conver your kicker to harley pedal style

[xschop]

I would like to convert my kicker to a Harley style kicker pedal and I am not sure how to do this....I've seen other xs with this and I would like to do this with my 72 xs and I was curious if anybody knew how to do this and give me a play by play please

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Chop,
Fred's quick & dirty kicker conversion:-
Get an old bicycle off the dump.
Salvage whichever pedal crank has the right-hand thread in it (t'other one's left-handed so the pedal may come unscrewed if you use that one.)
Remove the pedal.
Saw off the crank end that the pedal threads into about 2 or 3 inches long.
Saw off the kicker's bent out end to match.
Make a sturdy joining sleeve (or luck out and find a pipe that'll fit) and weld it all together.
Get the weldment chromed if you can afford to. Wire brush & paint it otherwise. Or leave it rough for the rat-bike look.
If you picked a bicycle with a pedal you like the look of, thread it back in and you're done.
Otherwise, spend the big bucks at a bicycle shop to get a pedal you do like.
Alas, they only sell them in pairs.

 

[Airwolfie]

This is how I fitted an old school Harley kick pedal to my bike.

I like the big wide bit of rubber and I guess it gives better footing. Also, no loss of shin skin when the foot slips!

So here it is. Bog standard.

I proceeded to remove the rubber(It tore a bit when I tried pulling it off, so I cut it down the one end, and later glued it back with CA, works a treat!), and drill out the spot welds. I also cut a slot in there to fit over the Original kicker, you will see what I mean n a bit

Original Kicker stripped off to reveal the shaft.

And here it is before I riveted it together.

Close up of the slot

Rivet the lot together, and slip the rubber back over, job done!!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Glad you jumped in here, Airwolfie. Couldn't find your kicker mod.

Of all the kicker mods I've seen, Airwolfie's has to be the slickest.

 

[xschop]

Damn they are both different good mods I'd like to try but it really fell for a blue pedal bike I found on eBay...so Fred how realistic is this and do you happen to have pics to show examples?
And airwolfie those rivits been holding good? If I can't get the bicycle pedal on I'd might try your way...I'm kinda slow so I'm the type that you need to draw a map for haha sorry gents

 

[angus67]

Airwolfie, I have done the same Popsicle kicker.
Does the pedal slide a bit were you have to push it back on? Mine does. I've spread the "teeth", but still moves a bit after some rigorous kicking. What else can I do? Mine was a cheap custom chrome unit. Looks excactly like yours. Tempted to go the bicycle route

 

[fredintoon]

- - - Fred how realistic is this and do you happen to have pics to show examples? - - -

Hi chop,
I've not ever put a pedal style kicker on a bike kickstarter, so it's entirely theoretical.
But there's many a sidestand that's been extended by cutting it in half and welding a tubular extension piece in the middle.
most likely you've done a few yourself.
Same deal here but with the outer end of a bicycle crank plus it's pedal grafted onto a sawn-off kickstart pedal.
Mind you, after seeing wolfie's Harley pedal transplant, I'd do that instead.

 

[xschop]

So in theory literally welding the pedal bicycles crank to the kickstarter shaft should work? How reliable would that be? And I like wolfies pedal style but I just really want this blue pedal I found unless I can find a blue popsicle kicker pedal haha

 

[fredintoon]

So in theory literally welding the pedal bicycles crank to the kickstarter shaft should work? How reliable would that be? And I like wolfies pedal style but I just really want this blue pedal I found unless I can find a blue popsicle kicker pedal haha

Hi chop,
not just butt-weld the ends together, no, that ain't gonna stand up!
The Yamaha kicker has a circular cross section.
Most bicycle cranks have a rectangular cross section.
Unless you have a bro with an electrical discharge machine to make a square-to-round adapter sleeve to join the ends you'll need to round off the bicycle pedal shaft to the same diameter as the Yamaha kicker shaft so you can put both ends into a cylindrical sleeve to join them together.
I'd say 3/4" deep each half (1-1/2" total) and use brazing rather than welding.

 

[xschop]

Oh okay o understand but would the screw in type of pedal will still be able to endure all of the kicks by just that screw that holds the ped in place? The more o research this the more I'm thinking that the pedal would snap off and break off the nut and leaving me stranded...not sure but it is an easy enough process

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Have you seen these?

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24911
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2989

 

[fredintoon]

Oh okay o understand but would the screw in type of pedal will still be able to endure all of the kicks by just that screw that holds the ped in place? The more o research this the more I'm thinking that the pedal would snap off and break off the nut and leaving me stranded...not sure but it is an easy enough process

Hi chop,
I'd suggest that you revise your search parameters.
A bicycle pedal is designed to be stomped on for miles and miles as a teenager's powerful thighs speed the bike along the road, eh?
But now I've seen 2many's link to those custom kickers, I'd say that's the way to go.

 

[Paulrxs650]

Post 350 on my Bobber build thread is what I did:
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22603&highlight=bobber+build+thread&page=18

 

[Airwolfie]

Yeah they been holding well.

Airwolfie, I have done the same Popsicle kicker.
Does the pedal slide a bit were you have to push it back on? Mine does. I've spread the "teeth", but still moves a bit after some rigorous kicking. What else can I do? Mine was a cheap custom chrome unit. Looks excactly like yours. Tempted to go the bicycle route

Yeah angus, mine moves too, but only if I kick it hard and a lot, and that don't happen often! but all I do is get my rubber mallet out and beat it back in!

 

[xschop]

Okay thanks everybody for the feed back I'm gonna order another kicker pedal off fleabay so that if I mess it up I still can ride my bike and try to go with the pedal style...if not I'm going with the popsicle style kicker pedal

 

[Tomterrific]

I did a popsycle mod a few years ago. It sucks. The end bends and the rubber cover moves slowly off the pedal. I thought it might help give a good 'kick' but no, just a PITA.

Tom

 

[xschop]

What's is pita?

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Chop,
not pita but PITA or more exactly P.I.T.A.
Pain In The Arse.
You must be the only person in the English speaking world who did not know this.

 

[xschop]

Haha yeah I know huh to be honest I never got used to all those short hand wording I just figured out what Lmao means haha

 

[fredintoon]

Haha yeah I know huh to be honest I never got used to all those short hand wording I just figured out what Lmao means haha

Hi Chop,
well in that case and with all due respect, FOAD. Or even FOADIOS.