Hey y'all. I was wondering if anybody has installed a kick starter on their GS? I figure the engine is small enough to kick start fairly easily, but I don't know if there are any bolt-on kits that would allow me to put one in fairly simply.
Thanks.
-Will

You might be able to swap one in from an older GS style engine. I looked into it a while ago and didn't really conclude whether it was possible one way or another. It would be nice for my race bike though; since I could remove the starter motor.

BTW: 500cc isn't exactly small as far as kick-starters go.

Quote from: burning1 on June 01, 2011, 12:25:45 PM

BTW: 500cc isn't exactly small as far as kick-starters go.

Yeah, it's not tiny, but if the old 1000cc Harleys can be kick started I'd bet that an engine half that size can also.

I can't remember, did the early GS450's have a kicker?

Even if they did, the kicker lever would probably mash into the foot controls on the right side.

I'm not sure about the 450s, I know the 850s did. The kick pedal wouldn't be too hard to bend in some way to clear the levers, and most of the ones i've seen pivot to lay flat against the bike when not in use. The tricky part would be integrating it into the engine.

Quote from: ryott52 on June 01, 2011, 02:17:28 PM
I'm not sure about the 450s, I know the 850s did. The kick pedal wouldn't be too hard to bend in some way to clear the levers, and most of the ones i've seen pivot to lay flat against the bike when not in use. The tricky part would be integrating it into the engine.

My GS425 has one.

It's a little more than tricky- almost impossible. You would be better off finding a motor that has a kicker and transplant it into the frame.

Quote from: ryott52 on June 01, 2011, 12:03:14 PM
Hey y'all. I was wondering if anybody has installed a kick starter on their GS? I figure the engine is small enough to kick start fairly easily, but I don't know if there are any bolt-on kits that would allow me to put one in fairly simply.
Thanks.
-Will

Uh, why would you want to do that?

Because it'd be something different.

For me, there would be a couple of huge benefits... The first one, is that it would permit the complete removal of the starter motor. Assuming that the kick-start is lighter, it would be an effective weight reduction. The second benefit, is that the starter-motor is by far the biggest drain on the battery of my race bike. Without that concern, I could easily convert the GS to a total-loss bike, for a nice reduction in weight, and a nice increase in HP.

There are lots of other ways to make your bike different.

As I recall, motors are designed for and made with or with out a kick start. Same as an electric start: you have it or you don't.
Replacing the engine would be the only practical way to get one - if it would fit and not get in the way of the foot pegs.

If you really want a kick start, get an older bike or a dual-sport that has a kick start. Maybe a Honda CB350? They're pretty retro and look cool.

It would be nice if you could. You could throw the starter away and run a much smaller (or eliminate?) the battery (for racing). Ed

Quote from: adidasguy on June 01, 2011, 03:41:54 PM
There are lots of other ways to make your bike different.

As I recall, motors are designed for and made with or with out a kick start. Same as an electric start: you have it or you don't.
Replacing the engine would be the only practical way to get one - if it would fit and not get in the way of the foot pegs.

If you really want a kick start, get an older bike or a dual-sport that has a kick start. Maybe a Honda CB350? They're pretty retro and look cool.

I agree that it's probably not worth doing just to be different. But, FWIW... The GS500 engine is based on a design that was originally kick-start. Big question is how much of that engine would have to be transplanted on to the GS to make it work.

There is a GS model that started out as a kick start but through it's model years lost it. I think it may have been the 650's or 850's? Probably quite a few, but that's not the point. Now I read somewhere before that the cases were identical except they removed the kicker shaft and used solid side covers on the right side. So if you split the cases to add a shaft and bought an older sidecover you could add a kick start.

I've never really looked into it, so that could all be ramblings on the internet .......

Quote from: ryott52 on June 01, 2011, 03:26:25 PM
Because it'd be something different.

Man, I wish I had that kind of free time...

After looking into it, it appears that the GS450's never had a kickstarter. Closest option would probably be like Seamax's 425. Just need to bore it out a little......

But instead of transplanting a smaller motor with a kickstart, I would look at maybe a older 2 stroke. A GT380 motor in a GS500 frame would be very interesting to say the least.

Quote from: adidasguy on June 01, 2011, 03:41:54 PM
There are lots of other ways to make your bike different.

As I recall, motors are designed for and made with or with out a kick start. Same as an electric start: you have it or you don't.
Replacing the engine would be the only practical way to get one - if it would fit and not get in the way of the foot pegs.

If you really want a kick start, get an older bike or a dual-sport that has a kick start. Maybe a Honda CB350? They're pretty retro and look cool.

There are bikes out there with both though.

You're right Twisted- my 68 Honda CL175 was kick only from the factory. They added electric starters the next year to the CB/CL's  but retained the kicker.

Moot point anyway though. I think the easiest way to add a kick start would be to start with another engine.

My 81 CM400A had both kick start and electric start.  You couldn't bump start them with a dead battery with the fluid coupling of the Hondamatic so they included the kicker too.  I'm thinking the Suzukamatic twins of the same vintage would also have both, gotta check that out.  Could be some interchangeable parts there.

I used that Hondamatic as an only bike for a while after my CB750K expired until I got a Nighthawk 650.  After that I used it as a winter bike for many years and it made a great winter bike.  You could grind down the battery with the electric starter on a cold winter day until it would barely growl and then give it one kick and it fired up.  Also the butterfly choke had a detent position half way closed that was just right for very cold days if left in that position, much easier than rejetting for winter riding.  

why not just push start...??
It's only tiny bit more inconvenient than kick start and you save a lot of weight that way.