Kick Start Install

[natemoen]

The '78 and '79 had the kick start installed at the factory. No changes needed. The pedal should be mounted under the battery box. You can attach it to the post sticking out of the right side of the engine and use it when needed. IIRC, the folding kickstart pedal from the XS850 works great as a substitute that you can leave on the post all the time if you want to.

Just got the bike less than 2 weeks ago. I guess I will have to go look under the battery!

[Hoop23]

Update please! I have an 80xs and want to put kick-start on, did yours work?

[3Phase]

Hoop, you can add a kicker to your '80.

Most/all? later model XS engines have should have parts 9 to 12, 15 and 16 already installed (see image) so you won't need to remove the transmission output shaft and gears or split the cases to install the inner idler gear, part 11.

If you're planning on having a permanent kicker and not use the emergency lever then you will need a folding kick lever off an XS850 and whatever parts weren't included in your engine.

This image link may not last very long but here's the '78E kicker assembly:

[rgoot01]

I have an '80 Standard that I want to put a kicker on as well. I was looking throught the posts here as well as the older ones on the forums regarding the conversion.

I decided to pop the clutch cover off to verify for myself what parts are already in the case as well as any remaining parts needed. It looks as though for my '80 I need the entire kicker shaft as well as the parts 13-19.

Upon my discovery I decided to order the parts neccesary to do the conversion from Ebay. The parts I ordered are both complete shaft assemblies. I will however only use the parts 13-19 for the one shaft due to the fact that I have everything else installed.

I did notice however on the shaft that is in question regarding the case splitting, that the inner gear sits just behind another gear making it impossible to either remove or install without splitting the case.

I will be receiving my parts either Monday or Tuesday and hope to have it together by then.

[3Phase]

I did notice however on the shaft that is in question regarding the case splitting, that the inner gear sits just behind another gear making it impossible to either remove or install without splitting the case.

I think Yamaha installed the idler shaft and the idler gear on all the XS models; keeps 1st gear from wobbling to much. If it's not there for whatever reason you can remove the transmission output shaft and gear stack without splitting the case; like doing the 2nd gear Dremel fix. The large gear blocking the idler gear is the driven gear that runs the mid-drive.

[CatatonicBug]

I think Yamaha installed the idler shaft and the idler gear on all the XS models; keeps 1st gear from wobbling to much. If it's not there for whatever reason you can remove the transmission output shaft and gear stack without splitting the case; like doing the 2nd gear Dremel fix. The large gear blocking the idler gear is the driven gear that runs the mid-drive.

In the drawin above, the entire shaft (#1) is not installed in the later models ('80+), and though the space is there to install it, splitting the cases is required to get it in there.

[3Phase]

Shaft #1? That's the kicker shaft. Late-models didn't come with that part but you don't have to split the case to install it, just remove the clutch cover.

Pop out the rubber plug in the clutch cover; press in the kicker shaft seal; put the inner end of the kicker shaft into its hole in the engine case; align the kicker shaft with the outer idler gear and hook up the kicker return spring; carefully put the clutch cover over the splines on the kicker shaft and bolt it back up.

The idler shaft, part #9, along with the idler gear, part #11, should already be installed on all the XS11s unless someone removed it. The later models just don't have the one-way ratchet, spring and the outer gear.

I'm going to be doing a 2nd gear fix for another member in the next couple of weeks so I'll double-check to be 100% certain but you shouldn't have to split the cases to add or remove the idler shaft and gear -- unless you've moved 2nd gear over a hair too far like I did when I machined the 2nd gear hub for the double-washer mod. There is no way to finesse the idler gear past the large mid-drive drive gear (say that five times fast!) and out of the engine without moving the gear stack at least part of the way out of the transmission.

The transmission output shaft and the gear stack on my XS11 won't come out through the oil pan any more because 2nd gear is almost exactly 1/2 of a metric spacer washer too far to the left-hand end of the shaft so I have to split the case to remove the transmission.

[CatatonicBug]

Sorry - You're right - kinda... The Idler shaft cannot be removed without splitting the cases, and you have to add the gears and stuff on it. I know for certain that there are parts that must be in there for the kicker to work that are not in there on mine, and cannot be added without splitting the cases.

[Crooked_Fender]

If you drop the gear stack out of the tranny pan, you can fit all the kicker components WITHOUT splitting the cases. I just did it this past weekend on my '81 special motor. Installed a set of kicker gears from a '79.

[3Phase]

Here you go, I have a spare engine case with all the gears. The idler gear you're thinking of that can't be removed without splitting the case is the electric-start idler gear, not the kicker gear.


Electric-start idler gear cannot be removed without splitting the case and removing the primary shaft.




The kicker inner gear engages with 1st gear wheel.




The kicker idler gear and shaft will not go out past the large middle drive gear.




The kicker idler gear and shaft will not go in past large middle drive gear.




The kicker idler gear and shaft can be installed or removed when the transmission gear stack is moved out of the way.




I was, however, totally wrong about the 1st gear wheel being the only gear that always turns at all times!

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear wheels on the output shaft are not splined. Unless they're selected they turn freely on the output shaft and they are always engaged with their respective pinion gears on the clutch/transmission input shaft.