My VN "missbehaved" last week & refused to start-knackered battery as it happens-I was on my way to Durham & called in for petrol, when I tried to start it again it wasnt having any of it.
I keep alternating the Optimate from bike to bike over the winter & hadnt given it another thought.Until the bugger faded away conveniently halfway twixt home & "work"
So, shaft drive V-Twin, rider with knackered back, no kickstart WTF do you do?
A couple of ineffectual push starts reduced me to a heaving sweating blob-back wheel just locked up as I let the clutch out-tried in 2nd & 3rd gear.
As I was waiting for the training school truck to rescue me I started thinking how handy those old fashioned kickstart thingys are-is it a styling thing or a cost cutting thing that most bigger bikes no longer have them?
Ironically-the BASTARD started when my M8 arrived with the truck-I was demonstrating the lack of "life" in the battery-pushed the starter & away it went!
Honour was restored when we tested the battery later, the reading said-GET THEE TO A BIKE SHOP-£15.00 later new battery-bike starts 1st time every time.
My next bike WILL have a kickstart if I can help it.

Miss them as much as I miss having no starting handle on my car.  reember the firstbike I noticed that had no kickstart - South of France, 1981, brit on a Z400.

Use your bike all year, and the battery doesn't die.  simple really.

My old xbr had a kick and electric start. It was always handy to have as a backup. The starter motor on the xbr's tend to be a bit dodgy. A few folk have never bothered replacing the starter motor because the kick is there.

Dont know about you Davie but I CANT even start the wife with a good lick never mind the bike.  :devil:  :swivel:

i tend to agree with tc about the battery, runing the charge up and down or "cycling" it  help keep a battery healthy, altho completely discharging a lead acid battery will normally wreck it too!

kick starts are great fun! especially when u have a 500cc single cylinder with a 11:1 compression!  great for breaking legs or launches over the handlebars when it backfires!  :O

i prefer electric starts but i think it would be a good backup to put  a kickstart on some bikes aswell

I have changed it.

The xbr (500cc thumper) had a valve on it to release some of the pressure, to make it easier to kick. Can't remember the correct name for it or how it worked exactly. Using the kickstart was never a problem. Although it kept you fit, if you were having starting problems.  :wwww:

That'll be the decompression valve then Dave ::  :cool:

Having had a kick start for the biggest part of my biking days reminds me of one or two things that they do for you.

1 Kick starting the bike keeps you SLIM.

2 Kick starter helps you check the tappets n points n timing.

3 Helps you out when yer battery is flat.

4 Also helps you feed a new chain onto the front sprocket.

Then again it all helps if you have a CENTRE STAND as they seem to be disappearing ..

Then again' I have both on my o'l Triumph.

You could be onto something there.  :blush:

Nope,not that simple really-I've used the VN every day with the exception of Christmas & New years day-mostly for a round trip of 40 miles-mostly with the lights on,granted.
Interesting tip TC-so should I dump the Optimate then?

...id also make sure that the alternator on the bike is working ok and charging the battery up. Check the battery voltage before and after you start the bike, it "should" be higher when the bikes running as its being charged by the alternator, if it drops or there is no change then you could have a charging problem...

Having been chucked over the handlebars by the kickstart on a backfiring BSA A10, I'll more than happily stick with electric starters!

I had a few bikes with kick starts
but dont miss them.
with my leg i would not be able to use one anyway.

i wouldnt fancy a kick start on my present ride anyone wanna come down & kick start it you more than welcome

but you better have strong legs as ford granada (trike) engines dont turn over that well at the best of times unless you got a fully charged up battery



whoi BD the coulours just changed while i was posting this.

yes i am stoned but the wife noticed it as well.