Kick Starter

[Titbit21]

Is there any kick starters laying around your garage? If so I would be happy to take it off your hands. But if you don't, and you know what other models will fit please inform me. I like the electric start, but I would love to have the option to break my foot

[natemoen]

eBay will be your best best, usually several on there. any kick start off any xs11 will work for you. Or are you just looking for the kick lever? If so, you look under the battery tray, it may still be there hiding! Held on by a wing nut over on the right side near the oil fill hole.

[James England]

The'rey quite an expensive item, in fact. I couldn't find one in teh UK when I wanted one, so I bought mine for $35 from States. It came with the metal cap and butterfly nut that hold it on

[DAVINCI]

If you want the original, with the butterfly cover, I've got one. Put a permanent kickstarter on mine and don't need the original any more. Make me an offer and PM me your address.

[tom clisham]

get yourself a kicker from an xs650-750-850 off ebay. it's a simple bolt-on & looks cool, too.:rolleye (this is assuming your bike was made before 1980.)

[Titbit21]

tom clisham get yourself a kicker from an xs650-750-850 off ebay. it's a simple bolt-on & looks cool, too.:rolleye (this is assuming your bike was made before 1980.)
Today 09:47 AM

So the ones I have seen on Mikesxs will work? I wasnt sure, and i would like a permanent one. Is there and specific year on the 650's that fits and wont get in the way of the airbox? I figure once my engine is warm i would rather use the kick starter. My starter button only works when it wants to, Probably a ground issue I havent figured that out yet. But im tired of having a screw driver in my pocket, or getting it out of the little storage behind the cover.

[crazy steve]

One thing to keep in mind if planning on using the kicker often is the XS11 wasn't really designed for kick starting. The original was fitted as an 'emergency only' bit, and the sidecover kicker shaft hole lacks the steel or bronze bushing that was fitted to bikes that had them intended for regular use. If planning regular use, you may want to stock up on covers...

[bikerphil]

One thing to keep in mind if planning on using the kicker often is the XS11 wasn't really designed for kick starting. The original was fitted as an 'emergency only' bit, and the sidecover kicker shaft hole lacks the steel or bronze bushing that was fitted to bikes that had them intended for regular use. If planning regular use, you may want to stock up on covers...

Hah, I knew there was a reason I removed the kick start gears in both my 79 motors.

[DAVINCI]

Pure bull. Been kickin mine for YEARS.

[cywelchjr]

Pure bull. Been kickin mine for YEARS.

I think your both right. I think it's stronger than Steve thinks it is, but it's not up to the strength that kickers built for primary use are that are designed to be used consistently for 30 years, I'm not sure it would handle that. But over several years I'm not so sure I'd get too worried about it, but I might look into retrofitting a bushing if I was planning on doing it on purpose, not just because I needed to. It's not like you WANTED to kick it.

I mean, your proof it's tougher than Steve it making it out to be, but I think it IS weaker than I would be comfortable with long term if I could help it. Then again, I wouldn't figure on kicking it just because the button didn't work reliably, just fix the stupid switch, those things aren't rocket science, if nothing else you could put a stupid radio shack push button in there to make it work.

[crazy steve]

I don't think it would break, but I can see that hole getting reamed out and ending up with a nice leak...

[natemoen]

I don't think it would break, but I can see that hole getting reamed out and ending up with a nice leak...

The thing is though that for there to be any real noticeable problem you would have to wear through the inner seating surface that the seal sits down on (and the seal itself) before the outer case would be effected.

I would thing that if there were really to be any problem it would be internally where the kick shaft seats in the case, maybe there is some wobble from lack of support on the opposite end when you kick it.

[crazy steve]

The thing is though that for there to be any real noticeable problem you would have to wear through the inner seating surface that the seal sits down on (and the seal itself) before the outer case would be affected..

All you would need would be to oval-shape the shaft hole a bit allowing some shaft movement, then the seal won't be able to do its job...

I'm not saying it won't work, simply that wear of the hole could be an issue. Yamaha didn't like running shafts on aluminum holes; they went to the trouble of fitting a bronze bushing on the shifter shaft (a much lighter-duty use, although it does see more 'cycles'), and generally used steel kicker shaft bushings on other bikes that had permanently-installed kickers. It may be possible to fab a steel bushing and bore the cover for a press-fit, but they didn't put a lot of material around that shaft boss so that may weaken the cover too much.

Like I said, the XS wasn't designed to be kick-started....

[lee_dutcher]

yamaha xs750 kicker is what i got on the judge.... works good no clearance issues