[enriquez]

I've been wondering lately if it would be possible to remove the starter and fab a kick start for a CX. Does anyone have any insight on possible hangups with this? I figured using an arm from some other bike may not work simply because our engines are twisted. I'm thinking the way the arms swing to be parallel with the bike might not work with our engine configuration. Any thoughts?

 

[Blindstitch]

If you have the time and money to waste then it's possible. But also pointless.



The question I would have is can the starter reduction gear take it. I would also say that you would probably have to cannibalize a starter and cut/shape/weld it into a device that could handle a a ratcheting kick start.

 

[enriquez]

The reasoning behind a conversion would be to eliminate the need for a large battery. I'm no expert, but as far as I understand, starting the bike, especially in cold weather, necessitates a bigger stronger battery.

 

[achille]

When you finish with that how about a breaker point ignition conversion?



Maybe mount it on the cam stub after converting to electric fan?

 

[enriquez]

haha, no ones thinking along the same lines here, anyone?? Maybe I should just remove the engine all together and make a kick bike

 

[Blindstitch]

The reasoning behind a conversion would be to eliminate the need for a large battery. I'm no expert, but as far as I understand, starting the bike, especially in cold weather, necessitates a bigger stronger battery.

Your cold weather or my cold weather? In most instances for me it wasn't the battery that was the problem in the cold. It was moisture in the gas.

 

[50gary]

HA! Men kick start motorcycles and hero's bump start them. If you don't want a physically large battery then look in to lithium batteries, very small, very powerful, very expensive. But then so would be the kicker conversion, however I like the idea. I love the sideways kickstart lever on my 1967 R50/2 way cool. This is what meant by Trickster 's thread "are we too serious?" How many guys make bikes into rigid rear ends isn't that also retrogression? Go for it. BTW the CX was the very first electric start only motorcycle Honda made, at least according to Wikipedia.

Cheers, 50gary

 

[ramprat06]

Enriquez is in San Francisco, so his cold is pretty close to mine. There is no need for an extreme battery in our weather. If you want your bike to fire up pretty quick in any temp in our climate, get those carbs tuned to the TEE. That means super clean inside, then balanced, and install a good fuel filter before you run a drop of gas through them. Good to have the tappets set right too. If all the other electrics are solid, that bike will fire on one blip of the start button. Okay, maybe a ten second burst. But not a battery drainer.



Joel in the Couve

 

[Blindstitch]

Ok so if temp doesn't matter I wonder if he has anything else in mind. Maybe cafe the hell out of it? That's the only other reason for a small battery I would see. Then you could hide it behind the hump in the seat.

 

[enriquez]

The motivation behind the smaller battery is for a cafe style custom. I'm learning to weld right now and have many projects in mind, including a GoBears style battery box where my centerstand used to be. Though, I'd much rather get one of those A23 (?) batteries that are ridiculously small and reasonably priced to handle electrics. From what I've read, the only drawback of those batteries is cold weather starting. If I had a kick start it'd be a non-issue. And since my bike starts at the blip of the switch, I think I could handle a kick start only. Besides, a outward swinging R60/5 style kickstart would be pretty badass in my book

 

[GoBears0305]

This would be interesting to see. Well for one, I don't think I've seen a kick start on the left side of a bike before.



My first project was a 71 CB350. I really liked the idea of having a kick-start only bike and minimal electricals. I ripped out the starter motor, solenoid, chain, and sprocket on that bike and just plugged the hole. I think there was about 12lbs of parts that came off, plus not having to deal with the wiring. Unfortunately, that project never got finished.

 

[Scudman]

I use a Yamaha R1 batery located under the engine. Never had a problem with a start but it is warm here year round. Bike starts in the first half second each time. I would recomend a synthetic oil like Shell Rotella 5W-40 and that would make cold starting easier. A small batery should be good if your bike is tuned properly.

 

[Reg in Bristol]

I also wonder if its worth the time effort and expense

it but gun to my head, I'd try and devise an R60 type side kick start

utilising the exisiting space taken by the starter motor

the existing internal starter clutch could be used as normal.



What you'd need is basically a small step up gear box that would spin the motor

say 1-2 revolutions per 90 degrees of kick on the lever

you may also need to beef up the rear supports a bit

but I reckon its doable with some nifty engineering



I saw a lovely cafe racer from Germany in Scotland some years back

and my first question was " where the hells the battery?"

there was just a space where the usual airbox and battery stuff used to be

the guy didnt speak very good english but we worked out he had a gel pack under the pod

behind the cafe style seat.



It got him hundreds of Miles to Scotland and back so again, its doable

Especially as CA doesnt get the cold hard winters of elswhere

as far as I know

 

[Ravyn]

Besides, a outward swinging R60/5 style kickstart would be pretty badass in my book

the early honda goldwing 1000 "75,76" had a outward swinging kickstart with a removable lever. not sure how many years they used it but maybe something from one of those early wings would take some of the work out of it for you.



Ravyn

 

[TRamsdell]

You are headed the right direction but a kickstart will be a pain to fab. My thoughts are maybe eliminate the battery/starter for weight savings and push start the bike. The CX is a heavy, easy pop starting bike. just run and hop on !

 

[Cobram]

You are headed the right direction but a kickstart will be a pain to fab. My thoughts are maybe eliminate the battery/starter for weight savings and push start the bike. The CX is a heavy, easy pop starting bike. just run and hop on !

I don't think that would be doable unless he's a Mr. Universe contestant. In San Francisco you usually have to park the bike facing uphill on a steep incline.

 

[enriquez]

I don't think a lever from those early Goldwings would work. I looked closely at the starting gears on our bikes and yes, fabing something would be very difficult. It would require tight tolerances and I'm not sure the starter reduction gear could handle the torque of kickstarting (as Blindstitch mentioned). I think Blindstitch was right on with the suggestion of using parts from a starter. Welding an arm on to the gears coming off the starter gears wouldn't be hard. There would have to be a ratchet system incorporated, still not incredibly hard. But I think the real challenge would be in creating some kind of mount to help support the torque applied to the kickstart. This may be something I'll consider down the line, but probably off the list for now.



haha, yea, some of these hills would make a roll start impossible.

 

[army85harley]

I've been wondering lately if it would be possible to remove the starter and fab a kick start for a CX. Does anyone have any insight on possible hangups with this? I figured using an arm from some other bike may not work simply because our engines are twisted. I'm thinking the way the arms swing to be parallel with the bike might not work with our engine configuration. Any thoughts?

This is a neat idea to think about but the amount of work would be horrible. However, if you want it bad enough then go for it. It would be kind of cool to see someone be the first to pull it off.

 

[need4steed]

I have been thinking of this for a long long time. I have some ideas and a bunch of spare starters. When i can get my stuff relocated down here in FL and i can find a house, i will get to work right away on this. I think it would be perfect for a cafe style bike. I was thinking if i couldnt get it to work with the ratios and racheting return, i was going to delete it all together for weight reduction and bump start it. If you are going to keep with the pure form of a cafe bike, less is more. But i dont see getting started on this anytime soon. I am still looking at homes and all my stuff is still in Joliet IL. Its killing me not having a bike down here to ride. I have seen a few cx500's and Gl's, but they are asking an arm and a leg for these things.

 

[MikeCMP]

If you are just going to the light weight, leave the starter on, but leave the battery off, and just start it off one of those little jump-start battery packs.

Kinda like some racecars I think, they get started in the pit off of some kind of machine, then just run the rest of the time.



I agree it would be difficult to do - neat nonetheless.



Mike