that engine.
Ignition key last! Fuel tap open, tickle carbs if cold, one priming kick if cold, choke if really cold, ignition on and a good kick through. Turning ignition key ON first shortens points life, increases the chance of "welding" the points.
I worked with an Electrician who loved English vehicles. He owned a Norton 750 , amongst other things. Only motorcycle I've heard of where the crankshaft broke in under 2000 miles. Amazingly archaic engineering and worksmanship. The Isolastic suspension caused rear wheel wobble when the rubber started drying up. Small wonder that Norton went under circa 1975. Beautiful bike, although it's a mixture of Metric and Whitworth fasteners!-John in Texas
I bought a new black '73 750 Roadster with the "Combat" engine for $2100 in April '73. The dealer explained the starting sequence, break-in procedure, etc. I carefully observed the RPM limits. Later that day, at 141 miles, I was cruising at about 45 in 4th gear, all hell broke loose. Found a buddy with a van to get it home. Something had punched a small hole in the engine case! The dealer picked it up the next morning, said the crankshaft broke on the driveline main journal, had it a month, and rebuilt it using new cases, crankshaft, and Superblend bearings. After a careful 1000 miles, that bike was the fastest one around and I beat all the fast bikes of the day, ALL of them! I've had 3 Nortons, all '73 750 Roadsters, including the one I have now, with a high compression Combat motor. With electronic ignition, new Amal Premiere carbs, and non ethanol gas, its a 1st kick starter, thankfully, I'm 68 now!
I had my first Commando 750 in 1970 and bought one new in 1971 from Pride and Clarke in London for £539.50p a beautiful red fastback with a long range tank. Firstly, never open bothfuel taps, as one is for the reserve side of the tank. I never ever used full choke, nor ever started the bike on the stand. Tickling the carbs wasn't necessary either unless you like flooding the engine. As for preliminary kick, no need. A well tuned Norton starts first or second kick anyway.
I had a 73 Bonny The procedure was Main fuel tap open, reserve tap closed. Tickle both carbs. Slowly kick over until just past full compression. Turn ignition on, Come down hard on kickstarter. Always started first or second kick.
I was a student at A.M.I. back in1974 and one of the students had a Norton that he really warmed over. One night of our questionable drag races it dominated a kaw 750 with pipes and filters. I was really interested in Norton's after seeing that.
The only time I ever rode a Commando was as pillion with a mate in about 1977. He bought it new and had not ridden it more than a few hundred miles when he invited me for a ride. About 20 miles down the road there was a horrible bump and we pulled up. Trying to restart caused a grating sound from the gearbox. We got picked up and took the bike home on a truck. Examination found that a bearing in the gearbox had disintegrated. That is the only time I have been on a British bike. The first bike I owned was an MZ 250 which I rode around the coastline of Scotland and also took to the Shetlands. It was not a fast bike but it never let me down and it was cheap to buy and run. I followed this with 250 Kawasakis and Suzukis until I passed my test. Again no serious trouble. Once I had my full licence I bought a very old BMW R65. I used it as daily transport and also rode a couple of times from the UK to the Dolomites in Northern Italy with a friend plus climbing and camping gear on the back. Never missed a beat. I got a better job and bought a BMW R75 - again second hand. On this I took myself and future wife with camping gear around many parts of Europe and Ireland. Ran perfectly all of the time. After migrating to New Zealand I had a Suzuki 400 for a while just for fun. Never let me down. I did own for a while a BSA C15 but I never got it running sufficiently well to trust it on the road. The myths about the wonderful british bikes are largely that - myths.
I call bs. Had a 61 Norton Dominator SS never tricky to start (at least in southern US. Thousands of miles. Bought used former basket case about 4-5 yo at the time. Beat almost everything on the road back in the day. Dual Amals no air box no choke as I recall. Want a 74 Commando now. If you know of CH one please write to my son s as t above address, and emphasize he should forward it to his dad. Wish I had bought a Commando. new back in the day.
@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 I have a completely restored 71 Commando for sale. Less than 500 miles on a crankup build. Runs like a top and pulls like a train.
