Kick Start Lever.

jsouthard · Sep 9, 2009

I just installed rear sets and have found the kick start lever to be in the way when shifting, riding and starting....

Wait? thats all the time. Anyway,

I have the clubmanracing.com rear sets and have changed the standing position of the lever 10 different ways to try to create a comfortable ride that allows me to start the bike and shift gears.

Do any of you use an alternative kick start lever to relieve this issue. If so, where did you get it.

thanks,

DogT · Sep 9, 2009

Man, get rid of that wrong sided shift lever to start, then on my bike the rear sets went on the rearmost hole in the Z plate, but I see that is taken up with the silencer bracket, Don't know about that since I have an 'S' so the silencer brackets are in a totally different place.

Dave

ILLF8ED · Sep 9, 2009

Kick start gets in the way of your foot or you can't shift because the shift lever hits the kickstart lever? From the picture you have plenty of foot room. Not sure what you mean by kick start lever gets in the way of starting.

My standard response when someone tells me my machine shifts on the wrong side...it either shifts on the right side or on the wrong side. Up to 1974 most non-Japanese bikes shifted on the right.

trinorman · Sep 10, 2009

I have the same setup on my 74 850 Roadster although I sourced mine from RGM. Your kickstarter position looks pretty similar to mine, but your kickstarter lever is different. It looks like it kicks out more--is it from a Mk. III which had a different lever to better clear the exhaust? I have no trouble with foot clearance to shift. If having foot clearance to shift is your problem, it might be the shape of the kickstarter.To start the bike I have to fold the footpeg up before kickstarting, but everything clears.

Chris

BrianK · Sep 10, 2009

DogT said:
Man, get rid of that wrong sided shift lever to start....Dave

Excuse me, you're on a British bike board. Proper British bikes shift on the right side. And most of us wouldn't have it any other way.

Gosh-a-mighty, I'm in the market for an old Moto Guzzi and having to reject a goodly proportion of the relatively few I'm finding on the market because they shift on the wrong (i.e., not right) side. It, um, "just ain't right."

dave M · Sep 10, 2009

Have you thought about using the original gear lever, reversed and bent outwards a bit? This set up worked well for me as there is no linkage to get sloppy and the shift pattern then becomes one down and the rest up, which might be a bonus if you have other bikes with the same shift pattern.

swooshdave · Sep 10, 2009

BrianK said:
DogT said:

Man, get rid of that wrong sided shift lever to start....Dave

Click to expand...

Excuse me, you're on a British bike board. Proper British bikes shift on the right side. And most of us wouldn't have it any other way.

Someone just pissed off the MkIII contingent... :mrgreen:

splatt · Sep 11, 2009

had exactly the same problem and had to mount the kickstart under folding foot peg, it now only gets half a kick, but it's a good starter so it isn't a problem.Do a search on rearsets there was some pictures of alternative & modified kickstarts there.

Fullauto · Sep 11, 2009

Weren't the MK3s the ones made in Japan? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Left hand changes and electric starters are soooo Japanese.

I'm a bad man, I'll admit it.

DogT · Sep 12, 2009

Oh, I see, he has the shift lever set back with that mechanism for the rear sets. I thought it was one of those gizmos that sent it to the "wrong" side. Mine shifts on the "right" side too. Something I got used to with an old BSA 500 B33.

Dave