I bought a brand new 1975 XLCH right from the showroom floor and I still have it, when engine is warm it will start with one kick everytime, it has never "thrown" me anywhere during the kickstart procedure. My method for starting on a cold engine is as follows: Two twists of the throttle, ignition off, choke on, 1 kick, then choke in, ignition on, 1 twist of the throttle, and a full stroke kick making sure to get the kickstarter lever all the way to the bottom of the stroke where it releases and cannot kickback. My bike will fire and run every time using this method. With a hot engine there is a little difference: ignition on, 1 short throttle stroke, and same kick as before, I have never had any problems in 31 yrs. except flooding once or twice. Just make sure when you kick, you do it like you mean it and get the kickstarter to the bottom of it's travel where it will be released.

 

Cool, now we have 2 1975 XLCH's on the forums. Welcome aboard. Can you post some pics of yours?

 

HI, allways ride around with at least, 2 or 3 idiots who believe you need a push to ride with them, if your a chick, wear a lower cut blouse and sob.

 

The old tale of a Sportster 'kicking you over the bars' or 'breaking your leg' is nothing more than an old tale. It probably dates back to the days when a Sportster came with a Fairbanks-Morse magneto and no spark retard. About 1959 or 60 they put a retard mechanism on the left handlebar. Without this a Sporty could give you a fair whack. But along came battery ignition and kickback ended.
What did continue however, was the spring loaded starter gear located behind the clutch sprocket that would fail to engage, especially in cold weather. You get on the bike and with your foot push the kickstart lever down to compression. Then up comes the lever and you go back down to give it a kick. Well, if the weather is cool, (and just know the primary oil is thick) that gear is likely to not slide against the spring pressure always on it to engage the clutch sprocket. If that happens your right leg falls freely and you wind up with what is know in the game as a hyperextended knee.
My last eposide kept me walking with crutches for five weeks. This has always been the Sportster's starting problem and is the real culprit in the Sportster Leg story. Good steady kicks with this in mind will eliminate possible injury.

 

Larry, thanks for the military service. Hope things are going well for you in that regard. Nice scooter.

It's not a crapshoot if you listen to milwaukeeshaker and kick it like you mean it, and get the throttle shots figured.

I rode a 64CH in the mid 1960s to about 75. My technique was right leg kick with left leg in the air on the right side of the bike. No knee on the seat, all my weight applied to the kickstarter.

As far as to whether or not there is a "correct way", each individual and their machine will have a different "correct way". Find it, keep the tune up, and stick to it.

Only time I remember no starts was on the winter nights after closing the bar down. My runnin mate then rode a Norton, and I would have him on his scoot push me with his foot, and then dump the clutch. Crazy, but it worked good.

I kept that machine for about ten years. Wish I still had it, I want another one now. Here's some pix:

black1960s

paint1970s

Good luck. Stay safe.
mud

 

I wish I had your 1964CH too! Don't see them much anymore. I guess many wound up in a basket (or worse) after being given the 'chopper' treatment. It was a nice looking bike, what with the Fairbanks-Morse magneto and that beautiful center mount oil tank......piniongear

 

I have a '62 xlch and it is very hard to start. As noted earlier, the kick gear gets worn and starts to slip. Hyperextended knee is the result and it hurts like a mother. I do this: get on a hill, coast down said hill, pull up into 2nd gear, release clutch, enjoy the ride. If no hill available, I sort of crouch and make sure that my leg cannot fully extend while kicking the thing. This way, with patience, the bike usually starts and I avoid severe leg pain. Do not let your leg fully extend, that is the key, seems to me, with old, kick-start Sportys. But man are they fun to ride and they look great.

 

I agree fully. It is really difficult to detect the gears failing to engage until it is too late. The last event I encountered (o-ooh, I hope it is the last) put me on crutches for 4 months with a torn ligament...ACL I think they call it.
The gears engaged, but in that small instant that I jumped up in the air to give it the kick the gears decided to part. Freefall was instantly detected but I could do nothing to stop. The leg straighten out, then just a little way to go and the leg bent more and then.....a-h-h, I don't even want to think about it.
I have been riding Sporties since 1959 and have never felt I have mastered this kick start danger. Just have to be always aware. A little like having a King Cobra laying at your feet asleep(?), or not?.....................pg

 

First off, make sure the ignition timing is set right! Too much advance is a sure way to land head down in front of the bike.
Always stradle the bike to kick start it. This centers your weight over the wheels and you can catch the bike if it starts to fall either way. I've seen people stand to the side, kneel on the seat and even stand on the right footpeg. I've also seen the bike fall over on them and mash their leg.
If it has been sitting overnight put the bike in gear, pull in the clutch and rock the bike forward and back until the clutch breaks loose. This will make the first shift a lot nicer. Now, make sure it's in neutral and turn on the gas petcock. At the start of the kick, push down easy and make sure the kicker engages before putting your weight into it. Keep your knee bent for as long as possible through the kicker stroke.

This part varies from one bike to the next, experiment a bit to find what works best for you when starting with a cold engine....
Method 1: Close the coke all the way. Cick the engine over slowly 2 to 4 times to prime the intake. Open the choke halfway, turn on the ignition and kick it over hard.

Method 2: Close the choke partway (how much varies from one bike to the next), twist the throttle 2 to 8 times to prime the intake, turn on the ignition and kick hard. Once you get the priming sorted out, if it doesn't start by the third kick, make sure the gas and ignition are on and working.

Method 3: Full choke, switch on, kick hard and be ready to open the choke as soon as you possibly can. This usually doesn't work so well.

With some carburettors, you have to keep the throttle closed tight until the engine starts. With Bendix and S&S, start with the throttle closed and hold the grip so that it opens a little as you are kicking. When the engine warm, do this without any choke.

Note that Hal Robinson used to claim the CH in XLCH stood for Charley Horse.

 

The manual retard on XLCH magnetoswas added in 1965. I had new ones in '63, '64, 65 and '66 (I worked for a dealer) and even new they sometimeswould slip through the starter gears. You guys are right about the old wives tales of throwing you over the handlebars, I've ridden strokers and stockers all kick start and never had a problem. Old pans and knucks we would kick them through twice with the choke on, go half choke and they usually would start right up. I recently was brought a '49 Pan that a guy got from his uncle, the thing hadn't even been kicked over in 18 years, after rebuilding the Linkert, taking the tranny apart and cleaning it (it looked like pudding inside it) putting a new set of points, plugs and condenser, the thing started in 4 kicks. Hooray for old Harleys.