Removing Starter motor permanently

[Guest]

I am looking to make my '79 GS550 a kick start only by removing the starter motor completely. I am curious if this will negatively affect any other electrical circuit? Also, can I remove the starter relay as well?

Thanks

[tkent02]

Remove them both, it will effect nothing else. There is still a connection from the battery + to the rest of the motorcycle.

You could use the starter switch for something devious, like as the trigger for the 40mm spud gun.

[GSX1000E]

Remove them both, it will effect nothing else. There is still a connection from the battery + to the rest of the motorcycle.

You could use the starter switch for something devious, like as the trigger for the 40mm spud gun.

I like the way that you think.

[SocialAnomaly99]

Is it also possible to permanently remove the starter clutch assembly? Or would this adversely affect the behavior of the engine?

[Steve]

You could remove it, but why? For all the effort and expense you will incur to remove it, what will you save? Maybe a pound?

And it's not even true rotating weight that needs to be overcome during acceleration. Because of the clutch mechanism, the engine is free to spin faster than the starter clutch, which will not hurt acceleration at all.

When you pull the starter, don't forget to make a plug to fill the hole it used to sit in. There is active oil where the nose of the starter sits, it will end up getting flung into the starter cavity, then drain down the "mystery hole" onto your rear tire.

.

[SocialAnomaly99]

I puled the starter on my 79 and used the starter hole plug that z1 sells. The starter clutch on my 77 needs to be rebuilt and I was thinking of just swapping them and leaving it off of the 79 since it is kick start only anyway. All in all with starter, starter clutch, and everything else associated with the electric start system removed, you probably end up getting rid of, what, 7 to 10 lbs? Not really a huge difference... But no sense in carrying around that extra weight if you don't use it.