@@mitchburk5112 ps rode a heavily Dunstallized 600 cc 61 Dominator SS that could outrun every Atlas and all hogs. Easy ton. Any of that sort of blueprinting and beefing up done? Is anti wet sump mod applicable? Yes I am a solid Norton nerd once and future Norton rider. My last best bike in that vein. Commando impressive in spite of frame-engine vibe damping. I swear I would rock my old Dominator set up with the racing heads & Dunstallized valve train. A real sleeper. Don’t sleep on me lol.
@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 Engine has a +40 overbore and the later superblend main bearings. It's also got the AMR timing cover mod to slow down the wet sumping.
Why are you turning on both petcocks? At least on my 1973, one was the reserve and if you forgot to shut off the reserve, you could run out of gas on the road with no reserve.
Phoenix Skeptic. I had a 750 Triumph Bonneville, made in the final year of the Meriden Triumph factory. It was the American spec model with the tear drop tank and the higher bars. If I hadn't used it for a week or two I would switch both petrol taps on, leave the ignition off, give it full choke, and give the kick start a couple of prods. Then It would usually start second kick. (Not forgetting the ignition of course). After starting the left side tap would be switched off. This model had electric start which was very reliable, but the owner's handbook suggested that from cold the kick start should be used. After that the electric start could then be used for the rest of the day.
I had a '73 750 Commando, orange tank and side covers. Always loved the right foot shift with the pattern top to bottom --1 N 2 3 4. It made more sense to me to click my foot downward to shift to the higher gear. It always messed me up when I rode a Japanese bike.
I had an opportunity to purchase one brand new still in the crate for $850 in 1974 while I was in the Navy in Rota, Spain. Stupidest thing I didn’t do! Kicking myself in the ass ever since.
I had one of those, except it was a 1973 with no electric starter. Starting this model could break your leg. And the swing arm makes it so you have to have really thin tires, which is pretty scary when you´re riding a super bike over rain grooves on the freeway.
Awesome bikes the Norton pulls like a freight train. You can get knackered real fast if they don’t start. Strange gear shift after jumping of the Bonnie. A pity they didn’t have the five speed
Was it any wonder the Japanese devastated the British bike industry; when we were churning out stuff like this the they were building moderb superbikes like the honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z900
I had a '67 750 Norton. It had no key; it had a magneto. Turned the gas on with the petcock, tickled the two carbs, slight twist of the throttle, and kicked it. Usually started by second kick. The Lucas electrical components were always the weakest part of those English motorcycles, otherwise they were wonderful to ride.
By the way the chrome rear fender was dancing up and down when the bike was running I would think they must have a habit of cracking after a while. Never owned a Norton so I'm only guessing here.
I had an almost "Religious Ritual" starting mine! I was in the army, and my dad always said "Son! Starting that bike make me shake and rattle on the can in the morning"! (Rest his soul);0)
How the f**k did we convince you guys to love this sort of s**t that we once exported? This said, you also liked TR8's and Jaguars FFS. Without malice. We love you peeps. Greetings from the UK
I never had one innit - I'm pretty sure I never had no trouble with it. It go great. Although I never had it much at all - I did however ride one in a dream innit... I remember it clearly
Incredibly useful skills for the day after the planet has been struck by a galactic EM pulse and all computer controlled vehicles have been rendered inoperable... a good reason to keep several magneto powered off-road cycles in your garage
I had a 500/4 my mate had.a750 commando I used to think Norton looked great when it worked sounded even better when it worked,all the time my honda never missed a beat but I would still like a nortonas a hobby bike
…..the thing about Nortons is that “when it breaks down, you’re never very far from home”. My 750 Atlas was a beautiful, miserable bike. Hard starting, unreliable and had a fatal engine design/manufacture that resulted in destruction. At 115 mph things vibrated so severely you couldn’t read the gages and secretly wondered what part of the frame was going to crack.
