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Kick start

  • Thread starter Thread starter erdmania
  • Start date Start date
E

erdmania

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Has anyone out there fitted a kick start onto a GS1000, or heard of it being done? I have a 1980 GS1000G that I'd like to do this to if it's within the realm of reality.

Thanks!
 
erdmania said:
Has anyone out there fitted a kick start onto a GS1000, or heard of it being done? I have a 1980 GS1000G that I'd like to do this to if it's within the realm of reality.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It is not within the realm of any reality. Forget about the kickstarter. This has been the subject of much discussion around here, and I keep saying the same thing:

If you maintain the bike properly, cleaning out connections, riding it regularly, keeping the battery charged at all times, you don't need a kickstarter. Some purists around here will disagree. Fine with me.

In order to perform this change, you need to get the kickstarter mechanism off a 1979 GS850GN, and a right-hand engine cover that has a hole in it for the kickstarter shaft. God knows if those parts will fit your GS1000G.

Save your money and time, ride your GS1000G, enjoy it, keep it meticulously maintained, and the electric start system will serve you well.

Even if you could set up such mechanism, a kickstarter throw will rotate the crankshaft just a few degrees. You have four pistons, and all the valve train up there to move. A kickstarter is basically useless.
 
Grandpa said:
It is not within the realm of any reality. Forget about the kickstarter. This has been the subject of much discussion around here, and I keep saying the same thing:

If you maintain the bike properly, cleaning out connections, riding it regularly, keeping the battery charged at all times, you don't need a kickstarter. Some purists around here will disagree. Fine with me.

In order to perform this change, you need to get the kickstarter mechanism off a 1979 GS850GN, and a right-hand engine cover that has a hole in it for the kickstarter shaft. God knows if those parts will fit your GS1000G.

Save your money and time, ride your GS1000G, enjoy it, keep it meticulously maintained, and the electric start system will serve you well.

Even if you could set up such mechanism, a kickstarter throw will rotate the crankshaft just a few degrees. You have four pistons, and all the valve train up there to move. A kickstarter is basically useless.
Click to expand...

As somebody who has suffered from a "toasted" starter motor at an inopportune time, I also would love to do this sort of mod. I have disagreed with Nick (Grandpa) in past discussions on this issue, but I give him credit this time for at least explaining what is hypothetically involved in the retrofit IF it is possible. I still haven't heard of anyone actually attempting the mod so of course I still don't know if it'd work. I will admit that with my rebuilt starter I rarely think about the lack of a kickstarter, especially since I spent an entire weekend (at an out of town rally) push-starting my big 1100G (so I wouldn't miss the fun) but I know that if I COULD go "old school" I would.

It IS possible (in my opinion) to kickstart one of these motors. Whether anyone will succeed in pulling off this mod remains to be seen. Hypothetically you would pull the right side engine cover off the same bike you're obtaining the kickstarter from, so if you find the mechanical pieces in all probability you'll get the cover at the same time ... but will it fit? From looking at the different engines it looks like it MIGHT work but until you get all the pieces together there's no way to know for sure.

Maybe YOU will be the one to get the parts and answer the question! :lol:;-)

Good Luck!!
 
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All of the mounting bosses were eliminated on later GS850 & all GS1000
 
Considering the fact you can always pop start it if you have a dead battery etc I wouldnt wast time or money. If you want a kickstart get an older bike :) If you have a starter issue fix it and in the mean time always park on an incline :)
 
SqDancerLynn1 said:
All of the mounting bosses were eliminated on later GS850 & all GS1000
Click to expand...

Are you positive about this, Lynn? It seems to me that it'd be REALLY expensive to create new block casting tools just to eliminate something that could simply be covered over (as it seems to be from the outside).

Regards,
 
Planecrazy said:
Are you positive about this, Lynn? It seems to me that it'd be REALLY expensive to create new block casting tools just to eliminate something that could simply be covered over (as it seems to be from the outside).

Regards,
Click to expand...

it wasnt eliminated on the 1000, it wasn't ever there. suzuki never designed the 1000 for a kick starter so it lacks a place for one.
now it could be done, but it will be very expensive as you would have to modify / machine the cases or make special cases. as the 1000 is clean sheet, not adapted from the smaller engines.

you could retrofit a 80 and up 850 to also have a kick start as it still has the mounting point in the case, but you would have to get all the parts, clutch cover included, from a 79 850, as it was the only year 850 to have one.
 
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The 1000G uses a very different clutch cover than the 850G, so you couldn't just transfer parts from a '79 850G.

I rebuilt an '81 850G engine this spring and I'm working on a '79 engine right now. You might be able to transplant the kickstart parts from a '79 into an '80 or '81 850G engine, but you'd have to split the cases. There's a stopper plate that I don't think has a mounting point in the '80-'81 cases, too. If you were determined to have an '80+ 850G with kick start, you'd be best off simply transplanting the entire bottom end of the engine.

Not really worth the trouble, IMHO, unless there's some other problem with your later model 850G and you just happen to have a good '79 bottom end sitting around.

