In-line fuel filter & Seafoam & Idle Speed

[natemoen]

Great picture and idea. Tell me, did the 81 not have the protruding kickstart nub? How do you turn the engine over manually?

David

They got ride of the kick start in'80 so there was not was to manually start the bike.

[DGXSER]

Yep, in 1980 Mother Yammie decided the kick starter was no longer needed. They left all the machining there for it, they just simply left all the gearing out and put that black rubber plug over the hole in the clutch cover.

You can still turn the motor manually under the timing cover, but as Nate stated, there is no intended manual start. An inspired individual could still push the beast and pop the clutch, or get lucky and find a steep hill!

[Mendizale]

An inspired individual could still push the beast and pop the clutch, or get lucky and find a steep hill!

So, out of curiosity, how is the kick start supposed to work pre-1980? Could an inspired individual take the rear brake lever off and attach it to the kick start bolt, or would there not be enough clearance around the clutch box?

[WMarshy]

The older models have a rubber boot protecting the spline on the kick start shaft. Ya just have to pull it off and push the kick start lever on the shaft and kick away... the kick lever was stored under the battery box hidden from sight. It is a solid lever and doesn hinge like the 650's so leaving it on isn't really an option... should be pictures of.it.floati.g around if you search hard enough. Some people like to look of the kick lever have found a compatible lever that hinges so they can leave it on... also, some have taken the kick start shaft and gears from an older bike and put it in their '80 so they could have kick start... that's all I know about it...

Regarding the filters, I just went to the auto stir and bought some straight in-line ones that fit 1/4" hose and plugged them in. IMO they are a little big for what I wanted but they do their job and I figured I would find something more suiting by the time they need replacing...

[Mendizale]

The older models have a rubber boot protecting the spline on the kick start shaft. Ya just have to pull it off and push the kick start lever on the shaft and kick away... the kick lever was stored under the battery box hidden from sight. It is a solid lever...

I had noticed the rubber boot and the protruding start shaft, and had heard whispers of a hidden kick lever, but had been unable to find it. ...Until this morning, after your post, I went and looked under the battery on the left side of the bike, and found an oddly thick, strong-looking bar. Went to the other side of the bike, and saw a butterflied bolt going into a little case that I had thought was part of the electrical system. Lo--the lever! I feel like a dufus, but I'm well pleased. It's always nice when things work out.

IMO they are a little big for what I wanted but they do their job and I figured I would find something more suiting by the time they need replacing...

Yeah, I went with the elbow filters, which may have been a mistake. At least the way I installed them, they bend the hose a bit, and they're a bit big. To be remedied the next time around, and monitored for good gas flow till then.

Also, put in a bit of Seafoam yesterday, and am looking forward to the results. I was going to put a 1/4 can in the first tank, 1/2 in the second, and a 1/4 in the third, for lack of knowing any better.