Shearing off kick starter teeth...1954 18S

OldCB · Apr 1, 2021

This is the only bike I've ever had trouble putting on the center stand. The first time I kicked it and sheared off the teeth on my kick starter I was not happy, but new to this bike, so on with a new one. Same thing after confirming neutral, kicked it and sheared the second kicker!
The Q is has this happened to anyone else out there? I can only guess it "snicked" into gear and when I kick it the tire which barely clears the ground contacts the ground while I'm kicking it, and the resistance of the tire leads to the shearing of the teeth?
1. Any way I can tell if I have the correct c-stand?
2. Extremely difficult to get on the C-stand? Easily the hardest bike virtually no "fulcrum" to aide getting it up on the stand.
3. Gotta find out before I put on my 2nd replacement kicker.........

robs ss · Apr 1, 2021

If you are talking about the spline teeth on the shaft where the kickstart lever fits then a likely culprit is your kickstart lever itself.
Some, typically some of the cheap (and not so cheap) repros have teeth all the way round, including right up to the "split"
There should be a good 3/8" either side of the split without any teeth.
If you have teeth in this area then tightening the clamp bolt does two things:
1. It damages (as in - starts to shear) the teeth on the shaft near the split.
2. It can't tighten the joint as intended, meaning, if you don't have teeth failure, you will suffer from a loose kicker and wonder why you always have to tighten it.

This is what it should look like...

robs ss · Apr 1, 2021

...should have mentioned, by way of explanation, that with the bare areas with no teeth then you'll have about 36 teeth working properly.
If you have teeth adjacent to the gap then you'll only have 10 teeth working in a poorly clamped way.

OldCB · Apr 2, 2021

robs ss said:
...should have mentioned, by way of explanation, that with the bare areas with no teeth then you'll have about 36 teeth working properly.
If you have teeth adjacent to the gap then you'll only have 10 teeth working in a poorly clamped way.

Mine did not have the blank area, knew my replacement was a re-pop. I will look for an OEM kicker. But it took all my strenth to put this little bike onto it's centerstand, I can't belive most would actually be able to acomplish it, my Commando is stupidly easy to put on it's stand.........something is not right.

robs ss · Apr 2, 2021

OldCB said:
Mine did not have the blank area, knew my replacement was a re-pop. I will look for an OEM kicker. But it took all my strenth to put this little bike onto it's centerstand, I can't belive most would actually be able to acomplish it, my Commando is stupidly easy to put on it's stand.........something is not right.

I have successfully removed the offending teeth with a Dremel grinder - The kickstarter then worked fine.
If still serviceable, this may be a less costly option for you.
Cheers
Rob

robs ss · Apr 2, 2021

...and, if it's a bastard to kick, as my 500 single was, you could do far worse than fit an RGM folding kicker. They're brilliant!
Longer so gives more leverage.

OldCB · Apr 3, 2021

robs ss said:
...and, if it's a bastard to kick, as my 500 single was, you could do far worse than fit an RGM folding kicker. They're brilliant!
Longer so gives more leverage.

No mine was fixed. Actually thought of modifying it ti make a folder...........

mdt-son · Jun 27, 2021

OldCB said:
This is the only bike I've ever had trouble putting on the center stand. <..>
1. Any way I can tell if I have the correct c-stand?
2. Extremely difficult to get on the C-stand? Easily the hardest bike virtually no "fulcrum" to aide getting it up on the stand.
3. Gotta find out before I put on my 2nd replacement kicker.........

I remember an image in one of the brit magazines (the green one I think) of new 1954 18S bikes lined up in front of a dealer, all on their center stands. Maybe someone can post the image. You could easily spot if you've got the correct stand by this image. I believe the correct stand has the minimum pad feet, which are some 8mm thick.
Unfortunately, the c/stand deforms over the years, this will make the bike less stable once hoisted, but your problem appears to be the hoisting itself? Well, Rob Swift of the AJS/M Club has commisioned the fabrication of improved roll-on/roll-off stands. Please have a look in the Club Forum for details. I believe the topic was raised in this forum as well, so do a search.

Cheers, Knut

mdt-son · Jun 27, 2021

OldCB said:
Mine did not have the blank area, knew my replacement was a re-pop. I will look for an OEM kicker. But it took all my strenth to put this little bike onto it's centerstand, I can't belive most would actually be able to acomplish it, my Commando is stupidly easy to put on it's stand.........something is not right.

See above for help on your c/stand issue. Proper kickstart levers are available from Andover Norton. I just got a folding one and it provides the bare area shown by Rob-SS. Repops are a vaste of money. Shell out for piece of mind.

-Knut

N0rt0nelectr@ · Jun 28, 2021

OldCB said:
This is the only bike I've ever had trouble putting on the center stand. The first time I kicked it and sheared off the teeth on my kick starter I was not happy, but new to this bike, so on with a new one. Same thing after confirming neutral, kicked it and sheared the second kicker!
The Q is has this happened to anyone else out there? I can only guess it "snicked" into gear and when I kick it the tire which barely clears the ground contacts the ground while I'm kicking it, and the resistance of the tire leads to the shearing of the teeth?
1. Any way I can tell if I have the correct c-stand?
2. Extremely difficult to get on the C-stand? Easily the hardest bike virtually no "fulcrum" to aide getting it up on the stand.
3. Gotta find out before I put on my 2nd replacement kicker.........

Shouldn't your bike have a Burman gearbox? Just checked and AMC didn't change over to the AMC gearbox until 1957. Maybe you kickstart lever is a poor re-pop?

mdt-son · Jun 28, 2021

Further to #8, please see topic "N15 Centerstand Extensions" #10.

-Knut

N0rt0nelectr@ · Jul 5, 2021

We have all been talking about a 54 AJS 18s which doesn't have a AMC transmission. I have a 55 model of the same bike and here is a picture of the kick start lever. Unless a AMC had been substituted for the original?

Shearing off kick starter teeth...1954 18S

OldCB

robs ss

robs ss

OldCB

robs ss

robs ss

OldCB

mdt-son

mdt-son

N0rt0nelectr@

mdt-son

N0rt0nelectr@

Attachments

Similar threads