Kick Start ……….. How

[pa23driver]

I agree with gggGary, just a little bit of throttle and she'll fire on the first kick. unless of course you have your iggy advanced even slightly more than it should - then you'll blow your carbs clean off the manifolds.

 

[Dusty]

I agree with Retiredgentleman, it is way more easy to use the e-start. I ran my last two XS's for 1 season with kick only. I hooked up the e-start on both, and now I never kick. I have read that the e-start sucks to much juice to fire the plugs properly but that has not been my case. I run points on my current bike as well as the last one,they both started fine. When I was kicking, primer kicks seem to work best.

 

[shotgunjoe]

shotgunjoe;

I'm not against kick starting..................please continue to use it.

If your engine won't start with the starter motor, it means you have a problem area somewhere:
1) starter motor worn out (brushes)
2) battery too small (less tha 14 amp/hr)
3) charging system not charging battery fully

Charging system is more than adequate. Battery is out of a harley, and is in good condition. Which leaves the brushes... In which case its still easier to kick than go in and fix it.

 

[AussieHard]

Personally I hate the rattling sound the starter makes, I cringe every time, I thought there was something wrong. But the three Other XS guys who have come to see the bike all say it's normal, their sound the same. I also am having charging issues and thought if I can kick it I will save battery and my sanity.

 

[hotdog]

Aussie,
With your carbs tuned properly you should be able to kick the bike over & have it start with no throttle at all.
Enricheners are the carbs choke system - enrichens the air/fuel mix to increase the amount of fuel & make starting easier.
Try kicking it with full choke & no hand on the throttle at all..?? 20 kicks is too much & something is amiss....
I would be checking the valve clearances as well, if they have closed up it will not (or be very difficult to) start when cold.
Spark is it getting any & is it timed correctly..??

Good luck

 

[Liftrat]

Aussie, I agree that something is amiss if you're taking that many kicks to start. As RG suggested, using the electric for now (if available) might be the answer. I removed the electric on my '75 to save weight, and because it just sounded bad; don't mind kick starting at all unless something is adjusted so far off that it won't start ;-). Yeah, I wish more bikes came with kickstarters, too, though realistically with large high compression engines, it might be more work than it'd be worth. Any results yet?

 

[maxwell]

my bike used to be a one kick, no throttle, no choke bike when cold...

now, when cold, the process is as such:

1. roll the bitch out of the garage
2. turn the key
3. twist the throttle a quarter way
4. while doing three (3), kick that bitch.

she starts up every time. 1 kick. no choke.

 

[Jawknee21]

i hate my electric start. unless i stall it. then its my best friend. but i always kick it if i have time. kick seems way cooler anyway. i have yet to see anyone else even with a kicker around here. theres only 1 xs even close to me that ive seen. my electric start sounds like crap too. unless the bike is already warm. but thats the only time id use it anyway. right now i can kick it once and it starts. i just cant be a baby about it. 1 "Real" kick and its running fine. no choke. haha...

 

[cmattina1]

I've been experimenting a bit this week and i find it kickstarts best if you slowly compress it until it is about horizontal with the ground, then give it a small kick.

 

[sgallaty]

Ok, first the electric start mechanisms in these bikes were outdated when they were designed. The whole idea of a bendix setup is 50's junk. All modern bikes use a clutch mechanism. It's prone to failure in several ways.

That said, you'll ask 4 guys and get 6 opinions about how to start a cold bike.

My usual method is one /twp complete kicks choked with the ignition off and the throttle wide open, then ignition on, choke off and throttle at just past idle position.

I always let my weight do the kicking, not my leg. I hop up and just ride the kick starter down while extending my leg. Like hammering, let the weight of the hammer drive the nail.

 

[AussieHard]

Got the bike out today..........The no kick cold bike!
Well it is a little warmer today but still a winter one! The battery was fully charged 13.3V Just for referance

I coked the bike opened both petcocks stood the bike up, give three prime kicks......turned ignition on, gave it another kick, whalah! Fired right up.......

So thanks guys I now have a method to kick start cold that seems to work.

Hope fully this will help until I get my battery issues sorted...... I don't know what is flattening the battery I bought a new batt and after taking the bike for a ride with a few stop starts the bike gets harder and harder to start until it is dead!

Not sure if it is a charging issue, or the elec start is just draining the shit outta the battery.

Did the feeler guage test today and it slaps the tank when turn the ignition switch. Not sure what to look at from here.

 

[irristeve]

It has alot to do with how ya hold ya mouth & what phase the moon is in L O L Seriously every bike wil be a bit differnt just got to find your bikes best.Had 650c many years back started with starter most times if didnt a couple of kicks & away it went some times Id kick it 10 times no go hit starter & of it would go had me buggerd.Rephasing the crank seems make starter work much better,was a pretty dodgie set up the whole starter setup but if in good cond.& the bike tuned properly shouldnt give you much grief