Hello and help needed

[brutal]

I'm sorry for making my first intro as a call for help but just got my '73 Commando last Friday. It's been a long time coming since I had a '72 way back in the late 70's that took me from London to Morocco and back, luckily. Anyway, after getting the kickstarting down over a couple days, the kicker just stopped engaging. It sounds like it's not engaging in the cogs. Any ideas? I'm in Annapolis, MD

[locO leoN]

Hey Welcome to the board...
However, Im sorry to hear about the bike...

There are some Brit bikes here so Im sure someone can help you out....
how about posting some pics of the COmmando?...

Ive been thinking of putting together a 72 Commando myself...

[CanadaDan]

Welcome!

No help here... just bought my first kicker and haven't gotten into it yet.

Just a shot in the dark but isn't there some sort of spring that forces the gears/cogs together? Could it have snapped?

If were my bike I'd start tearing into that part of the bike to find the problem since it's bound to be internal... but that's a pretty uneducated suggestion.

[brutal]

Thanks for the welcome. I was shopping a '72 for a while but didn't find a good runner at the price I was willing to pay. Having gone up to the 850, is it harder to kick than a 750? This one was overbored .030 when it was rebuilt in 2000 so would that also make it a little harder to kick? Anyway, I've got a lot to learn. As for taking it apart as Canada Dan suggests, just a bit intimidated until I can figure out what it's supposed to look like in there. Still waiting for my Haynes... Will post picks as it is soon and definitely when I finish the cafe project over the winter.

Ive been thinking of putting together a 72 Commando myself...
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[CanadaDan]

Wait for the manual... then have at it... I usually find it's a heck of a lot easier than you think it's going to be... and it's cool to wrench on your ride... just see some other threads to see what happens to blokes who send it into the dealer for work... I'm not saying that all dealers are crooks... I'm just saying all dealers are crooks.   

[brutal]

I finally tracked down Frank Diehl from Classic Cycle Works as he had moved from Maryland down to the Carolinas. It appears to be a common problem with a worn pawl on the kicker. He is sending me the parts needed as well as offering to walk me through. A friend with a Triumph has used him forever and swears by his ethics so there are still a few good ones around, unfortunately not close to where I live.

Wait for the manual... then have at it... I usually find it's a heck of a lot easier than you think it's going to be... and it's cool to wrench on your ride... just see some other threads to see what happens to blokes who send it into the dealer for work... I'm not saying that all dealers are crooks... I'm just saying all dealers are crooks.