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What method is the BEST to attach and subseqently remove kick start levers ? I have seen some butchery in the past and we can all well do without that.
Kick start Lever fitting and removal
- Thread starter Torontonian
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- Nov 9, 2010
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Yep, that's the way I do it also. Small note: after tightening, make sure you re-check and re-tighten after 3 or 4 starts/rides. Mine tends to loosen up after a workout and engine vibration. Good luck!
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Thanks from the frozen north , mine gets loose from time to time as well , any tips to avoid the retightening ? Loctite has been a failure. Once I saw a kicker spot welded to the shaft end believe it or not.
Greetings,
With my bike I had trouble getting it tight enough. Even after tightening the bolt to the point where I'm sure it was about to break, the lever was still a little loose on the shaft. I cured it by hacksawing 3 1/8th inch deep slots around the inside of the splined hole. This allowed it to flex just a little extra and grip the shaft tightly.
GB
With my bike I had trouble getting it tight enough. Even after tightening the bolt to the point where I'm sure it was about to break, the lever was still a little loose on the shaft. I cured it by hacksawing 3 1/8th inch deep slots around the inside of the splined hole. This allowed it to flex just a little extra and grip the shaft tightly.
GB
ashman
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Hi all
I fixed mind by making sure the bolt can be treaded right through the hole and a longer bolt used so that after treading the bolt I also had enough roon to put a nut on the end of the bolt and also make sure the gap is wide enough to clamp tight...
Hope this helps
Ashley
I fixed mind by making sure the bolt can be treaded right through the hole and a longer bolt used so that after treading the bolt I also had enough roon to put a nut on the end of the bolt and also make sure the gap is wide enough to clamp tight...
Hope this helps
Ashley
As far as levers that won't tighten goes, there was a tip on one of the lists that worked for me. Use a rat tail file or grinder to remove two of the splines on each side of the split in the lever. It sounds all wrong but those splines aren't doing much and might be actually getting in the way. If the splines are so worn that the lever is clamping shut before it's tightening its grip then put 2 hacksaw blades together on a saw and run them through the seam in the lever. It's worked well on a couple bikes I've seen. Anti seize on the bolt threads probably helps. I know of one guy that used a stainless bolt, it may still be stuck in there.
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Never hammer the kick start on because you risk damage to the 1st gear layshaft bush which is slighty wider than the gear and protrudes out against the kick start shaft bush to control endfloat of 1st gear.
Damage will result in excess kick start shaft end float and clunky 1st gear engagement. (Unless your gearbox has a later roller bearing layshaft and flush fitting 1st gear layshaft bush with shimmed kickstart shaft etc).
Damage will result in excess kick start shaft end float and clunky 1st gear engagement. (Unless your gearbox has a later roller bearing layshaft and flush fitting 1st gear layshaft bush with shimmed kickstart shaft etc).
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What size thread and length bolt to improve gripping with nylock end nut ?
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I've seen far TOO many kickstart shaft splines ruined; because of bad fitting, can't tighten anymore, sloppy kickstarters. Yet another example of Norton"s "quality control" or ... lack thereof. (Why did they go out of business, and why do I like them so much ??? I know the answer of the former, but certainly not the latter.)
Anyway, if you want NO more problems, and want it to always be tight, do this. Place the kickstarter in a vice, protected with soft jaws (i.e. pieces of aluminum.) Then take a hacksaw; and cut an 1/8 inch off the non threaded side of the clamping part. The kickstart metal is not hard, once you get thru the cheap chrome it's easy to cut. And ... wha-la; problem fixed. You can NOW tighten the bolt down and get a really tight SQUEEZE on the splines, ensuring they are first lined up perfectly of course. Use a longer bolt and a nylon lock nut then if you want, but I have found it unneccessary. Cheers.
Anyway, if you want NO more problems, and want it to always be tight, do this. Place the kickstarter in a vice, protected with soft jaws (i.e. pieces of aluminum.) Then take a hacksaw; and cut an 1/8 inch off the non threaded side of the clamping part. The kickstart metal is not hard, once you get thru the cheap chrome it's easy to cut. And ... wha-la; problem fixed. You can NOW tighten the bolt down and get a really tight SQUEEZE on the splines, ensuring they are first lined up perfectly of course. Use a longer bolt and a nylon lock nut then if you want, but I have found it unneccessary. Cheers.
