How to kickstart a 750

[Starboard M]

Owners manual doesnt go into specifics, search only pulls up people wanting to add one to smaller bikes or remove the starter.
PO told me his way of getting the kickstart to work, and it involved multiple steps, and I think a sacrificial chicken or two.



I tried multiple times before I tore my bike apart to use the kickstart and it wouldnt work. So Im wondering if it was something I was doing.

1. Turn bike to on position
2. Fuel on
3. Bike in neutral
4. Clutch in (My bike seems to have a clutch safety mechanism)
5. Kick the ever living heck out of it
6. Bike starts



Thats the way I was doing it, and it would not start. I gave up after 5 minutes with a sore leg and back. What am I doing wrong?
If this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it.

 

[hampshirehog]

Does it start on the electric starter? It should start easily on the kickstart if it does.

 

[Starboard M]

Does it start on the electric starter? It should start easily on the kickstart if it does.

Well, I am almost done rebuilding the carbs, and replacing all the Orings. I bought the bike a month ago, and only started it ~6 times.

Of those 6 times, 5 required a car battery to get the bike started since it would crank and crank. Rather than kill the battery I was using a car battery to help it along.


I guess that would make sense that if it took a couple minutes of cranking for it to start that it would require a couple minutes of continuous kicking to start too.



Hopefully I fixed everything enough to get the bike to start easier. But we shall see.

 

[tkent02]

Just push it through once by hand if everything is working correctly. No kicking necessary.
It should start about halfway down the first push.
Sounds like you have some work to do.

 

[wkmpt]

Tom's spot on. If it's hard to start, you need to get your carburetion and ignition sorted out.

 

[Steve]

I don't have a bike with a kick starter :dancing:, but I think the clutch switch is only necessary if you are using the electric start, not the kick.

You turn the fuel ON? Where do you leave the petcock when you park the bike? With the lever pointing DOWN or FORWARD, the petcock will come ON when the engine is running and turn OFF when it stops. (assuming you have a stock petcock). Turning the lever BACK will engage the PRIME position, where fuel will flow regardless of engine status.

For nomal starting:
1. Key ON
2. Engage enrichment mechanism (it's not a real "choke")
3. Ensure Engine Stop swith is in RUN position
4. Ensure NEUTRAL light is on
5. Kick once or twice, engine will run.

Notice that at NO TIME did I mention anything about moving the throttle. If you move the throttle AT ALL, you will defeat the "choke" mechanism, so don't even touch it. There are no accelerator pumps in the carbs, so twisting the throttle a time or two between attempts does nothing, either.

If your valves are properly adjusted and your carbs are clean and adjusted (basic maintenance items), you should be able to start it with your hand, as tkent said.

.

 

[Starboard M]

Just push it through once by hand if everything is working correctly. No kicking necessary.
It should start about halfway down the first push.
Sounds like you have some work to do.

I have A LOT of work to do!

I don't have a bike with a kick starter :dancing:, but I think the clutch switch is only necessary if you are using the electric start, not the kick.

You turn the fuel ON? Where do you leave the petcock when you park the bike? With the lever pointing DOWN or FORWARD, the petcock will come ON when the engine is running and turn OFF when it stops. (assuming you have a stock petcock). Turning the lever BACK will engage the PRIME position, where fuel will flow regardless of engine status.

For nomal starting:
1. Key ON
2. Engage enrichment mechanism (it's not a real "choke")
3. Ensure Engine Stop swith is in RUN position
4. Ensure NEUTRAL light is on
5. Kick once or twice, engine will run.

Notice that at NO TIME did I mention anything about moving the throttle. If you move the throttle AT ALL, you will defeat the "choke" mechanism, so don't even touch it. There are no accelerator pumps in the carbs, so twisting the throttle a time or two between attempts does nothing, either.

If your valves are properly adjusted and your carbs are clean and adjusted (basic maintenance items), you should be able to start it with your hand, as tkent said.

.

I have an aftermarket petcock, On, Off, Res. I was under the impression that when parking the bike you should turn the petcock to the Off possition, is that incorrect?


Went out to try and start the bike, coughed once or twice, started, and died. Then would not fire.

With the clutch engaged, kick starter does not turn the engine over. With clutch out, engine turns over, I can hear the compression.

Gave up on the kickstart after bashing my knee into the tank and almost falling off the bike. Im going to go buy a set of jumper cables and use the electric start until I get the bike running right.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

Im going to go buy a set of jumper cables and use the electric start until I get the bike running right.

Good choice Matt. Get the important things done first. Valves, carbs, timing, etc.

 

[Big T]

You should work thru the 10 common mistakes first, so the bike will start

You should need 2-3 seconds of cranking, tops

A well tuned bike will start at the touch of the starter button

Your 79 does not have a clutch switch.

Does it still have points?

You can kick it all day and all night and it won't start if the valves are too tight, the carbs are clogged, you have air leaks and the points are burned. It has nothing to do with your technique or lack thereof

 

[Starboard M]

Good choice Matt. Get the important things done first. Valves, carbs, timing, etc.

Cleaned the carbs, and did some minor work to them, valves and timing come later after researching and figuring what else I need to do.

You should work thru the 10 common mistakes first, so the bike will start

You should need 2-3 seconds of cranking, tops

A well tuned bike will start at the touch of the starter button

Your 79 does not have a clutch switch.

Does it still have points?

You can kick it all day and all night and it won't start if the valves are too tight, the carbs are clogged, you have air leaks and the points are burned. It has nothing to do with your technique or lack thereof

Interesting, the starter switch will not work without the clutch depressed.


Im working down the list of the 10 newbie mistakes. Carbs have been cleaned, boot orings replaced, new petcock, diesel oil, and I installed APE pods.
I need to order new brake parts, and sort out the charging system.


I did get the bike started after hooking it up to a car battery. Took about 5 seconds to get it started the first time, and less than that on subsequent starts. Took it for a quick ride down to a gas station to try and pump the tires up and the bike would not start with the starter (dead battery). But, two pumps with the kickstart and it started right up!

 

[Big T]

You're getting close!

Did you rejet for those pods?

What exhaust is on it?

BTW, valve adjustments are the #1 cure for hard starting