Only Real Bikers Know This
Banned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 7
From: Woodstock, Ont , Can
Back when I was 16, I had a 47 knuckle. Later it was a 52 panhead chopper. Might have weighed 140 at the time. A real biker knows kicking won't hurt you, even if you forgot to retard it . It's all technique. Most people don't understand that the ratchet disengages at the end of the travel and even if it does kick backwards your leg will not come into play since there is no mechanical connection at that point. What really hurts is when the ratchet lets go part way into it
The big bad harley image has turned kick starting into something only super humans can do,with all this broken leg crap and flying over the bars, when in reality the average wimp can do it. All the modern riders really missed out on a truely motorcycle experience.
Ron
The big bad harley image has turned kick starting into something only super humans can do,with all this broken leg crap and flying over the bars, when in reality the average wimp can do it. All the modern riders really missed out on a truely motorcycle experience.Ron
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,452
Likes: 13
From: Northern UTARD
Kicked my uncles 96" Shovel over. He said I could ride it if I got it started. Never rode the damn thing. 4speed tranny. Thing that pissed me off is his 120lb girlfriend could kick it over. It's all about technic. I guess I don't have any.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,390
Likes: 127
From: SW OREGON
Boy that brings back a memory I hadn't though of in years! When I was about 14, a neighbors boyfriend had a new '57 sportster. I kept bugging him to let me ride it (my only experience was my Schwin/Whizzer chopper) & he finally gave me the "If you can start it, you can ride it" deal. Both he & my old man cracked up over that as I hussled my 120 pound self out the door. I'd watched him start it many times and took a minute to check out the controls then first kick & it started. Give the guy credit, he came out, hopped on the back & said "let's go sport". 'course that menat 1st gear around the block but it was enough to cement my lifelong love of Harleys.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,754
Likes: 4
From: GA
sportster, and yes it hurt. i found out the hard way that you dont start the kick from all the way up on the kicker, they had a problem with skipping off the gear, and blam, your leg goes right into the ground. happened to me and couple days later happened to my friend, he also had just gotten a sportster, week later i read a article in iron horse, guy writes = brought my sporty home today, 2nd day went to kick it over, 3rd day doctor says my lleg will be out of cast on couple months. wish i would of read that ariticla before i started kicking that bike over. anyway i found out how to push the kicker 1/2 way down the kick it. no problems after that.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17,625
Likes: 1,665
From: Blairsville GA
[quote=5speedblu;4254007]1. Has anyone ever kicked started a Harley?
2. If so what size?
Biggest I ever kicked over was a 103" Shovelhead.
3. Could it hurt you & why?
Sometimes they will kick back and whack you in the instep. Most likely cause of Sportster knee is worn ratcheting gears slipping. Hyperextension of the knee. Ask me how I know.
5. If I kicked an Evo what year was it?
'84 or '85
6. How many gears does a kicker tranny have? and what years?
3, 3 w/reverse, 4, 4 w/reverse.
7. What is the difference of metal a Pans heads made from & Knucks heads made from?
Pans are alloy. Knucks are iron.
8. Witch is stronger?
Stronger? Panheads, especially big bearing versions are infinitely better than Knuckleheads for a lot of reasons.
9. How many FORWARD gears does a tranny have with reverse?
3 or 4 I think the new ones have 6 with an e;ectric reverse, but I'm not sure.
10. What model has reverse?
Servicar, triglide, and anything else with a sidecar/servicar trans.
11.0Does it matter what side you plug your spark wires into the coil?
No(??) One end to the coil, one end to the plug, not sure what you are asking. If you are custom making wires it doesn't matter which end gets which plug.
12. Did you know you have spark wires?
Yes
13.0Have you ever owned a bike that takes 50w oil?
Yes. Straight weight can be used in anything pre-nylon breather gear. I like 70W aircraft oil in the summer.
14.0What is the difference between straight weight oil like 50w or 20w50?
The multiweight has chain polymers that unroll as the oil gets hot giving the viscosity of a higher viscosity base weight.
15. If you are traveling down a dead end road for the 1st time and have to take a left 5 miles before the road ends how long do you have to travel before you turn?
16. Other than the road ending and a cliff in front of you,
theoretically speaking is there ever a time when you should jump off your bike or lay it down instead of using emergency maneuvers to avoid a crash?
No.
2. If so what size?
Biggest I ever kicked over was a 103" Shovelhead.
3. Could it hurt you & why?
Sometimes they will kick back and whack you in the instep. Most likely cause of Sportster knee is worn ratcheting gears slipping. Hyperextension of the knee. Ask me how I know.
5. If I kicked an Evo what year was it?
'84 or '85
6. How many gears does a kicker tranny have? and what years?
3, 3 w/reverse, 4, 4 w/reverse.
7. What is the difference of metal a Pans heads made from & Knucks heads made from?
Pans are alloy. Knucks are iron.
8. Witch is stronger?
Stronger? Panheads, especially big bearing versions are infinitely better than Knuckleheads for a lot of reasons.
9. How many FORWARD gears does a tranny have with reverse?
3 or 4 I think the new ones have 6 with an e;ectric reverse, but I'm not sure.
10. What model has reverse?
Servicar, triglide, and anything else with a sidecar/servicar trans.
11.0Does it matter what side you plug your spark wires into the coil?
No(??) One end to the coil, one end to the plug, not sure what you are asking. If you are custom making wires it doesn't matter which end gets which plug.
12. Did you know you have spark wires?
Yes
13.0Have you ever owned a bike that takes 50w oil?
Yes. Straight weight can be used in anything pre-nylon breather gear. I like 70W aircraft oil in the summer.
14.0What is the difference between straight weight oil like 50w or 20w50?
The multiweight has chain polymers that unroll as the oil gets hot giving the viscosity of a higher viscosity base weight.
15. If you are traveling down a dead end road for the 1st time and have to take a left 5 miles before the road ends how long do you have to travel before you turn?
16. Other than the road ending and a cliff in front of you,
theoretically speaking is there ever a time when you should jump off your bike or lay it down instead of using emergency maneuvers to avoid a crash?
No.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17,625
Likes: 1,665
From: Blairsville GA
Actually they don't always. Gold, silver and other precious metals are usually sold by the Troy ounce. Most everything else (including water) by avoirdupois. Troy ounce is 31.1 grams, AVDP ounce is 28.4 grams.
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Quincy, Ca.
My first bike was a 51 panhead chopper when I was 19. I probably weighed 165 then. No way could it or would it break your leg. If it kicked back it would just rather quickly lift your leg back up but it didn't hurt at all. The worse thing, like others have said is if the kicker didn't catch and you gave it the usual good kick and it bottomed out and hyperextended your knee.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 257
Likes: 3
From: Joisy
My stroked Shovel, son-of-a-motherless goat tossed me over the bars a couple times. I got "smart" and got the electric starter working for the first time in what must have been ten years and caught the damned thing on fire.
Also had an Ironhead Sportster....strangely I never got my knees with it, I hosed my ankle a couple times (was used to kicking an old Husky 500cc dirtbike) THAT thing kicked.
Also had an Ironhead Sportster....strangely I never got my knees with it, I hosed my ankle a couple times (was used to kicking an old Husky 500cc dirtbike) THAT thing kicked.