Kick start you ask???


My 71CB750 Cussed`em I mounted a starter push button on the sidecover and would mess with the Harley riders what HADTO kickstart theirs...
I simply lifted my right leg to put my ankle on that push button and said, "Kick Start!"...

I dunno IF there`s a way to make yours Kick Start or not, but figured I`d share a laugh this morning...

Merry mas...
Yeah it`s just ain`t right without Christ!!!
Merry Christmas

 

Short answer, no.

Long answer, no it is not possible to make your bike a kick start bike. There is gearing and springs and cogs and all kinds of other parts besides the kick start pedal that are needed for this.
You could find a kick start motor from another bike and put the whole thing into your frame, but the kick start mechanism has to be built into the motor design from the get go.

 

Yep, entirely possible.

 

Care to elaborate? Usually adding a kick start requires completely re-engineering the starting system and the associated transmission shafts. No to mention a modified side cover for said shaft to poke out of.

Unless you're a VERY competent machinist and engineer, I wouldn't even give a kick start a 2nd thought. From all my research through the years (and currently owning 4 bikes with a kick start), unless it comes as such from the factory, you won't be able to put one on...

 

I think they went out in the early '80's, look for a bike older than that.Cheaper if not possible to convert. I remember them before electronic ignitions that would not fire if the voltage fell below 10 volts but you could kick start them with no drain on the battery if it was weak.Battery's have gotten a lot better.

 

Kick start? I'm guessing you're young enough to never owned a bike with a kick start or you wouldn't even think about it. A lot of new blue words were invented between kicks.

 

A starter motor takes up minimal space on a bike, wondering why it's an obtrusive item when you can barely see it, in the quest for minimalism? That said, dunno why a detachable kick-start pedal, compact enough to store in the saddlebags, wasn't an option on a bike in the event the battery stranded you. Probably manufacturing costs. Btw, a kick starter has to have a means to disengage as soon as the engine starts up. Otherwise, the kickstarter pedal turns into a propeller.

 

They'd probably have to go back to the days of magnetos in bikes, and generators in cars. I remember in my youth having stone dead batteries in our cars and calling up our buddies or a willing neighbor to give us a push start. That's something you never see any more since alternators came along.

 

I've an emergency kick starter on my '76 GL1000. Stores nicely in the toolbox.

Also, both my XS650's have them. My '81 is a bobber and is ONLY kick, as starter removal shaves about 9-10 lbs off the bike and cleans up the electrical and motor nicely. Plus gives you a clean place to mount an electrics box.

My '76 CB750, GL1000 both kick over VERY nicely, even with the CB having 10.5:1 compression. The XS's are a little different, as yamahas 360 degree parallel twin made piston movements a little difficult. But with proper technique, it's no trouble.


but to be honest, you can't really look any cooler than kick starting a bike. People would always give me a 2nd or 3rd look when I kick started any of my bikes. Even ones that never noticed a bike before!

 

sometimes i ask questions (not necessarily here) just in hopes someone will tell me i cant do it. then it pushes me to dig even deeper, researching the possibilities. i never would have gotten this far in life if people never told me what i cant do. however, sometimes you just gotta learn the hard way.

my advice to the OP is learn how a kick start actually works. get into the inner workings on how in one or two kicks it can spontaneously start the motions of a running engine. once you understand that, only you can say if its possible or not. but i think what the OP was actually wanting to know is if there is a kit available, or if anyone has ever done this conversion. as far as i know, the answer is no. ive looked hahaha.

i would like to leave you all with this meme that i found fitting for this thread...

 

It's good to good as far as you can, to see if you can do it !
But then=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=_VrFV5r8cs0

 

That last link didn't seem to work right.

 

Well, it CAN be done...

Sorta. :grin2:

 

ok whats the catch? is that for real? :shock:

 

wow im shocked this thread blew up this fast. thank you all for your responses. this is my first bike and i have really big dreams for it including a custom gas tank and a double wishbone front end suspension. the current motor i have has seized and if im going to be rebuilding it then i want it to be kickstart for both the cool factor and the minimalist look. i know there are ways to make a starter and other components to blend or not be seen but i like a challenge. But, i dont think i will be turning this motor into a kickstart. I should rebuild a few engines before i get to carried away. thanks for the reality check and great ideas and a few laughs.

 

With enough money it's probably possible. But in the pursuit of simplicity I'd suggest just leaving the motor out entirely and pushing it to the top of a hill. Nothing is simpler than gravity.

 

One of the inspirations for this bike is the documentary on amazon prime called Dirtbag. Definitely watch it maybe not with kids around. I am going to build this bike for under $1k but I do have favors to call in from a machinist and a mechanic and I am a welder and have access to free metal. But if this bike never runs I won’t be hurt cause I will have learned something and pushed my fab skills.

 

thats awesome. and the same reason why i built my 88 vt1100c. but i knew i wasnt going to meet the $1000 cap. im about $2500 into it now. but have done and redone several things (check pics out in my garage) and now i am dealing with an electrical issue concerning my coils, possibly. but man, when she runs... she runs!

actually, it was dirtbag II that hooked me, and then i saw part I. before both of those, i watched choppertown, and that was an eye opener. but DBII was what convinced me that i could do it, when i was even telling myself that i couldnt. that bike taught me so much, like welding, fabrication, rewiring, etc. and because i only dropped $650 on the donor bike, i wasnt afraid to mess anything up. i can honestly say that i enjoy (enjoyed) riding her more than my Harley when it came to just getting around town, hitting up bars, eateries, and visiting friends. ill get her up and running again.

dont give up on yours. and if it ends up costing more than $1k then accept it because youre going to end up with a bike that you will love because it was "built, not bought". plus, youre not in the competition, so let it ride. get her back on the street where she belongs. i, honestly, would love to see pics of it as you go.

 

Did this idea come to fruition or just died out?

 

Hopefully, it died out. My 1st 4 bikes had kick-start only...

 

I am having so much trouble with the whole electric starter assembly on my 83 vt750 shadow, that let aside kick start, now I am even considering a pull start.

The motor has broken the reduction gear holder twice.

 

Any timing mods? Are the bushings in the starter motor worn? Starter driven gear (#5 in diagram) or intermediate gears worn or sloppy? looks like it's been superceded a couple times...about the only things I can think of. Maybe the one way clutch not freewheeling and trying to reverse spin the starter backwards when it fires? some things to look at.

1983 Honda VT750CA SHADOW 750 Starting Driven Gear

Shop online for OEM Starting Driven Gear parts that fit your 1983 Honda VT750CA SHADOW 750, search all our OEM Parts or call at 252-758-3084

www.ronayers.com

 

I am guessing the starter motor might be running too strong, applying a sudden jerk. Everything else seems to be in its place. Although now I am missing two teeth on the starter drive gear, and about four teeth on the starter motor. 🤷🏾‍♂️

 

Anything is possible but unless you're someone like me with decades of experience, a fully stocked shop and an endless supply of assorted parts its not really feasible. It would be an entirely custom job and you will not find any off the shelf parts or any details on how to pull it off. I would be interested in attempting it myself just do to the style of my bike. If I ever do I'll be sure to detail everything for others reference.

 

There could be a possibility of adding a kicker replacing the starter reduction gear. Or if it can be started with a pulley.