Kick start only?!

[mark]

I love the kick starter on my bike and use it all the time during the riding season without problem. I am beginning to see the starting system/circuit as unnecessary dead weight for my riding routines (close to home commutes). What parts, besides the starter, can be safely removed and still leave the bike in road worthy condition? The absence of a starter would leave me with some extra storage space, if I could fabricate a small container to fit in the spot where the starter was.

Mark

"PAIN IS TEMPORARY TROPHIES ARE FOREVER"
________________

1978 gs750
31, XXX km
slightly modified 8-valve engine (Custom oil filler cap!!)
old kerker exhaust

 

[kz]

Should be possible to remove the battery and replace it with a capacitor, same system as on old english bikes and some dirt bikes.

 

[twhite]

Clearly you could get rid of the starter solenoid.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

I think you would still have to have a battery but you could put in a much smaller battery. bUT I would NOT recomed removing the starter, you would have a very large hole in the case, can you say major oil leak :roll: :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

You can remove the starter if you want. I did to get as much weight as possible off my bike. You will need to get a starter hole plug so you dont create an oil leak. Schintzracing.com has them for 11 dollars. Then its just a matter of removing all the related electrical components. Use your wiring diagram for this.

One question though...Has anyone removed the starters drive gear and flywheel from under the stator housing. Do you just unbolt the rotor and slid it off? Will it effect the depth of the rotor?

_M

 

[kz]

This goes for the GS 1150 1984

As I remember, the the gears should be possible to remove as the big gear runs "free" on a needle bearing behind the rotor, the connection to the crankshaft is made through the starter clutch with also should be possible to remove.

The smaller idle gear should just be to pull out.

The lubrication channell to the big gears needle bearing maybe must be taken into consideration.

 

[kz]

I think you would still have to have a battery but you could put in a much smaller battery. bUT I would NOT recomed removing the starter, you would have a very large hole in the case, can you say major oil leak :roll: :roll:

Why do you think you must keep the battery?

 

[focus frenzy]

the ignition is battery powered, no battery, no spark.
that and the charging system was designed to use a battery, with out the starter, you can use a smaller battery saving some weight there.

 

[mark]

Thanks for the input. I, too, am under the impression that a capacitor can take the place of the battery and provide the initial voltage for spark before the bike provides its own spark (but not sure about the wiring). Never thought about a plain smaller battery...I guess I dont need the amperage for turing the starter motor if it's removed altogether. I am currently looking over the wiring schematic to see which wires can be removed.

Mark
________________

1978 gs750
31, XXX km
slightly modified 8-valve engine (Custom oil filler cap!!)
old kerker exhaust

 

[Clone]

My two stroke Yamaha didn't have a starter, but it had a small 12V battery to give the juice for the initial spark and for the park light and hazards. Is it possible to put a kick-starter on an 83 gs750ed?

 

[KrazyKarl02]

losing the battery

losing the battery

I think (and me thinking is a big step so I could be wrong) on a 78 gs750 the firing is done by points and not CDI ignition, if this is the case then I would think the bike could start off of a large capaciter. That is one of the draw backs of CDI ignition, you have to have like 10Volts for the thing to operate, where as points will always work. However I do not know if this will be sufficient to charge the coils up.
I agree though that you should have some sort of battery since GS's have evil charging systems! And a capaciter might freak out in that situation

 

[mark]

I also believe that the points control the firing. Im looking in my "bin'o odd parts" to see if I can locate a capacitor large enough and do some testing over the winter to see how the system works. If i ran the bike long enough im sure i could get a good charge across the capacitor, but what if the bike stalled soon after starting. Would there still be sufficent charge to get it going again??. I pulled the starter this morning and took it apart and cleaned the innards. Came out no problem with the carbs on. It will stay inside while I conduct some capacitor testing.

Mark

 

[twhite]

I don't think you need much juice. I had a very bad battery in my 850 for a while, it would not hold a charge....but I didn't worry about it alot....even with the battery flat I could kickstart it no problem.

 

[mark]

Clone,
If your bike did not come with a kick starter it will be near impossible to add one as you would have to change the engine cases, and the clutch cover. The side cover does not have the provisions for a kick starter...you may be at a loss with the kick start ability but your bike came with many other factory goodies ("point-less" ignition, tscc, ....) that quickly make up for the lack of a kick starter.

Mark
________________

1978 gs750
31, XXX km
slightly modified 8-valve engine (Custom oil filler cap!!)
old kerker exhaust

 

[Clone]

Thanks Mark.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

The capicator would need something to give it an initial charge plus I don't think the cap would be able to handle the current draw by itself without a charging systen, it would be possible if your bike was equiped with a generator and not an altinerator. Without battery if you could even get it to run you would probable fry the Reg/rect and possibily the stator. IT is not designed to run without a battery.