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Hello!
I remove my kickstart lever as the other guys do.
BUT: had always troubles to get it tight....so I did this [kickstart is now always tight]:
Thrilled through and opened the threaded and unthreaded hole so that a M10-bolt [or M12? I am not sure right now…..but the next size larger…] goes through.
Then i flatened the side facing forward with a file to get a good, square mating surface for the nut.
I also made a mating surface on the rear of the kickstart lever for the bolt head.
Next I flatened one side of the bolthead so that the bolt is held by the mating surface/edge on the rear side of the kickstart.
With this i don`t have to hold up the bolthead when i tighten the nyloc-nut.
Works fine for me….here is a pic below….have a nice day!
I remove my kickstart lever as the other guys do.
BUT: had always troubles to get it tight....so I did this [kickstart is now always tight]:
Thrilled through and opened the threaded and unthreaded hole so that a M10-bolt [or M12? I am not sure right now…..but the next size larger…] goes through.
Then i flatened the side facing forward with a file to get a good, square mating surface for the nut.
I also made a mating surface on the rear of the kickstart lever for the bolt head.
Next I flatened one side of the bolthead so that the bolt is held by the mating surface/edge on the rear side of the kickstart.
With this i don`t have to hold up the bolthead when i tighten the nyloc-nut.
Works fine for me….here is a pic below….have a nice day!
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Thanks again to all , removed lever by tapping in large screwdriver to spread the gap. Next got out the hacksaw (new Swedish blade with force on forward strokes only) and protectively held kcker in vice to slightly widen gap a bit. Easy ,now realize will have to go shopping for a bigger screwdriver or perhaps even a chisel for future removals. Could grind the tip to stop any touching to soft alluminium case behind lever , don't want to damage that new modern seal upgrade for shaft (no leaking now!). Love the idea of flat dressing the contact faces front and back to maximize bolt grip area and had long thought this could be a big contributing factor to bolt backing off issue. Will do to Bolt head end with washer and present stainless yet stock bolt first and try refitting and testing. If problem is still recurrent will go drillout and fit of larger longer bolt with nut fix. Thanks , Peter.
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- Dec 7, 2013
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I've remove the bolt from my kick start arm. I have opened the gap well with a bladed screwdriver. I have inserted a metal rod all the way through the bolt hole. As I pull (or tug left and right) on both the lever arm and the metal rod I cannot get the arm all the way off. It comes about 3-4mm out as I tug but I cannot get past that. The arm seems to rock left and right on the shaft so it seems plenty loose but I still can't get the darn thing to move out more than a few mm. My fear is, if I tug too hard will I damage the internals? Please give me your thoughts. I'm new to this stuff and the cost of a genuine norton lever arm already has me worried about me accidentally creating further damage.
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Hi mark
All I can say is sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't , I recon about 50-50 . I bought a new pattern kickstart to put on a new rgm shaft tried it first and it was a swine so put the old one back on. I try to open it up as much as I can and kinda lever it off as I pull, sometimes it just pops off and sometimes you would swear it was welded. I just put it down to driver error but don't know exactly how much abuse they will take. I just kept at it cos it was coming off right reason or none.
J@ruffasabadgersarseengineering.com
All I can say is sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't , I recon about 50-50 . I bought a new pattern kickstart to put on a new rgm shaft tried it first and it was a swine so put the old one back on. I try to open it up as much as I can and kinda lever it off as I pull, sometimes it just pops off and sometimes you would swear it was welded. I just put it down to driver error but don't know exactly how much abuse they will take. I just kept at it cos it was coming off right reason or none.
J@ruffasabadgersarseengineering.com
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L.A.B. said:
Are you sure about that? It's not a threaded rod and it's only 1/4" thick. That's about 6.25 mm. The bolt itself is is 3/8" (9.525 mm) by my measurement. It wobbles like hell in the bolt hole. I'm just using it as a extra handle to pull on. Please explain to me how this will lock the lever to the shaft. Thank you.
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