My bike is a 1981 Honda XL500s. It is in a good shape. The de- compression lever is working properly, the timing of the valves is ok, and the carb is well adjusted. If it runs, it runs great. Still, the bike likes to kickback when attempting to start. It will cost my ankle someday. What is the best way to avoid this? (apart from taking the train) Can it be avoided at all, or does it just come with off roads like this?
2006-06-28 03:06:10 · 8 answers · asked by breijder 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
The kick back is just as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your foot is on the bottom of the kick at the same time the plug is firing but the stroke comes up a little short and sends the piston back to where it came from in a hurry which in turn sends your knee flying into the handle bars. Not a good time for it to be there. One of the previous answers had it right. You just need to time the kick right.
Push down on the kick starter, relatively slow but not to slow because you need to move the piston fast enough to build compression. You will feel the engine come up on compression. It should be obvious when you are there because it will get very hard to push it any farther.
If it feels like it just wants to keep going kick it again until you feel it wanting to stop.
Once there pull in the compression release and slowly move the starter just past that point in the stroke, it wont be very far, maybe only about 1/8 of the total kick stroke.
Release the compression release lever and let the kick starter return to the top of the stroke. Do not pull in the lever again.
Now give it all you got and let er rip. Don't come up short on the kick either, follow through the kick all the way down because it is around the bottom of the kick where it will fire so it takes a full kick to start it.
As for cracking the throttle, that is totally dependant upon the temperment of the bike. Some bikes when warm like a little throttle when starting some like none at all. When cold you should just have to choke it with no throttle until you hear it try to fire then just a little bit iof throttle might be the way to go. All depends on how the bike runs though.
I have had my knee jammed into the handle bars more than once on my old tt500 and it doesnt' feel good.
In April my Husky TE510 finally showed up at the dealer, it is equipped with electric start as well as the hard core kicker. I drove to San Francisco to pick it up, pushed it out of the shop onto the street, mounted up and pulled out the kickstarter and fired it up on the second kick. I think the salesman thought I was crazy. At 12.5:1 compression it is a beast to kick over but it was worth the looks I got from him and my buddy. Now I just rely on the good ole button.
Good luck hope it was helpful
2006-06-28 18:39:06 · answer #1 · answered by shel_bug66 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
How to avoid a kickback when starting a 1981 Honda XL500?
My bike is a 1981 Honda XL500s. It is in a good shape. The de- compression lever is working properly, the timing of the valves is ok, and the carb is well adjusted. If it runs, it runs great. Still, the bike likes to kickback when attempting to start. It will cost my ankle someday. What is the best...
2015-08-07 17:54:07 · answer #2 · answered by Gerold 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1981 Honda Xl500s
2016-10-13 23:03:41 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only luck I've ever had with starting big 4 stroke singles is as follows -
-De-compression lever pulled all the way in
-Throttle closed
-Kick start fast a few times
-Slowly bring the piston to TDC
-Use the de-compression lever to get the piston just past TDC
-Let go of the de-compression lever
-STRONG fast kick while rolling the throttle open (no more than 1/2)
-Experiment with different techniques. The starting problems are the #1 reason why I'd never by a big single 4 stroke, unless it had electric start.
2006-06-28 04:51:54 · answer #4 · answered by guardrailjim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might want to speak to your Honda dealer about your compression release to see if it is working properly, and set properly. If it is, kickback should only be an occasional thing.
2006-06-28 06:04:33 · answer #5 · answered by JeffyB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple way. put bike in first gear. Walk it BACKWARDS until it hits compression. put in neutral and kick it through.(gives crank a chance to build up some speed) if you try and start it like a 125 twostroke you WILL get hurt. Get a pair of MXboots or work boots with reinforced sole
2006-06-29 03:17:54 · answer #6 · answered by 1crazypj 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
vulcan has the answer. just bump start it. but then practice helps. i had a yamaha 500 single and after about a month could start it w/o the compresion relese. just get on and kick.
2006-06-28 06:16:13 · answer #7 · answered by j t 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give it a push ,,jump on it BANG it's started
2006-06-28 06:08:42 · answer #8 · answered by Vulcan 1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