kickstart

This advice will be invaluable to me when i get around to putting the motor back together.I replaced the sprockets on the kickstart with a Mikes kit,must have done something wrong,when i kicked it over it broke off the alloy lug that the spring hooks over.I am hoping my welder can get it back together again,i may have to rely on electric start most of the time,hope my battery is up to it.
 
If you search around on here you will find how to fix that broken stub with out welding.
You drill a hole in the case where the stub was, thread it and put a bolt in there with a nut to lock it in place. Then hook the spring to the bolt.
See post #5 of this thread
Leo
 
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Is this what the kick start spring when installed correctly looks like?
And after unloading the spring does the kick start shaft just pull out?

 
OK, 14 months since the last post on this thread.....but once again, I have to compliment the OP (inxs) for his insight on this issue. Though I've not yet reassembled my engine (doing some clutch work)..... I posted yesterday looking for an 'easy button' to help with the reassembly of the kick-start drive mechanism. Thanks to 5twins for referencing this thread to me......and to inxs for the tech help. Fortunately, I have the required 'special tool' (Zip Tie) and it looks like I'll be able to speed through the re-assembly process as soon as my clutch work is done. Priceless!! Many thanks! Tom D.
 
I recently purchased a 78 XS650S with no apparent issues. After an oil change and a new battery, the only other thing I noticed was a little too much slack in the chain, (about 1.5"), so I adjusted it to about 3/4" sitting on the bike. E-start just spins, so I had to kick it. I rode it around the block a few times with no issues, so I then rode it about 2-3 miles and back to the house. The next day I tried to kick it and found there is all but NO compression when I try to kick start the bike. What do I check first?
 
Assuming you do NOT have a compression gauge..... check your oil!!! If you did an oil change and for some reason ended up 'not' getting the drain plugs properly sealed, you may have lost all your oil on your little spin....and in turn ended up seizing a valve in a guide (no compression). If you DO have oil, then I'd check you plugs next to make sure they're properly tightened. If so, when you kick over the engine, you can possibly hear a 'compression' loss...either through the exhaust ports, a spark plug hole, or back through the intake. If you killed ALL the compression, then it seems most likely to me that the valves hung up. You may be able to check this visibly by pulling the 4 tappet covers and just looking at your clearances. If you've got valves 'stuck' open, you'll see it. If the valves ARE moving properly, there's one other possibility..... a long shot, but possibly worth checking. Sometimes 'no compression' can be a result of 'no intake air'. I've seen mice and rat nests in air boxes before....and when not removed before running, they can either 'clog' the intakes, or a jam a valve slightly open. If you DO have a compression gauge and you've confirmed ZERO compression on both cylinders......yet it ran fine the day before....then something stuck 'open'. You can pull the air box boots off the back of the carbs and see if you're getting any 'suction' on the intake stroke. Finally, you can put each cylinder at BDC on the power stroke and apply compressed air to the spark plug hole and see if you hear it coming out through either the exhaust or intake side. If so, that will tell you which valve is leaking. Seems pretty unlikely that you 'cracked' both pistons or blew the head gasket on BOTH cylinders....but still possible. NOTE, do NOT apply compressed air at TDC, as the piston WILL shoot downward and this can possibly result in injury or damage.....depending on 'stupid stuff' like having a bike in gear!

Good luck, WC
 
Duh??? When I changed my bars I had to re-rout the cables to try and take up the slack. I guess one turn was too tight so it was binding. I guess that's more of an "Oops".
 
Dallas, the 'duh' was me indicating "MY" bad! Here I went through this whole 'over-engineering' dissertation, and in the end, it end's up being something simple and (again) something I didn't think of! When you said 'no compression', I somehow took it for granted that you were implying the engine was at least turning over. That was the 'duh'...... Leave it to Angus to state the obvious!!! WC
 
I'm just glad it was something that simple. You never know what you will come across on these old bikes. It started on the first kick after I freed the cable, so I took off and rode around the block. I love these old 650's! I can't wait for some warm weather to take it on a real ride. Thanks for responding Warf!
 
Dallas, the 'duh' was me indicating "MY" bad! Here I went through this whole 'over-engineering' dissertation, and in the end, it end's up being something simple and (again) something I didn't think of! When you said 'no compression', I somehow took it for granted that you were implying the engine was at least turning over. That was the 'duh'...... Leave it to Angus to state the obvious!!! WC
Duh......:doh:
 
im glad it was a easy fix... and you didn't just rip out your engine and spend $1,000 or more on a rebuild. Sometimes you get lucky, and it is a simple fix. no need to worry. we may poke fun, but we are here for you.
 
Here's one I haven't seen mentioned. There appears to be two different spring/clips available.The broken one was what I found when rebuilding mine so after searching found one on Ebay .Of course I didn't compare the two until I went to install the kickstart assembly and the new one doesn't extend into the gap in the housing at all.Not having much luck finding one so far.
DSCF6580.JPG
 
That's not a kick starter drag clip, it's for the electric starter gear #4. It's appears to be the early one as well, which Yamaha updated in '76 because it was too weak.
 
OK that explains it. Mines pre electric start so I didn't realise there was another one.Is this the right one 5twins?
s-l16002.jpg
 
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