Kick starters on street bikes

[dantama]

My first bike (1974 Honda XL 250, rode it like a dirt bike, but it was street legal) had a kick start only.

My second bike, a 1979 Yamaha 650 special, had kick and electric start. Batteries were weak then, and if you didn't light it up right and flooded it, you were stuck kicking, and kicking.

After that, bikes didn't even come with the choice to kick them.

At first it seemed unsettling to know that you couldn't kick start it at all. Now it doesn't seem the least bit unsettling. But I was around for the change over.

How about you?

[bobzinger]

When I bought my first big bike, a 1974 TX500 Yamaha, it had a kick start just like the 69 Yamaha 360cc before it..

[bobzinger]

1974 Yamaha TX500..see the kicker
http://www.ivers.mcpherson.com/cycle/portrait.jpg

[dantama]

1974 Yamaha TX500..see the kicker
http://www.ivers.mcpherson.com/cycle/portrait.jpg



Back when bikes had head rests, not backrests http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[ringadingh]

Ive had many bikes with kick starters, in fact I just sold the last one I had Last summer. It was a 1974 Suzuki GT550. It was nice to have as a backup. My very first bike had the kickstarter missing so I had to push start it each time. Pushed it about 6 feet and away it would go.

[racinchef]

My first bike; 1974 Honda CB360 had both, but the starter really labored quickly. My second bike; 1971 BSA 650 Lightning had only a kickstarter. It was well known for starting on the first kick. The carbs had spring-loaded buttons that depressed the floats and allowed fuel to over-flow. This was called "tickling" the carbs. Frequently, you got gasoline on your finger, but she did mostly start on the first kick. Back when I was still a kid we had a tenant that bought a new Harley Davidson Sportster. I think the year was somewhere around 1968. Every morning he would come out and unchain it and he would carefully turn the engine to the right spot with the kickstarter. Then he'd launch himself into the air and come down with all 120 lbs of his weight. He'd try doing that 8-12 times, then he'd give and roll it down the driveway and down the hill and it would start halfway down to the end of the street.

[audiogooroo]

First bike was kick start only. Second had electric starter AND a kick starter (76 Honda Goldwing) I haven't seen a kick pedal on a bike for some time.

[rlfaubion]

Been riding since 1970 and the Vulcan is my first electric start. I like it. Like I like having my first front brake, windshield, floorboards, turn signals, and crash bars!

[ringadingh]

Actually I had a weird one on my second bike. I had almost forgotten about it. The bike was a 1961 Jawa CZ 125, the kickstarter and the gearshift where the same lever. I think it was only a three speed, 1 up and 2 down and it was on the right hand side of the bike. To use the kickstart you would have to push the lever in by hand and lift, it would then flip up to be used as a kickstarter. Back in the early sixty's there was no standard arrangement for the controls on bikes. Ducati's also had the pedals reversed to most bikes. It never seemed to be a problem we could trade bikes and figure them out in a jiffy.

[justbrian]

The only bikes i had that were street legal dirt bikes, Honda mini trail 70, Suzuki tc125, suzuki ts 400, kawasaki ke100, really fun bikes, still have the ke100

[Top Cat]

there wasn't electric starters when I started
'65 Bridgestone 90cc kick only
'66 BSA lightning Kick only
'61 BSA 250cc kick only

[scott2007nomad]

I actually had a 1979 Honda CB650 that had electric start but no kick start.
I could push start it pretty easy. :)
http://www.kelmhome.com/picture_library/P1050004.JPG

[skeeter]

No way I'm pushin the Nomad. I might roll her down a slope if I'm conveniently at the top of it.
Left the switch on overnight, couple weeks ago. Jumper cables work just fine.
Kick started a few dirt bikes. Never owned. Tried kickin an old Harley. Several of us tried. Never did get it started. Wonder how much difference fuel injection would make? How hard would the 1600 kick back? Hmmm....

My first bike was a kick start. It was about as old as me so by the time I was old enough to ride it, it was already an older bike ('78 or '79 honda 175 scrambler)

[racinchef]

Electric start didn't reallywork well with the big v-twins until they incorporated compression relief into the starter system. I'd heard stories about the old Harleys throwing someone trying to kickstart one due to the big pistons and compression in the cyclinder.

[rflnomad]

Yeah, all my older street bikes had a kick start. But, all 3 Harleys did NOT!! 883 Sportster, Electra Glide Classic and FXD SuperGlide were electric only.
A friend had a custom Shovelhead Wide glide that was kick and eletric; I would kick it for fun. ( once I learned the secret )

I actually enjoy kick starting a motorcycle, just like I enjoy shifting gears. My 1968 BSA Thunderbolt didn't have an electric starter, I found it very rewarding to start it. I feel like we are being cheated out of part of the fun on modern motorcycles.

[macmac]

I had a few Brit bikes with no other way, the last was a 1974 trident 750 triple.
Yammi copied that bike like they did the 650 Bonnie, and so this 81' xs 850 which is still mine today, has both.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/Mac_Muz/Liberty/d8f4.jpg

[coloradontexas]

very first bike was a 61 yamaha 125 - my practice bike before getting a dirt bike. I was 12 and could barely kick start the thing.

[dhelfritz]

My 1965 Honda 305 had both the kick and electric start. My 67 Triumph was only kick and back then the foot controls were reversed on British bikes. The shift lever was on the right.
Electric start on big bikes has changed the whole industry. Most the ladies riding today would not be able to ride anything very large if they only had kick starters. They were brutal sometimes, especially on Harleys.