How does kickstart work?

[Line_Producer]

Good evening all,
I'm trying to broaden my knowledge base a little. How exactly does a kickstart work? Does it work in conjunction with the points?

What parts of the electrical system can you dump if you go with kick start only?

Thanks for your help.
-wil

[tkent02]

Just the starter, solenoid, and associated wiring, every thing else is still required, maybe go with a smaller battery.

[Steve]

In all its basic simplicity, you kick, it starts.

As luck would have it, all the GS bikes that had kick starters also had points. I don't think that having electronic ignition would preclude having a kick starter, though.

What can you dump? The electric starter motor, the starter solenoid, the starter switch in the right hand grip and the few wires between them. Overall, you might save four or five pounds.

Unless you were on a quest to lighten the bike as MUCH as possible, there is no real need to get rid of the starter. It is just so satisfying to push a button and have the bike do all the work for you.

[Line_Producer]

Unless you were on a quest to lighten the bike as MUCH as possible, there is no real need to get rid of the starter. It is just so satisfying to push a button and have the bike do all the work for you.

Very true. I'm building a custom harness for a cafe racer right now and was considering doing away with the electric start. And the handle bar controls are actually from a cbr900rr.

-wil

[Guest]

You can dump the bike when the kick starter recoils.

[979roadrunner]

I have lived with kick-start bikes, and let me tell you, even with compression releases (thank you Suzuki) and a well tuned motor, the cool factor wears thin after a while.
Get the bike just a little out of tune, especially the same week your compression release cable decided to snap, on a hot southern summer day, and you are in he!! begging the devil for an electric leg (starter button)

[Line_Producer]

Thanks for all the replies fellas. I am re wiring the harness right now for electric since I have the parts.

It's funny, my wiring harness is almost three independent systems. Charging, lights, ignition.

I'll see if I can whip up a diagram when I finish.

-wil

[tkent02]

I have lived with kick-start bikes, and let me tell you, even with compression releases (thank you Suzuki) and a well tuned motor, the cool factor wears thin after a while.
Get the bike just a little out of tune, especially the same week your compression release cable decided to snap, on a hot southern summer day, and you are in he!! begging the devil for an electric leg (starter button)

These little four cylinders kick so easy there's never been a compression release, that's a thumper thing. But even so, if something isn't tuned perfectly all that kicking gets old quickly.

[979roadrunner]

Didn't know they were easier, thought more pistons / harder to kick. My GN's both were kick-start only, and had compression releases, being 400 singles.
Wasn't a death sentence kicking without, but a b!tch it was