First posted this on the "Engine Mechanical Topics" then found there is a forum just for these bikes so I'm posting it here too:

Just picked up this '76 IronHead. The guy I got it from said he wasn't mechanically inclined. He did have a mechanic go thru the carb. And had replaced the plugs. Never did anything to the points. He said it might need Timing adjustment. After quite a few tries and near starts he got it running. I couldn't even get a near start. Got it home and tried and still can't even get a near start. I've got to get a manual on order and some new points for it. In the meantime I was wondering if any one here could give me some tips on starting. The guy told to crank it he would choke it for one kick. Then no choke. Also he said not to give it any gas. I didn't want to put a starter on it but I am now rethinking that one. I had a '65 650 BSA that I built (Basket case when I got it) when I was kid (16 yrs old). That's the biggest engine I've ever kicked off. Since then it's mostly been push a button.
The guy I got it from was about my size. I'm 5'11" 190#s if that make a difference.

 

Hi from the UK and welcome to HDF. You did well to find this Sporty forum, but we can go one better as we have a dedicated Ironhead forum as well, where the real experts on your bike hang out. Take a look over there to see if you can pick up any tips.

As for starting your bike, we don't have much to go on! Does the engine fire at all, or is it totally silent? Your bike came with an electronic ignition system when new, so it shouldn't have points. Do you have a healthy battery and do the lights, horn etc all work?

For future reference you can see the parts that make up your bike on any of the on-line websites, like this one.

 

I would feel sure it's firing. It fired up for him. Can't say I checked the lights. I will be needing blinkers. Horn don't work. So it may (does) have some wiring issues. Got a new battery. I'm only home on weekends. I didn't really fool with it that much. Just picked it up Sunday. Think when I get home I'll take it to the top of the hill in my pasture and try a roll start. The guy told me one of the things he would do would be to get rid of the points and put an electronic ignition in it. He did say he wasn't mechanically inclined. But I would had thought he would had known if it had points or not. Maybe he didn't know.

 

There are two things I would guess here. It sounds like your bike is a kicker only (go CH's)!

One is the mechanical side; the other is the starting procedure side.

Mechanically, make sure your pushrods are adjusted properly, ignition timing is statically set, spark plugs are not fouled. You need compression, spark, and fuel to get it going. If he could get it running, it sounds like things are at least in some order.

Procedure from a cold start for my bike (every bike is different, so it may take some time for you to find it). Turn gas on. Pull choke lever. Give two to four squirts on throttle depending on temp. Kick twice with ignition off. Turn ignition on. Kick to start. If it doesn't start in a couple kicks, close the choke and turn off the ignition. Wide open throttle and kick twice. Start over.

It takes a hefty kick every time. When I was learning and doing poorly, I routinely would work up a sweat in the summer. It could take me 15 minutes to get it going. Now it's a quick procedure. Practice helps a lot.

Also, points vs elec. should be easy to tell as soon as you pull the points cover. They look nothing alike.