kick starter ?
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 572
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From:
kick starter ?
When was the last harley offered with a kick starter ? Do they make after market kits for newer bikes ?......Just wondering, i kinda miss the ol kick starter at times.....But certainly ain't got nothing against an electric starter.....Watched a movie the other nite and saw a few bikes kick started and it kinda made me feel OLD all of a sudden as i remembered back when that was one of the COOL things about owning a bike..... Made the lines between a bike and a car much farther apart than they seem to be these days in some respects .
Banned
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 2
From:
RE: kick starter ?
Yep, there are aftermarket kits. I want to put a kickstart on my EVO eventually, as a backup and plus it looks cool as hell, and maybe i'll just decide that I want to kick 'er over every now and then.
..do a bit of searching on Google, and it won't be too hard to find them. What year/type of bike you wanting to put it on? You can expect to do a different exhaust setup.
..do a bit of searching on Google, and it won't be too hard to find them. What year/type of bike you wanting to put it on? You can expect to do a different exhaust setup.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 744
Likes: 4
From: The Communist Republic of New Jersey
RE: kick starter ?
J&P Cycles:
1982-1993:
http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup...8-F06F522F7FF4
I know theres others but I couldn't find them.
1982-1993:
http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup...8-F06F522F7FF4
I know theres others but I couldn't find them.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
From: the Iron Range
RE: kick starter ?
I had an XLCH, a Sportster with kick start only, for 18 years. It could be stubborn sometimes, but never failed me....although it did send me flying over the handle bars a few times. Anyone who has experience with a kicker knows what I'm talking about, for everyone else, there is a crapload of compression on a Harley. You had to start the kick at the top of the compression stroke, if you started before, you would get about halfway through the kick and it would send you flying. Ah the good old days, I do miss that bike, I had it longer than both my wifes combined.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,386
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From: time-to-time
RE: kick starter ?
I had a '75 FX, kick only...easy to start. The key (apart from having it in tune) was to push it through once with the gas open and choke on but the ignition off once to charge the cylinder...then turn the ignition on and generally just push it through gently and they'd fire right up. If if didn't, then there was something else wrong with your setup. If the engine was warm it was generally possible to actually perform this manuver on most bikes with your arm, just to show off. (Not likely on a cold motor).
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 621
Likes: 0
From: Newport TN
RE: kick starter ?
My first HD was a 1960 Sportster XLH. Man once I learned the maintence she would fire up on the 3nd kick from stone COLD and if warm she fired on the first. Cold, the switch off, gas on, choke fully closed,push thru to top of stroke and kick thru, push thru to top of stroke and kick thru again, then, open choke 1 notch, retard the timeing(turn the left handgrip), switch on, find top of stroke and kick thru and she fired!! open choke 1 more notch to warm up.
6 volt system, distribitor and carbed, and she fired up the 3nd kick unless I was drinking and I screwed the procedure up !!
keep the bike in great maintence and she should be good to go.
I used to love to have a croud standing arround and do the prep and then easily kick her thru and she'd patato patato patato ,right up. even @ 15 years old and 80,000 miles she was easy to start.
6 volt system, distribitor and carbed, and she fired up the 3nd kick unless I was drinking and I screwed the procedure up !!
keep the bike in great maintence and she should be good to go.
I used to love to have a croud standing arround and do the prep and then easily kick her thru and she'd patato patato patato ,right up. even @ 15 years old and 80,000 miles she was easy to start.