Kick starting woes.

golfingirl · Post by **golfingirl** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:46 pm

Am I weak? I have a heck of a time kick starting the Buddy. I have no problem kick starting my DH's Vino 50cc.

Do other riders have this problem? Any tips on technique?

avidgirl · Post by **avidgirl** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:43 pm

I recently had a battery problem with my Buddy 125 and the only way I could ride for about three weeks was to use the kick start.

First of all, my kick start seemed to turn over the engine about 20% of the time. My dealer said it had something to do with the engine compression. I found that if I put my foot on the kickstart, pressing down lightly then kicked the rest of the way down, I was more likely to get the engine started. Weird, but it worked. I also placed the scooter on the center stand for stability.

Luckily, I got a new battery so my problem was solved. I was a kick-starting manic there for a while.

rajron · Post by **rajron** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:09 pm

Wow weird I forgot we had a kick starter â€“ never used it - wonder how it works?

GatsbyGirl · Post by **GatsbyGirl** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:30 pm

avidgirl wrote:I found that if I put my foot on the kickstart, pressing down lightly then kicked the rest of the way down, I was more likely to get the engine started.

Yep, when my dealer showed us how to use it, they stressed that you need to do this. It's like a slight pump before you really kick it.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:14 am

I have been able to hit it on the first kick most times I've tried. The method I use (edited from another thread):

Slowly lower the kickstart to the point where you feel resistance, then bring the kickstart back up and kick it hard. Don't throttle too much; you could flood the engine. Also, the kickstart is kind of small so be careful your foot doesn't slip off. You could easily tip the Buddy over.

golfingirl · Post by **golfingirl** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:03 pm

Thanks. I'll try those tips and practice. Do you need to throttle it a bit? I definitely do that for my DH's Vino, but I need to throttle it when we use the electric start!

avidgirl · Post by **avidgirl** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:11 pm

I didn't have to use the throttle to get my Buddy kickstarted. Don't know if this is the norm though.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:35 pm

golfingirl wrote:Thanks. I'll try those tips and practice. Do you need to throttle it a bit? I definitely do that for my DH's Vino, but I need to throttle it when we use the electric start!

Probably don't need to throttle the Buddy. I just added that because it seems I instinctively want to do that when I kickstart!

josephwtyler · Post by **josephwtyler** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:33 pm

If you check the manual, it suggests to press the kick starter down slightly, then kick it hard. So, it should be partially depressed before you try to start it at all.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:49 pm

I may have a little input to help with here...having owned more kick-only motorcycles than electric start...from Honda 100's to Harley XLCH's to a Yamaha SR500 and a BSA 441 Victor....here is what has always worked for me.

First; gently push down on the kick-lever until you hit resistance.

Second; bring your foot (and consequently the kick-lever) back up to the top. The engine will stay in the same place, which is the compression stroke.

Third; kick fully downward with a firm and quick motion.

This will have allowed you to kick from the optimum engine position to enable you to kick through a full cycle rather than a partial cycle in which you may or may not catch a firing sequence.

Hope it helps.

--Keys

golfingirl · Post by **golfingirl** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:23 am

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I've got it now. I'm gonna practice tomorrow and I'll let you know how it goes.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:37 am

Now I'm going to have to give the kick start a try in the morning, just because of all this discussion. I suppose it's a useful skill to have, and to know how to do successfully before you have no choice in the matter.