Don't get me wrong I love the older British bikes but the English automotive industry failed for the same reasons as Australia's did. Too slow to embrace technology. Consider the same vintage Japanese bikes and while buyers were drooling over caste iron V8 mooring block Marloo's and the like Audi was producing the RS 4 and BMW the M3 ! 😎👍
Norton tried at least , they were stuck with the patterns and tooling so had to stick with the engine/frame designs . But they were the only marque with a cartridge oil filter and electric start , and the black cap silencers was the sweetest noise ever , especially on the overrun .
Depends. Some years the center stand and kickstand were weak. Some years, they were strong. And some years -- particularly with the kickstand -- if you have so much as half a brain, you weld in some reinforcement at the attach point. Earlier 750's weigh a lot less than the paunchy, later 850's. So the stand has a lot less weight on it to start with. My '72 Commando 750 with a Mikuni carb never takes more than two kicks, even when stone cold. When warm, half a kick will get it going. If you have a bike like mine, you're probably fine kicking it on the center stand, particularly if your own BMI is something reasonable. If you're an overweight guy trying to kick an 850 with carbs that still need to be tickled to start, it's probably wise to think twice before kicking it on the stand.
A guy had one of those and rat raced around town telling everyone how he could beat my Kawaski KZ1R1000 with Kerker header and jetted carbs. But he never came ask me to race
I owned one of these for 45 years and I'd like to ofter two items. Why turn the key on first? Doing a couple priming kicks after tickling is usually ok, but doing them with the key on? If you kick one of these gently, as he does in his priming kicks, with the piston at the wrong place and the ignition on, it can kick back and really bite you. Turn the key on after any priming kicks. Also - working the throttle before the bike starts doesn't do anything - those Amals don't have accelerator pumps.
Yep
My thoughts exactly.
My Matchless 500 had a lucas magnito! Compression release, small battery to power the lights, amal carb and a specific starting procedure that no youngster could get going! Haaaa.. no disrespect to young riders!
I agree, I once had an old BSA Lightning with those Amal carbs. Prime kick through twice with the switch off… Close throttle, find compression, switch on and kick like you mean it! Deviate from the procedure and it might surprise you.
I agree, i ended up putting a sudco mikuni kit on my 850 commando! I saved the amals of course. The mikuni cured the carb issues for sure! I have owned many old brit bikes for years starting in the eary 70s
I had one when I was stationed in San Diego. Had to see you start it and hear that sound again! Thanks.
Was my absolute favorite bike (I have owned more than afew), despite it's shortcomings
Yes sir, in 1970, it was love at first ride, a '68 or '69 green fastback, that throttle was like magic...My first Norton about a month later was a '69 Commando 'S', there was really "nothing on the road it couldn't pass" that first year...I still have a few.
I did not own a Norton. However, I did have a 1967 Triumph Bonneville. I never used the choke. From cold, I first broke the clutch loose by pulling in the lever and kicking the engine. Usually, one or two kicks. Then, tickle the left carb, turn the ignition on and the bike almost always started on one kick. Breaking the clutch loose, prevented a crunch when putting the bike in first gear. Just what this old guy did way back when!
When I was in the USN, my best friend had a Dunstall Norton which was bored to 830, I believe. He was very generous with his toys and I was fortunate to be able to ride out in the San Diego hills many times and the experience was always heart-stopping. It was, as many of you remember, a cafe racer. She was yellow and just beautiful!
Hi Cork, it would have been an 810 big bore kit on a 750 or starting in 1973, an 850, which was actually 828. Was in San Diego '66/'67 during my first year in the Navy, would loved too had a motorcycle during that time but had to wait till I got out in '69. Bought my first Norton in 1970 and years later in '83 stumbled on a like new red '73 Dunstall 850, still have it...
Back in the Late 70’s I had a Norton exactly like Yours, but my previous bike was a 2 Stroke Suzuki RS 250 which I got used to starting by just snapping the kick starter about halfway down … big mistake on the Norton , if I tried that it would kick back… I spent several mornings laying on the tank in pain…. But LOVED the bike
Graduated in 71. Cycle magazine advertised a big yellow 750 commander. Dream bike. Never came true.
