What does a kickstart pawl do when it's going south?

It will either not engage when you kick, or it will slip out of engagement as you kick.

L.A.B. wrote:It will either not engage when you kick, or it will slip out of engagement as you kick.

I was afraid that that would be the answer. My bike's been up and running for about two weeks. A week ago it started either locking up or making a ratcheting noise when I kick it over. It's coming from the gearbox. It's intermittent. When shifting through the gears everything is fine. I'll start pulling it apart.

A batch of 1970 models had pawls that were not hardened correctly. I had such a bike. It is also imperative that while kicking her over, one must engage the pawl without slack prior to jumping on it. If not, you will eventually damage the beast.

bpatton wrote:

L.A.B. wrote:It will either not engage when you kick, or it will slip out of engagement as you kick.

I was afraid that that would be the answer. My bike's been up and running for about two weeks. A week ago it started either locking up or making a ratcheting noise when I kick it over. It's coming from the gearbox. It's intermittent. When shifting through the gears everything is fine. I'll start pulling it apart.

It's easy enough to do, one went on my first commando many years ago and I didn't know to much about mechanics, (not sure I've got better!), I used the haynes manual and followed it step by step , bits straight off, then straight on! Can't remember how long it took but I do remember being surprised at how esy it was.
Good luck

My second 850 did a big number on my knee last year when the kickstarter let go with my full weight on it. When I pulled it apart, I found the PO had put the pawl in the wrong way around, leaving little engagement. Nasty injury to my knee.