Tom, you're missing something important! Do you know what you DON'T have that many Commando owners have? You don't have spark plugs that foul with carbon after you've ridden for 150 miles. You are missing the wonderful opportunity to argue whether Champions, or NGKs, or Iridium-plated plugs are better. Yeah, you're missing all that fun because you've kept your chokes and properly tuned your Commando to start and idle properly from cold using the chokes. You've also set the correct mixture to start easily with the twistgrip closed. Most of the people who complain about Commandos being hard to kick over don't realize that keeping the throttle closed reduces the force needed to kick a 750 or 850 over by something like 30% -- because with the throttle closed, you're creating a partial vacuum in the cylinders and you're not fighting compression as you kick it over. That also allows the idle circuit on the carburetors to do their job of accurately metering the mixture for startup. (Some people think that they have to over-tickle the carbs and then open the twistgrip wide to provide enough to gulp in enough air to give a good starting mixture and prevent flooding the engine; that has the double-bad effect of making necessary to guess if the mixture is right --- and it's always going to be a stab in the dark -- plus the issue that they're making it harder to kick the motorcycle over against compression.) It looks to me that you're doing everything right. All the people who spend their time b*tching about "Oh, the Norton designers didn't know what they were doing" and "Amal carbs are ancient technology" and "they're too hard to start because of bad quality control" etc. could learn a lot from what you're doing. Good job! To the nit-pickers, yes, starting on the centrestand puts a lot of stress on the stand and I've seen a number that have cracked or broken. In my opinion, it's much more important to have a stable base for the motorcycle when you're starting it. If I had a centrestand on my Commando (I can't run one on my PR because the tucked-in exhaust doesn't leave room for one but IF I did ...), I'd use it and inspect it every spring. Is it optimum? No, but it's a good alternative and it allows the force you put on the kickstarter to be used to turn the engine over not wobble the bike around on its suspension. On the other hand, if someone has the skill to hold the motorcycle upright and correctly direct their kicking force onto the kickstarter, I completely respect their decision to do it that way -- I just won't quarrel with someone who chooses to start on the centrestand. And yes, the Commando clutch can be sticky since it runs in an oil bath. Running the light-weight "Ford type" ATF in the primary and "freeing" the clutch before you start it is a good idea. This is what I've learned in 54 continuous years of owning a Commando. Armchair cowboys are free to disagree.

Those are the best looking bikes. I bought my 2013 Triumph T-100 new with black and chrome because of that look. I should surpass 80,000 miles on it this year. I hope to own a Norton like that someday. I’d probably just look at it all the time tho 😜

Lovely bike ! Sounds great !

Yeah I had an 850. really a fun bike to ride. Once you figured out all its nuances it was a great bike

Sounds really nice... the reward for the starting procedure?

Thing of beauty. Thanks mate.

As a youngster, my first big bike was an 850 Interpol, fairing and all. Electric start was a joke. If you stalled at the lights, leaping into the air with the bike balanced for a 140lb guy was sort of nerve wracking

start it on the wheels not the stand ;) nice bike

nice !!

nice bike dude

I own a 71 750 with a switched oil valve that is on the hot lead of the ignition. Bike won’t start unless oil valve is turned on. Simple wet sumping fix.

With a Japanese bike you turn on the ignition and press the starter. Job done.

I free up the clutch on mine so it doesn't lurch when I put it into gear.

Should be freeing up the clutch before you do any of that ! Crazy risking your engine with the anti wet sump valve

your weight on those frame tubes whilst on the centre or side stand are not doing the bottom rails any favours .Whats wrong with straddling the bike with c/stand up to start ?.

I'm newly retired with time on my hands and am willing to take any old Norton Commando off the hands of any poor soul who finds his bike hard to start, a cracked center stand, worn-out seat foam, or just the wrong color.

😂

Hi, please reinforce your front seat.. you are pretty much overweighted and the seat is.. done.. Look at it in your video..