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Norton kickstart lever

Submitted by gary_burgess1 on Sat, 12/03/2022
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Commando

I have a 1970 (mark 2 I believe) Norton Commando Fastback, purchased nearly 12 months ago in boxes. The bike is now 99% rebuilt and is looking great but I have a question; I have chosen to fit the later upswept exhaust pipes rather than to original cigar shaped straight exhaust system. New upswept front pipes, silencers and brackets from Andover Norton, all fitted and looking great; but......... there is always a but. The original kick start fouls on the o/s exhaust, so my question is, was a different design of kickstart lever fitted to the later commandos fitted with upswept pipes and reverse cone meggas? According to the parts list at AN, the early commandos fitted with the straight pipes used a lever with part no, 06.0598 and the later models with the upswept pipes part no. 06.1055 was fitted. Is this because of the clearance required to miss the exhaust?

Many thanks for reading

Gary

Submitted by jan_nelder on Sat, 12/03/2022

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 I have read many reports of the correct kickstart NOT clearing the pipe, as you have also found. Usually, this is down to the shaping of the o/s pipe on the first 2 bends from the engine. Some people fit the later still kickstart, some get the pipe judiciously tweeked with the right application of heat to bring it nearer to lower frame, but still pointing correctly at silencer joint, with some risk to colour of chrome, obviously.

Submitted by gary_burgess1 on Sat, 12/03/2022

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thanks for your reply Jan, so are we saying that the later style kickstart was designed to clear the exhaust front pipe/silencer that was used on the Roadster? It would make sense otherwise why manufacture a different kickstart lever.

Yes , those seating rings in the exhaust port allow enough adjustment of downpipe positioning / angle tweaking for kickstart to clear. Have done this successfully on both my '73 and '76 850's when initial fitting of kickstart levers fouled the right hand pipe - even with balance pipe cross piece fitted on both bikes.

Submitted by john_holmes on Tue, 15/03/2022

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I have used the spherical seat to allow extra movement of the pipe so the kickstart lever clears. Other option is the 850 MK3 kickstart which has a bend to increase clearance as does the RGM T160 folding kickstart.

Submitted by gary_burgess1 on Thu, 17/03/2022

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Many thanks for all the replies, I have spoken at length with AN technical and I think the best solution although not the cheapest is to replace the kickstart lever with a lever off an 850. For anyone who requires it, here are the specs for the kickstart levers fitted: Measuring from the inner edge of the lever splined hole where it is secured to the kickstart shaft to the centre of the domed nut, it should be 3.5 inches for a 750 and 3.75 inches for an 850. My lever measures 3 inches. Obviously at sometime in the past the bike has been dropped/fell over and bent the kickstart lever. No signs of any damage and to top it all I have actually had it re chromed.

so are these a straight bolt on addition for pre Mk3 exhausts?

Submitted by john_holmes on Fri, 18/03/2022

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Yes, you leave out the sealing ring and replace with the spherical seat with curved surface outwards. There will be a couple of extra threads showing on the exhaust rose as it will be moved out a bit, but there will be some extra movement in the pipe until the rose is fully tightened. As you do that final tightening the pipe will want to move but if everything else is tight and you keep a knee against the pipe the kickstart will not touch the pipe.

 


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