well, it can't be in gear, but neutral works fine - or you can learn to "heel and toe" and work the gas and starter with one foot .... if the points look good they probably are, but if you used a file on them recheck the gap
"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir "When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" ~ me Some TF series details & TF heater pics