POLL: Do you know how/can you actually kickstart the Buddy?

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:43 pm

I sure can't. Maybe it's time for a video demo and an addition to the tech library.

skullmechanic · Post by **skullmechanic** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:52 pm

I saw the guy at the dealer do it, -- well, he "kicked" it, but it didn't start. I tried it while it was on the center stand and balancing seems to be an issue when done that way. Some pointers would be helpful...

tunseeker1 · Post by **tunseeker1** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:59 pm

I have done it a few times. I don't do videos tho

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:01 pm

The main thing is tomake sure the ignition and kill swith are on. Flip out the little peg. Stand next to the scooter and kick it down sharply. It may take a few times. I have never had my Buddy start on the first kick.

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:02 pm

Are you serious?

If you can't figure out how to kick start a buddy, never get a Stella. You'll be all sorts of screwed.

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:12 pm

yes. i've tried kickstarting it a couple of times but have never been successful to get it started that way. and yes, i've checked the kill switch and the key position. i saw a video someone posted of the dealer doing it and it didn't look that easy either because it took a while before they were able to get it started.

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:14 pm

ScooterTrash kick-starts his bike in the video in this post.

viewtopic.php?t=7150&highlight=

Howardr · Post by **Howardr** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:25 pm

I have the best luck when the motor is warm. It's not easy though. The Stella is designed to be kick-started and you can do it while sitting on the seat.
It appears that kick-starting is an after thought on the Buddy. You must be standing next to the bike, while it's on the center stand, in order to start it.

Howard

Post by **jmazza** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:31 pm

The tip that is most important that everyone posts in these threads is to slowly press the kickstart lever until you feel it "catch" and THEN let it up and kick. That way, you'll get more out of the stroke.

Remember that a brake doesn't have to be held for this so you don't have to worry about that.

Try standing a bit behind the scoot. Try with your right foot as well as with your left. It's all about getting the right position. I think it takes maybe two tries to kick mine, warm or cold.

eldoroddo · Post by **eldoroddo** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:53 pm

This is one thing that worries me. The wife is getting a Pamplona, and while we were at the dealer a couple of months ago, I couldn't kick start the 125 demo bike he had. Yes, I had all switches to "ON".
I'll be attaching some Battery Tender leads for sure.

tunseeker1 · Post by **tunseeker1** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:34 pm

How many times did you try and kick it through? The bike is a 4 stroke 1 cylinder motor. That means that it may take up to 4 complete revolutions to get it to a power stroke.

Tysonviolin · Post by **Tysonviolin** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:46 pm

It's easy. My advice- loosen it up with a kick then don't try too hard...

naptime · Post by **naptime** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:40 pm

mine starts anytime i have tried to kick start..

but it usually takes me anywhere from 4-6 kicks before it does start.

it has never not-started for me though.

and as mentoined before, i get the best results, by SLOWLY pushing down the lever until i feel it catch, then bring it up and kick down.

brape · Post by **brape** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:53 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De4b2BpueOo

I found thinking about pushing forward instead of down helped me a lot. I forced myself to figure it out when my battery died and i had to get someone else to kick start it for me.

I found it easier to face forward and use my left foot. That way i can hold on to the sissy bar for balance and as everyone else mentioned push forward slowly until you feel it catch.

I really need to make a better video, but you can see how i like to stand in that.

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:21 pm

I used to own a '79 Triumph Bonneville and it didn't have an electric start. As I recall it was not that hard to kick start. I tried a few times to kick start my 150 but gave up. I need to try again just in case I have to.

I thought I remember someone saying that if the battery is completely dead you couldn't kick start a Buddy. Is that true? Maybe I misread it.

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:26 pm

Thanks for the video brape. I would think giving it a little bit of gas would help, but it doesn't look necessary watching your video.

Only problem for me doing it that way is the top case getting in the way.

Eddy Merckx · Post by **Eddy Merckx** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:34 pm

Yes its easy, especially when you weigh 210 pounds.....

Mrs Merckx can do it but it is a bit harder for her, she only weighs something like 129 lbs...

Orange Guy · Post by **Orange Guy** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:57 pm

Kickstart is the ONLY way I start the Buddy. I'd bet 80% it's on first kick, three kicks at most.

purromaniac · Post by **purromaniac** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:50 am

I can kick start my Buddy, and I'm pretty wimpy.

I had a heck of a time learning to use the center stand. Everyone at the MSF class ran to help me. I'm sure they thought I would knock the scooter over. After about the tenth time I could do it myself. YAY! They didn't teach us to kick start. I learned that from my friends here at MB.

I think both issues are about getting at the right angle and using your force at the right time. Keep on trying, you'll get it!

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:57 am

if you live in a cold climate and plan on riding in the winter, you will learn.

Post by **jmazza** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:58 am

Orange Guy wrote:Kickstart is the ONLY way I start the Buddy.

Really? How come? I'm guessing just 'cause you're that badass!

Orange Guy · Post by **Orange Guy** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:10 am

jmazza wrote:Really? How come? I'm guessing just 'cause you're that badass!

Well, me being badass is one of the reasons, but I think my insecurities play a larger role. I mean, here I am, 6-foot and 220 lbs riding a scooter. Kickstarting it lets me a bit of a man.

OK, not really.

The truth is, if you don't kickstart a red Buddy, it'll turn pink.

Yeah, that's not it either.

I have no clue why I kickstart only. I have a lawn mower with keyed start, but I still use the rope. Ditto for the snow blower. I guess I just enjoy the interaction of manually starting the engines.

Post by **illnoise** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:39 am

jmazza wrote:Really? How come? I'm guessing just 'cause you're that badass!

I kickstart my Blur if I'm running a lot of short errands, just to give the battery a break.

