Showerthoughts

[Seeker]

Showerthoughts is from reddit and it is where you have an epiphany or maybe just an odd thought.

Here's mine: there will be some members on here that have never kickstarted a bike. :o

[Craig380]

Ha! True. I kind of miss the cold-start drill for my old GT380: if you didn't follow this religiously, it would sulk and refuse to start.

- fuel tap to 'prime'
- lift choke lever, leave ignition off
- kick three times (one kick per cylinder to get a rich mixture in the cases)
- ignition on, kick once, ring-ding-ding and a cloud of sweet smoke

A fiancée of my big sis had an early 70s Commando with the engine in Combat trim (high compression etc). That thing was EVIL.

If it didn't start second kick from cold, he used to leave it for 5 minutes before trying again, because the kick-back from that engine could leave you limping for several days. You could stand on the kickstarter and it would hold your weight against compression ....

[andy650]

I have used them, but really don't miss them!

When I was little, I could ride a bike that was far too big for me, but if I stalled it I was stuffed as I wasn't big enough to kick start the thing!

[Andy Mc]

We used to 'borrow' a neighbours XT500 thumper in our early teen years when he was out. couple of times I thought I had snapped my shin bone trying to kick start it!
Was an awesome machine though. Others were my IT175 & KDX200 crossers.

[Biker Biggles]

I had a Ducati 250 desmo with the kick start on the left side. Took a lot of getting used to.

[Talking Heads]

The Can-Am 250s I rode in the army had left side kickstarts and drum brakes front and rear.
Bloody awful things.

Biggest bike I've kickstarted was a 1979 GS850G.

[R1ffR4ff]

My first Motorcycle after 50cc mopeds back in the day was a BSA Bantam 175cc D14 2-Stroke.Luckily not a lot of power but nippy as hell around town and easy to kick-start.

Like this one,

https://classic-motorbikes.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/11203.jpg



My Norton Dominator 500cc was also kick-start but I put racing rear-sets on so couldn't have a Kick-Start so had to bump the bike off every time :smt118


It was never in as good a condition as this though<grin>,

http://www.classic-british-motorcycles.com/images/59Norton-Dominator-99-L.jpg

[squirrel_hunter]

I've kickstarted plenty of bikes, but never tickled a carb... yet.

[SV650rules]

Older brother had a Velocette Viper (350) and Venom (500), both singles with fairly high compression evil to start (valve lifter and very involved start procedure). Remember both would shake your eyes out at tickover / low revs, but handled well (limit was always tyres) and went surprisingly quickly. I had quite a few kickstart bikes, some two strokes but biggest was a 650 4stroke twin. gearlevers were on the right as well ?

http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=ss100;id=234;url=http%3A%2F%2Fvelocette-amateur%2Ecom%2F

[Dave-the-rave]

The Can-Am 250s I rode in the army had left side kickstarts and drum brakes front and rear.
Bloody awful things.

Biggest bike I've kickstarted was a 1979 GS850G.

Just for you...

http://me-moto.com/uploads/postfotos/can-am-bombardier-250-ex-army-bike-1.JPG


I passed my test on one.

[mep]

I had a Ducati 250 desmo with the kick start on the left side. Took a lot of getting used to.


My Suzuki GT250 had a kick start on the left. Didn't bother me as I'm left footed.

[SV650rules]

Do you still have to demonstrate hand signals on your bike test? (or your car test for that matter).

Only if you take your driving test in a German car because their indicators are notoriously unreliable.

[Stilo]

Particularly BMWs with private reg nos

[ophic]

So, who remembers "the good old days" where we could ride off with the sidestand down? Totally oblivious until the first left hand bend...

Some things are best left in the past.
I did this on my 50cc moped a lot.
My 125 had the luxury feature of a pushbike style brake cable attached to the sidestand from the clutch lever. Brilliant solution - sidestand came up "automatically" as soon as you kicked it into first.