Can I install a kick start on my bike?

[valentin]

Hi there:

I'm the owner of an 1980 GS 550 E (in the USA is L, the "custom model"). The bike only have the electrical start, and I'm thinking to install the kick start.

I think that the kick start of any model of the GS 550, previous to 1980, will fit and work with no problems. Can I do that?

If anyone can answer me, please, I will be very thankful.

Regards and Happy Christmas
Valentin Magallanes H.
vmagallanes@mi.cl

[SqDancerLynn1]

ONLY if you change the whole engine, it cannot be retro fitted

[Anonymous]

au contraire

Actually it can,
I personally fitted the clutch outer, kickstart and kickstart mechanism to a GS550M electric start only motor, from a earlier gs550, and didnt have any problems with the conversion.
In fact you dont have to split the cases to do it either.

Let me just edit in that both were 2 valve motors, since I dont know what year which bits changed on the us motors being european.

[Anonymous]

Then the question is has any one done it to the specific model mentioned in the original post???

[Anonymous]

Maybe time for some looksee

Im not sure even exactly which model the original poster has, if its a european 550E (or M) (which is coded the 550L in us), its the same motor as was in my 550M, which was not katana styled, but had the later revamped electrics, electronic ignition, cv carbs and a host of cyclepart changes, this M model was for the people who did not want factory custom styling but still wanted the model updates, and was only in production for one year (but sold for more). The US 550M was, I believe, a katana styled model, just to add more confusion to the soup..
Even the very late (non katana) euro 2v motors have the bush that the kickstart gear end sits into on the inside of the clutch housing on the models I have seen. Perhaps if you pop the clutch outer cover and the inner kickstart support bush is still cast into the wall, its as strong a indicator as you are going to get that its possible on your exact motor. I asked a lot of people if it was possible, and the best anyone could come up with was "try it and see". What spurred me on was the thinking that if suzuki went to the cost of remaking the crankcase mould, they would have eliminated the redundant bush and the material costs associated with it.
Good luck, theres no definates with 23 year old motors, but I believe you have a good sporting chance