super hard kick start

mrriggs said:

It's funny you mention that because it is actually one of the reasons why I like kick starting my bike. I see everybody get out of work and get in their cars with a look of dread. They all want to be home but none of them are looking forward to the drive home. How many smiling faces do you see behind the wheel during rush hour? When I come out after a long day at work, kick starting my bike literally puts a smile on my face. There is a great sense of satisfaction because I built it, I tuned it, and I STARTED it. It's kind of a primal man-vs-machine thing. Riding this bike is a joy and it all starts with the kicker.

Electric start is easy but has an electric starter ever made you happy? Can happiness ever be found in "stuff" that makes life "easy"?

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I totally understand what you are saying. I think there are 2 types of kick starter guys. One type is like yourself. You enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction of manually starting a machine. You like kick starting because you are confident the engine is tuned and the charging system is working 100%. The other type is the lads that don't have their engine tuned correctly/battery is not fully charged, etc., and by default must kick start.

I think kick starting is mostly suitable for the under 60 crowd. I suspect most over 60 lads are very happy to use the electric start. I know I'm very happy to use the electric starter on my bike.

I remember my parents talking about using a hand crank to start cars. I don't think they found any happiness in doing it. It was just doing what was needed.

fredintoon said:

Hi RG,
I bought my '84 Heritage Special from a Winnipeg Yamaha dealer in '86 still with zero miles on it.
(does that mean the battery was 2 years old or does the dealer install a fresh one when they do the prep work?)
But when I first got the bike it wouldn't fire until I took my thumb OFF the e-start button.
What I reckoned was that when the e-starter was cranking that stiff new engine it sucked the battery's voltage down too far to work the TCI unit.

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Yep......................sounds like a battery with only a partial charge from sitting too long in the show room.

johnnmcguire said:

Never claimed to.That's why I'm here ;-)

Think it's really satisfying, nostalgic to kick it. Takes me back to my first rides on my old Suzuki TC125

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5 or 6 kicks and you are getting tired................................does not sound very satisfying! You need more than luck. You need to spend some more time investigating why your engine is not starting. Your engine should start easily from either the starter motor or from the kick starter. You should not have to use a combination of both.

I occasionally hand crank the Farmall H just to be manly. Anyone else ever forget to turn the Johnny Popper from diesel back to gasoline before shutting it down, then try to start it? I kick start the XS's "now and then" I could e start the stone stock 73 first try in the spring. That bike actually preferred to start with the electric leg.

I'm with mrriggs. I enjoy kicking my '72 XS. I kinda have to since I took the starter off but I did it for a reason. I think it's fun to be able to kick it over. I love the electric start on my HD but this bike just asked for it.

retiredgentleman said:

...I think there are 2 types of kick starter guys...

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Hello! Number 3 here (he says from the back of the room, arms flailing wildly).

LOL 2M ! the plugs are out in that video ! it won't start like that !
I can do either electric start (which I prefer) or Kick start but it is not like 2M's little video thing it's Leap into the air and give it a Big kick to get enough speed that it fires up ! ....
When I was Younger we had a Cat on the Ranch and the only way you started it was hand crank... I put many hours on that crank Most of them Unpleasant ones ! almost busted my arm once too ... that's when I decided the timing had to be messed up so I took it apart...
sure enough points were so burnt you couldn't tell they were points.... filed them and got'em all ship shape, set them to the width I thought they should be, and gave it a whirl ... it fired up the first try !
from then on if it took more than 3 tries to start that monster I did the points !!!!!
( no book, no parts available and no hope of getting them ...but that cat could pull down trees all over the ranch ! I loved it! )
never had a johnny popper..... Wish I had ! but we could run 50/50 gas diesel in the cat and still start it easy . just a bit of smoke !
....
if I ever won the Lotto I would have to have a Big ranch just to keep all the tractors and motorcycles i'ed drag home ! LOL
I think the meanest Bike I ever had to Kickstart was the TT500 yamaha single ..... I simply did not weigh enough at 200lbs at the time and it really did not want to turn over without the compression release pulled in ..... occasionally it would send me over the handle bars ...
it had TCI ignition and I always thought it was a bit too far advanced ! but that puppy would haul ass !
.....
Bob........

@retiredgentleman you'll be pleased to know that new plugs and a slight adjustment to the right intake valve clearance has it starting right up with the starter AND with the kick @mrriggs. Nice to have options... Also seemed to have solved some backfire issues I was having on the right side decelerating.

johnnmcguire said:

@retiredgentleman you'll be pleased to know that new plugs and a slight adjustment to the right intake valve clearance has it starting right up with the starter AND with the kick @mrriggs. Nice to have options... Also seemed to have solved some backfire issues I was having on the right side decelerating.

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Fantastic! That's great news.