How do you reduce motorbike kickback when starting? Any suggestions would help?

Question

hey!

I have a 1984 model honda xlx 250r and it has the most horrible kickback ever. It kicked back so hard once it sprained my ankle and it hurt for days.

So my question is how do you reduce the kickback?

Could it be the oil i am using?

ANY SUGGESTIONS Would help so please post up

THX ASH

Answer 1

yeah i know how that is. my bud has a cr500 and when that thing kicks back it seriously will brake your ankle or sprain your knees. the best way to keep it from coming back is instead of starting all the way at the top and kicking all the way down, start with the kickstarter at about midways down. kickback always hurts the worst when you kick at the top. try and let me know.

Answer 2

With my DR350, i used to put it on side-stand, one foot on peg, decompresser in and kick it half a dozen times, get TDC center and she used to fire up nearly every time.

Answer 3

Get a new Kickstart.

Get a newer bike!

:DDDDD

Answer 4

The best way to get over this is to modify your technique of kicking. I am surprised though that an XL would have that much oomph in a kick back.  Anyhoo with the ignition off slowly on the kick start push the lever down until you feel the engine just going over top dead centre on the compression stroke. in other words push the lever slowly down until you feel the resistance building which will increase as the compression raises. This resistance will quickly release and it is just at the point where it starts to release that the engine has gone past its max compression. At this point release the kick start lever so it springs back to the top of its travel. Now with the ignition on and all your usual settings as far as choke, throttle is concerned take a swift and firm kick on the lever right the way through its travel. Repeat the process of getting the engine into this position each if does not start. You will quickly get quite adept at finding it.

The other option is that your timing is slightly out - does the bike run properly once it does start?

I have an 1981 Maico cross bike that kicks back like a truly pi*ssed off donkey if I don't follow the procedure above and my 81 Triumph Bonneville also kicked similarly when I updated the ignition system and did not have it set up quite right.

EDIT - sorry to condradict our friend Rockers answer but if you try to kick start from half way down the kick lever stroke then you are actually more lilely to induce more kickback. You will not get the engine to spin fast enough to make a couple of ignition strokes and thus get the momentum up to run and it will then kick back on the cycle it can't complete. The most leverage on the kick start is when it is at the 9 o'clock position so to get the best of that you ideally want the thing to be moving and gaining speed by the time it gets to there, so definitely kick through the full stroke of the lever. If you are really worried slip your foot of the kick start lever when it gets to the bottom of the stroke before it does kick back..

Answer 5

Bump start it instead.