stupid newbie question - kickstart with dead battery possible ?

[seanarthurmachado]

Hi everyone.

I'm a new rider who just received my first bike. Its a 1979 Suzuki gs850g.
(Took the Ohio rider course 4 years ago, passed it , but since then every time I wanted to buy a cheap bike something came up.)

The new bike has a dead battery (and needs a new tire). The previous owner rode it over and put it in my shed before I got home from work.
(is my Christmas present from my wonderful wife Kathy :> )

I found the battery was completely dead.

I tried to kick start it, but strangely enough I am finding almost no pressure to the kick start when the clutch is pulled in and the bike is in neutral.

If I leave the clutch out, I have plenty of pressure.

I dont have a manual for the bike, and I cannot find anything searching the forums here.

IS the kickstarter supposed to me that easy to kick when clutch is pulled in ?

should I be able to start the bike with a completely dead battery by using the kickstarter ? (so dead that no lights come on the controls when key is turned)

thanks


sean

[chuck hahn]

Yes..thats the purpose of it. In case a dead or low battery you kick start it. It will run IF the stator and rectifier / regulator are working.

Pressure..are you sure your in neutral? The added weight is probably the clutch turning the tranny as your kicking. When you pull in the clutch its released and you dont feel the weight.

[seanarthurmachado]

Is the kickstarter supposed to be easy to kick with the clutch in ?

Yes I was able to roll the bike forward and back a little

[chuck hahn]

It should be relatively easy with or without the clutch lever pulled. I dont pull the clutch in on my 750 if i use the kicker..but i weigh 235 lbs too..so easy is a relative term I guess.

[tkent02]

Shoud be able to start it with your hand.

[chuck hahn]

Click here for your Mega Welcome and start reading..lots of stuff here your gonna need to know.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/GSR_Greeting.html

[SqDancerLynn1]

WILL NOT start with the clutch pulled in. Kick starter works thru the clutch, then the engine

[seanarthurmachado]

with clutch out am I thinking its vital to be in neutral ? (Otherwise starting in gear you will take off)

[bwringer]

with clutch out am I thinking its vital to be in neutral ? (Otherwise starting in gear you will take off)

Exactly. Kickstart works through the clutch, so clutch out, bike in neutral.

I wouldn't bet a lot on being able to start this bike with the kickstarter and a completely dead battery. Your odds improve if the battery has some glimmer of life. And of course, EVERYTHING else (coils, carbs, etc.) has to be absolutely 110%+ tiptop condition in order to start reliably with the kickstarter. (If everything is right, you can start it with your hand on the kick start lever. If not, enjoy your endless workout.)

And you definitely wouldn't want to ride it for long with a dead battery, or else you'll soon be making sad posts in the electrical forum regarding your stator...

And don't touch the petcock until you grok its mysterious ways, or your bike will pee gasoline from the airbox onto your nice floor. (If you don't understand that last clause, you're not ready. Keep reading.)

And... well, just look for the newbie mistakes thread and start there. Use the search function.

Welcome to the Order of the Shafted Ones!

And one more thing that will head off a lot of heartache and potential damage: GO BUY A FRICKIN' BATTERY ALREADY!

[1_v8_merc]

Did you pull the choke out before starting?
Also, set the petcock to Prime for about 5 to 10 seconds, then back, then Start.

[seanarthurmachado]

new battery is a definate

I took the battery that came with it, brought it to autozone, had them charge it overnight, thinking I could get 1 start out of it to move around the seafoam, and the 12v battery came back as testing with 4 volts.

Deader than disco.

That, a tire, and after the holidays are done I'm going to go over it all.
(hoping to get a carb rebuild, valve adjustment and oil change all done then put some miles on it.)

So far, all Ive managed to do is get the ignition switch jammed in PARK and after a couple weeks unjam it, so it goes to OFF, ON and LOCK. I wont be messing with park again unless I replace the ignition, but Im trying to do this cheap.

(I was really surprised at all the wiring behind the headlight bracket when I went to pull the ignition switch)

[chuck hahn]

Nothing on an old bike is CHEAP...just sayin.