Bought a new 850 in 1974 from money I made Baling Hat and working on 3 Dairy Farms for 3 summers. I miss that bike. Gave it up while in the service.
Bought a 750 new in 1973. It was candy apple blue. Main bearing failure at 2000 miles, replaced with the better German bearings. There were no more reliability issues after that. I changed the oil regularly and used Rocol Moly additive. Removed the head at 15,000 miles and it was like looking at a new engine. Everything was clean and unworn. As for starting, I simply flooded a cold engine, gave it a bit of throttle and it would fire up first kick. Happy days.
Yes the 750cc Atlas suffered main bearing issues too.
I owned two Norton Commandose 850! One was a rat bike that was mechanically restored and the second one was a ground up restoration which was a beauty trailer queen but very much a runner. If these bikes are set up right, they start on the first kick and here is the secret as to me me by an English fellow who worked at the factory. Tickle the carbs as shown in this clip, walk around the right side and pull the clutch lever in and kick through two to three times to free up the pressure clutch plates. Turn the key on. Then standing on the right side of the Norton while the bike is on the centre stand, slowly kick it through till you feel it’s on the down ward stroke and then give it a gentle kick and she will light right up every time. If the Commando is set up correctly will fire right up. I removed the chokes, once the Amal 930,carburetor were resleeved. I always laughed when I saw folks mount there Norton’s and Triumph’s to kick start it like a Harley which really never worked. Also, in the primary use transmission oil,rather that the 20W50 oil. Aw those were the days, as the Commandos were and still are the hot rod of its day. Just my two cents worth🤗
I had a '75 modern riders can
Absolutely spot on, this guy`s asking for a bruised calf doing his way. I owned a Norton 850 for a few years and never had problems starting it from cold, even in icy conditions.
They were the hot rods of the day, unless you were really unlucky and came up against a 900SS Ducati, then you had a close race!
My friends 850 siezed up on a ride. The piston came out of the engine. This was 1975 and it was a well known problem at the time
Had a 75 850/
One of my favorite bikes!
I had a 74 850. I removed the choke altogether and never kicked it on the centre stand. A quick tickle when cold and it always started first kick.
Never on the centre stand! Correct.
Well done, very well explained. One small thing - Before starting, pull in the clutch and kick it over. This will clear the clutch plates and ensure a smooth engagement when you ride off.
I remember primers (squeeze bellows) and chokes, so long ago.
Holy smoke we've come a long way since then. The classics are cool but modern bikes are amazing.
I always dreamed of having an 850 Norton commando, I realized my dream with a BMW R90s... You have a beautiful bike, Thanks for sharing. !!
I owned an 850 Interstate for 6 years in the 1980's. Rode it every day. Never had all this fuss starting it except one time in a bad winter when water residue froze in the float chambers. I chipped the ice out, it started first kick in sub-zero temperatures. And no, I don't recall EVER using the choke.
The electric foot wasn't much use, I only used that if I stalled in traffic when it was handy to restart a warm engine.
Good friend of purchased a 1975 Commando new....we were still in high school. Same candy red but with the infamous electric start. He still owns the bike (and I still own my 1975 Honda CB750F). Beautiful motorcycle to this day.....always loved the look of that engine.
Ignition key last! Fuel tap open, tickle carbs if cold, one priming kick if cold, choke if really cold, ignition on and a good kick through. Turning ignition key ON first shortens points life, increases the chance of "welding" the points.
I worked with an Electrician who loved English vehicles. He owned a Norton 750 , amongst other things. Only motorcycle I've heard of where the crankshaft broke in under 2000 miles. Amazingly archaic engineering and worksmanship. The Isolastic suspension caused rear wheel wobble when the rubber started drying up. Small wonder that Norton went under circa 1975. Beautiful bike, although it's a mixture of Metric and Whitworth fasteners!-John in Texas
I bought a new black '73 750 Roadster with the "Combat" engine for $2100 in April '73. The dealer explained the starting sequence, break-in procedure, etc. I carefully observed the RPM limits. Later that day, at 141 miles, I was cruising at about 45 in 4th gear, all hell broke loose. Found a buddy with a van to get it home. Something had punched a small hole in the engine case! The dealer picked it up the next morning, said the crankshaft broke on the driveline main journal, had it a month, and rebuilt it using new cases, crankshaft, and Superblend bearings. After a careful 1000 miles, that bike was the fastest one around and I beat all the fast bikes of the day, ALL of them! I've had 3 Nortons, all '73 750 Roadsters, including the one I have now, with a high compression Combat motor. With electronic ignition, new Amal Premiere carbs, and non ethanol gas, its a 1st kick starter, thankfully, I'm 68 now!