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:49 am

I kick it about half the time. Mostly when I have an audience. No worries about the battery because she gets run every day.

The car, on the other hand.... aaaah that could start becoming a problem. Wish I had a kick start on the corolla!

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:22 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZA9JGmFqnI&fmt=18

First kick! It was dark and I just used my digital still, so not really a good tutorial. But it's pretty dang easy to do once you know how.

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:45 am

ok i went and tried again a couple of different ways, and the way that brape did it worked for me. it's a down AND forward motion, and standing behind the scooter facilitated that motion. i noticed that if i stand the way that most people stand to kickstart, the motion is down only.

so now i can use the kickstart

PasadenaSue · Post by **PasadenaSue** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:09 am

Good thread. I realized that I had never actually kickstarted the scooter. So, off we went, key in hand and it took a few tries to not push the scooter forward before I got it. 3 kicks both times.

So now I can say that I have actually kickstarted my scooter. But I still prefer the magic button!

PasadenaSue

kraskaea · Post by **kraskaea** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:21 am

Does the key have to be in the on position when you kick start it? Or do you have to even have the keys in at all?

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:29 am

yes. the key needs to be in the on position, AND the engine cut-off switch needs to be in the on position as well.

Buddy_wannabe · Post by **Buddy_wannabe** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:50 am

Is it harder to kick the 125 & 150's then the 50? My 50 usualy goes on 1st or 2nd kick.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:03 am

un_designer wrote:ok i went and tried again a couple of different ways, and the way that brape did it worked for me. it's a down AND forward motion, and standing behind the scooter facilitated that motion. i noticed that if i stand the way that most people stand to kickstart, the motion is down only.

so now i can use the kickstart

Just be careful not to kick it off the stand! It appears that you would not have as good a grip on the scooter if you did it this way.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:02 am

The Buddy's kick start is surprisingly easy when the bike is warm and, predictably, a lot trickier when cold. But all in all, it's a well designed kick start, a real rarity these days.

As for kick starting to "save the battery", there's really no need if you take care of your scooter. I don't use a tender, I almost always use the electric start and my rides are always at least 15 minutes long. The only battery issue I've ever had was a couple of loose terminals.

ScooterTrash · Post by **ScooterTrash** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:10 am

Buddy_wannabe wrote:Is it harder to kick the 125 & 150's then the 50? My 50 usualy goes on 1st or 2nd kick.

About 3 times as hard

The video eazy posted was with me hurrying cause the camera was running, usually I face the front, push down on the back till the tire touches, rest left foot on lever till engagement then kick. Usually first try

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:00 pm

peabody99 wrote:if you live in a cold climate and plan on riding in the winter, you will learn.

+1

I almost always kick start in cold weather so I don't run the battery down by electric starting on short rides. I've never had much trouble though it does take several kicks. I figured the first 1 or 2 kicks after the scoot has been sitting gets some gas into the cylinder.

ScootingInTheRain · Post by **ScootingInTheRain** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:14 pm

Did it this morning, 2nd kick, after the electric didn't work (low battery) because Tony was sitting several days with the switch on, then several more with it off, 12 days of no riding in total.

But...kick....kick ..wappitawappitawappitawappitabrpbrpbrpbpbpbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

~SITR

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:10 pm

I can get it 1st or 2nd kick usually if I try on my own bike. The more you kick start it, it seems to be easier to start, maybe it's just me. I just press down till the lever catches, then jump up and press all my weight onto the lever, always works fine, bike never tips over or becomes unstable.

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:40 am

maybe it's because i don't weight enough, but doing it by standing behind the scooter like in brape's video is the only way i can kickstart. plus my right knee is weaker because of the injury so i can't get seem to forcefully kick with it.

in any case, i can kick-start now

woot!

but it's easier to use the electric start. heh.

brape · Post by **brape** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:14 am

un_designer wrote:maybe it's because i don't weight enough, but doing it by standing behind the scooter like in brape's video is the only way i can kickstart. plus my right knee is weaker because of the injury so i can't get seem to forcefully kick with it.

in any case, i can kick-start now woot!

but it's easier to use the electric start. heh.

Hah I started that way because I sprained my right ankle and thought perhaps I should try the left foot. by the weigh my boyfriend weighs 120 lbs on a good day and he kick starts my scooter in flip flops with no problems so i don't think its a weight thing.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:00 am

brape wrote:
un_designer wrote:maybe it's because i don't weight enough, but doing it by standing behind the scooter like in brape's video is the only way i can kickstart. plus my right knee is weaker because of the injury so i can't get seem to forcefully kick with it.

in any case, i can kick-start now woot!

but it's easier to use the electric start. heh.
Hah I started that way because I sprained my right ankle and thought perhaps I should try the left foot. by the weigh my boyfriend weighs 120 lbs on a good day and he kick starts my scooter in flip flops with no problems so i don't think its a weight thing.

It's not weight—it's all in the action. You don't need to stand on it.

marsturm · Post by **marsturm** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:32 am

I've done a few times, usually starts on my 2nd kick. Its good to have as a back-up.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:39 pm

I noticed with the left foot, it's easier to kick start and just jump onto the bike from the back. I do agree sometimes I hurt my right ankle when I kick the lever.

jkelsch · Post by **jkelsch** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:35 pm

the first 2 times I tried I tired myself out and just used the button. lots of kicking and nothing.

since I got it the first time it's always started 3 kicks or less for me. Kicking a little forward rather than straight down really seemed to be the trick for mine.

Modern Buddy

POLL: Do you know how/can you actually kickstart the Buddy?

Can you kickstart the buddy?

POLL: Do you know how/can you actually kickstart the Buddy?