POST 11: The Kickstarter and spring- installation I.E.- kickstart- not the wind up starter

I doubt that I'm the first to have had trouble setting up the kickstart- and I probably won't be the last. Here I offer a few words of wisdom as to how I'd do it again. Firstly, be very sure you understand the views shown in any how-to guide... including this one! The point is that the kickstart should be assembled inside the left hand transmission cover. If you imagine opening this cover by folding the top downwards and to the left- i.e. as if hinged about the lower edge, then when you lift the cover to work on it - keeping the left hand side (kickstart ratchet) on the left then you are now effectively holding it upside down. Some guides have corrected this inversion by flipping the photograph to its mirror image.  Both views are shown in various guides, but they are not interchangeable! When you rotate the starter quadrant you can do it by turning the quadrant itself (my preferred- but wear gloves) or using the kickstart lever itself. However you need to lift the shaft so if using the kickstart lever you cant install it all the way up the splines as you'll need the movement.

Viewed as described the kickstart quadrant will need to be fitted into the lower half of the case. Remember the case is upside down so the bottom in this view will become the top of the case when fitted in the bike.

Kickstart spring hook engaged in quadrant- there is no tension so the tang on the other end of the spring has rotated round behind the quadrant- if tension had been maintained it would still be forced against the "stop" moulding in the case. Note this case is upside down and the forward direction is to the right, final drive location on the left.

To re-tension the spring do the following:

If not already removed- remove the kickstart lever- or slide it down the splines.

Put some gloves on. 

Lift the kickstart shaft so as to disengage from the slave pinion and so that the quadrant can clear the "stop" moulding cast in the case.

Insert a small screwdriver between the spring and the kickstart shaft boss and lever it gently away from the shaft mounting boss to prevent the spring riding up under the quadrant.

In the orientation illustrated, rotate the quadrant clockwise so that the spring engages on the stop boss, and then keep turning it against the spring pressure and over the top of the "stop" boss for about 270 degrees, i.e. until the quadrant can slip down again to be held against the "stop" moulding. Remove the screwdriver as you press it back down and check that the gear engages the pinion as the shaft drops into position. Once tensioned the mechanism should stay this way unless the kickstart shaft is pressed out of the case again- .

Pretensioned kick starter mechanism. Note that the spring tang is pressed against one side of the stop moulding and the quadrant against the other.