I had a '72 750. What a wonderful bike. I wish I still had it.
They are a very nice bike , one of those and a Triumph thunderbird 57 kept me amused for years
The old Snortin' Norton. Bikes have two wheels and two cylinders.
I had my first Commando 750 in 1970 and bought one new in 1971 from Pride and Clarke in London for £539.50p a beautiful red fastback with a long range tank. Firstly, never open bothfuel taps, as one is for the reserve side of the tank. I never ever used full choke, nor ever started the bike on the stand. Tickling the carbs wasn't necessary either unless you like flooding the engine. As for preliminary kick, no need. A well tuned Norton starts first or second kick anyway.
I had a 73 Bonny
The procedure was
Main fuel tap open, reserve tap closed.
Tickle both carbs.
Slowly kick over until just past full compression.
Turn ignition on,
Come down hard on kickstarter.
Always started first or second kick.
I was a student at A.M.I. back in1974 and one of the students had a Norton that he really warmed over. One night of our questionable drag races it dominated a kaw 750 with pipes and filters. I was really interested in Norton's after seeing that.
Very cool! The Norton is a beauty!
My 73 850 only required tickling the carbs. I had added combat needles to the carbs which helped a lot.
Work of art. I am about your age.
The only time I ever rode a Commando was as pillion with a mate in about 1977. He bought it new and had not ridden it more than a few hundred miles when he invited me for a ride. About 20 miles down the road there was a horrible bump and we pulled up. Trying to restart caused a grating sound from the gearbox. We got picked up and took the bike home on a truck. Examination found that a bearing in the gearbox had disintegrated.
That is the only time I have been on a British bike. The first bike I owned was an MZ 250 which I rode around the coastline of Scotland and also took to the Shetlands. It was not a fast bike but it never let me down and it was cheap to buy and run. I followed this with 250 Kawasakis and Suzukis until I passed my test. Again no serious trouble. Once I had my full licence I bought a very old BMW R65. I used it as daily transport and also rode a couple of times from the UK to the Dolomites in Northern Italy with a friend plus climbing and camping gear on the back. Never missed a beat. I got a better job and bought a BMW R75 - again second hand. On this I took myself and future wife with camping gear around many parts of Europe and Ireland. Ran perfectly all of the time. After migrating to New Zealand I had a Suzuki 400 for a while just for fun. Never let me down. I did own for a while a BSA C15 but I never got it running sufficiently well to trust it on the road. The myths about the wonderful british bikes are largely that - myths.
I call bs. Had a 61 Norton Dominator SS never tricky to start (at least in southern US. Thousands of miles. Bought used former basket case about 4-5 yo at the time. Beat almost everything on the road back in the day. Dual Amals no air box no choke as I recall. Want a 74 Commando now. If you know of CH one please write to my son s as t above address, and emphasize he should forward it to his dad. Wish I had bought a Commando. new back in the day.
@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 I have a completely restored 71 Commando for sale. Less than 500 miles on a crankup build. Runs like a top and pulls like a train.
@@mitchburk5112 ps rode a heavily Dunstallized 600 cc 61 Dominator SS that could outrun every Atlas and all hogs. Easy ton. Any of that sort of blueprinting and beefing up done? Is anti wet sump mod applicable?
Yes I am a solid Norton nerd once and future Norton rider. My last best bike in that vein. Commando impressive in spite of frame-engine vibe damping.