There are rare times when a kick starter would be nice, though. Here's Steve's 1100G at the 2005 Brown County rally idling peacefully (note the headlight is on) while we wait for the cop to decide our fate -- he didn't shut it off unless there were enough people around to push-start:
busted1.jpg



It had a happy ending, though -- here I am with my warning:
unbusted.jpg
 
Thanks for the clarification! By the way, although it was MUCH easier getting that beast started with help, I had to push start it myself more than a few times during the weekend ... it was doable but not very pleasant!!

Love those pics, Brian! That reminds me I have to get in touch with the photographer-du-jour, Rich (Copierguy)!

Regards,
 
You know it just occurred to me looking at the second pic that I was more than likely looking at the first pic (I'm pretty sure that's Rich's camera I'm holding) and that's why I'm laughing!

Regards,
 
Honest question - even if it were technically possible to retrofit a kickstarter to a GS1000, would the average person have enough moxy to turn over a 1000cc engine?
 
80GS1000 said:
Honest question - even if it were technically possible to retrofit a kickstarter to a GS1000, would the average person have enough moxy to turn over a 1000cc engine?
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When I had my GS850GN, I found it extremely difficult to kickstart the thing. I therefore used it maybe once in the two years I owned it. One kick would turn the engine over not far at all.

A 1000 would be even harder to kickstart.
 
Thank you all for your insights. It looks like it might be a big fat waste of time & money to try, at least on my bike which I need to commute to work. Just for the record I have no starter issues, I just think kick starters are cool. :-D If it were a simple swap of a few parts from an 850, I'd do it in a second.

Ah well. I'll have to dream up some other crazy thing to attempt.
 
Grandpa said:
When I had my GS850GN, I found it extremely difficult to kickstart the thing. I therefore used it maybe once in the two years I owned it. One kick would turn the engine over not far at all.

A 1000 would be even harder to kickstart.
Click to expand...
If the engine is tuned right you shouldn't need too much to make it fire. It takes about 1/4 of a kick for me to fire up my 750. I can even do it without lifting my bum off the seat.

When it's out of tune though, it's a very different story. I have had bikes that take numerous kicks to get them going. Using a kick starter in the rain is always fun - NOT!!!!!. I have skinned a few shins kick starting dirt bikes in the mud. OUCH!!! :shock:
 
erdmania said:
Ah well. I'll have to dream up some other crazy thing to attempt.
Click to expand...

There've been plenty of good ones to date! I rode around for years with a painted cooler (black) on the back of my 550L, which I used very successfully as a trunk for over ten years!

Don (Dpep) recently adapted a plastic lawn chair (on the fly) for use as a temporary carrier on one of his 850's during a trip ... lots of ingenuity here!!

Enjoy!
 
erdmania said:
Thank you all for your insights. It looks like it might be a big fat waste of time & money to try, at least on my bike which I need to commute to work. Just for the record I have no starter issues, I just think kick starters are cool. :-D If it were a simple swap of a few parts from an 850, I'd do it in a second.

Ah well. I'll have to dream up some other crazy thing to attempt.
Click to expand...

How about attempting to improve the bike, making sensible modifications here and there that are cost- and time-effective. Many of these mods that improve the reliability, comfort, safety, and longevity of our GS bikes are spread out on many different threads throughout this forum.
 
Zooks said:
If the engine is tuned right you shouldn't need too much to make it fire. It takes about 1/4 of a kick for me to fire up my 750. I can even do it without lifting my bum off the seat.

When it's out of tune though, it's a very different story. I have had bikes that take numerous kicks to get them going. Using a kick starter in the rain is always fun - NOT!!!!!. I have skinned a few shins kick starting dirt bikes in the mud. OUCH!!! :shock:
Click to expand...

My bikes have always been in top state of tune. It may be easy for you to kickstart a 750, but I'm a wuss, a sissy, and hate to work harder than I should. I found kickstarting my 1979 850 was a royal PITA, so I just didn't do it. Pushing a little button on the right handlebar, one that will yield positive results 99.99999% of the time, is much preferable than trying to convince myself and others that I'm a macho man.
 
Grandpa said:
My bikes have always been in top state of tune. It may be easy for you to kickstart a 750, but I'm a wuss, a sissy, and hate to work harder than I should. I found kickstarting my 1979 850 was a royal PITA, so I just didn't do it. Pushing a little button on the right handlebar, one that will yield positive results 99.99999% of the time, is much preferable than trying to convince myself and others that I'm a macho man.
Click to expand...

Most people hate to work harder than they have to. The reality is that the shorter the stoke of an engine, the harder it is to kick start it, especially when it is cold. With a longer stroked engine, the momentum/rotation of the crankshaft is greater and the air/gas flow is higher per kick, promoting faster starting. This assumes that the engine is in a "top state of tune" and you're not being a pussy. A long stoke, high compression engine, can cause concern when kick starting, especilly when the tuning isn't spot on.
 
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