I swear I would rock my old Dominator set up with the racing heads & Dunstallized valve train. A real sleeper. Don’t sleep on me lol.
@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 Engine has a +40 overbore and the later superblend main bearings. It's also got the AMR timing cover mod to slow down the wet sumping.
I had a brand new mk1a 850 £795 I drove 20 mile before it caught fire 🔥 what a heap of crap should have bought a z1 😂
You show em Pops , just like back in the day !!
Beautiful sound from that awesome Norton.
What a beauty - would love to ride one!
Who needs a choke if you have ticklers?
If it was sub zero on my 650 triumph the choke cable would already be frozen solid. That why I took it off and blanked the carb top
Why are you turning on both petcocks? At least on my 1973, one was the reserve and if you forgot to shut off the reserve, you could run out of gas on the road with no reserve.
Phoenix Skeptic. I had a 750 Triumph Bonneville, made in the final year of the
Meriden Triumph factory. It was the American spec model with the tear drop
tank and the higher bars.
If I hadn't used it for a week or two I would switch both petrol taps on, leave the
ignition off, give it full choke, and give the kick start a couple of prods. Then It
would usually start second kick. (Not forgetting the ignition of course). After
starting the left side tap would be switched off.
This model had electric start which was very reliable, but the owner's handbook
suggested that from cold the kick start should be used. After that the electric
start could then be used for the rest of the day.
Sounds like your Isolatics are shot - I can hear the tell tale vibration sound!
I had a '73 750 Commando, orange tank and side covers. Always loved the right foot shift with the pattern top to bottom --1 N 2 3 4. It made more sense to me to click my foot downward to shift to the higher gear. It always messed me up when I rode a Japanese bike.
Norton Commando. Even the name is cool!
You gotta be proud of that baby.
Nice ride! I had a 74 Commando too. Greatly regret selling it.
I had the 900 nice bikes
I had an opportunity to purchase one brand new still in the crate for $850 in 1974 while I was in the Navy in Rota, Spain. Stupidest thing I didn’t do! Kicking myself in the ass ever since.
This man was 30 years old when he started the procedure...
And after riding it flat out for 15 miles the carburetor would vibrate off the engine. No wonder these are dinosaurs.
One of the best looking engines ever!!!!!😀😀😀😀🏍🏍🏍🍺🍺🍺
That’s a nice bike
I had one of those, except it was a 1973 with no electric starter. Starting this model could break your leg. And the swing arm makes it so you have to have really thin tires, which is pretty scary when you´re riding a super bike over rain grooves on the freeway.
Awesome bikes the Norton pulls like a freight train. You can get knackered real fast if they don’t start. Strange gear shift after jumping of the Bonnie. A pity they didn’t have the five speed
ONE OF THE BEST !
and that folks is why honda suzuki yamaha and kawasaki became the best selling M/C's in the 70's
A wonderful machine! :)
Was it any wonder the Japanese devastated the British bike industry; when we were churning out stuff like this the they were building moderb superbikes like the honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z900
This was my dream bike in 74. I was 20 years old and the Norton was too expensive for me, instead got a 74 Yamaha RD350.
and thats why they went outtta business.....
That's *exactly* how I used to start a bike (when I was young).
I remember that sound fondly.
I had a '67 750 Norton. It had no key; it had a magneto. Turned the gas on with the petcock, tickled the two carbs, slight twist of the throttle, and kicked it. Usually started by second kick. The Lucas electrical components were always the weakest part of those English motorcycles, otherwise they were wonderful to ride.
When I first got my Norton I learned not to kick start it on the center stand. It failed and I had to get in welded.
I had a '74 850 Commando. I miss that upside down shifter on the right side.
Thats a pretty high "throttle"? Mine did between 300 and 500 rpm on "idle"? A bit like a fishing vessel. XD
Beautiful bike.
By the way the chrome rear fender was dancing up and down when the bike was running I would think they must have a habit of cracking after a while. Never owned a Norton so I'm only guessing here.
I had an almost "Religious Ritual" starting mine!
I was in the army, and my dad always said "Son! Starting that bike make me shake and rattle on the can in the morning"! (Rest his soul);0)
How the f**k did we convince you guys to love this sort of s**t that we once exported? This said, you also liked TR8's and Jaguars FFS. Without malice. We love you peeps. Greetings from the UK
I never had one innit - I'm pretty sure I never had no trouble with it. It go great. Although I never had it much at all - I did however ride one in a dream innit... I remember it clearly
Knew a guy that had one of these. It backfired once when kick started it and broke his ankle.
U most love the Vibration. Look at the rear
Clutch cable problem?...
Nice man , nice bike !
I always did the prime kicks with ignition OFF, to charge the large condensor. And it should be done on the ground, not on the centre stand!
I would have liked this video but it is now at 850 likes and I wanted it to stay that way
Why does the "choke" seem completely bass-akwards? Cool Ride...
Nice bike buddy 👍
Incredibly useful skills for the day after the planet has been struck by a galactic EM pulse and all computer controlled vehicles have been rendered inoperable... a good reason to keep several magneto powered off-road cycles in your garage
In their time, they were super-fast.
The Norton 850 would be a wonderful bike, but the job of stomping on that kick starter is just too much of a ballbuster !
At last, a man that knows a thing or to about Norton!
Where?
Big diff between "choke normal" whatever that is, and "choke OFF." You want the latter ASAP to run any such engine.
Nice bike
💥 Nice ✅ Survivor💥
I am no expert but really turning the key on first? It seems to me that premium kicks at that point are a little silly
I had a 500/4 my mate had.a750 commando I used to think Norton looked great when it worked sounded even better when it worked,all the time my honda never missed a beat but I would still like a nortonas a hobby bike
Had one , didn't like warm beer , kippers or the prince of darkness . Sold it !
Why do you call (choke off) normal. Choke is off or on. Saying 'normal' confused the issue! Best wishes
…..the thing about Nortons is that “when it breaks down, you’re never very far from home”. My 750 Atlas was a beautiful, miserable bike. Hard starting, unreliable and had a fatal engine design/manufacture that resulted in destruction. At 115 mph things vibrated so severely you couldn’t read the gages and secretly wondered what part of the frame was going to crack.
Don't get me wrong I love the older British bikes but the English automotive industry failed for the same reasons as Australia's did. Too slow to embrace technology. Consider the same vintage Japanese bikes and while buyers were drooling over caste iron V8 mooring block Marloo's and the like Audi was producing the RS 4 and BMW the M3 ! 😎👍
Norton tried at least , they were stuck with the patterns and tooling so had to stick with the engine/frame designs . But they were the only marque with a cartridge oil filter and electric start , and the black cap silencers was the sweetest noise ever , especially on the overrun .
Felt to me like a pre-flight check of switches before take-off . Too much to care !
Centerstand is weak. Don't kickstart on stand.
Depends. Some years the center stand and kickstand were weak. Some years, they were strong. And some years -- particularly with the kickstand -- if you have so much as half a brain, you weld in some reinforcement at the attach point.
Earlier 750's weigh a lot less than the paunchy, later 850's. So the stand has a lot less weight on it to start with.
My '72 Commando 750 with a Mikuni carb never takes more than two kicks, even when stone cold. When warm, half a kick will get it going. If you have a bike like mine, you're probably fine kicking it on the center stand, particularly if your own BMI is something reasonable.
If you're an overweight guy trying to kick an 850 with carbs that still need to be tickled to start, it's probably wise to think twice before kicking it on the stand.
Nice
Geiles Bike...
Una joya
A guy had one of those and rat raced around town telling everyone how he could beat my Kawaski KZ1R1000 with Kerker header and jetted carbs. But he never came ask me to race
was his name Stone ? and are you Midnite?
BAD RUST on the side panel
I owned 2 of this bikes. It was a mixture between love and hate because of the poor quality
I like it
Good ol' English engineering!
60 horsepower and it's worth between 10 and 15,000.
Then along came the Japanese with their new fangled electric starters and made life a lot less hassle !
I wish my Harley had both. Beats relying on a battery to start it.