Like new Kawasaki Cheer, kick start is iffy

[ClareQuilty]

I've had a Kawasaki Cheer for years, and love it - very nice driving old bike. Mine's kick start is out (mostly just spins free when you kick it), but since it has electric start its no problem.

I'm looking at another which is like new with very low kilometers, drives like new... but the same problem is there - it has about a 50/50 kick start. Not as bad as mine, but about half the time it spins free rather than connects and spins the motor. Starts easy when it does connect.

Does anyone know what is wrong in this case, and how much it might cost to fix? I'm trying to decide whether to buy the bike.

[bramds]

no compression

[guzzi850m2]

no compression

He said he can start it electrically??

I think the kick starter arm have a gear wheel that will engage somewhere on the gear box. It could be a spring or perhaps the adjustment of the clutch.

[papa al]

Consult with that mechanic who didn't rip you off before, ya.

prolly $10 to fix.

pic?

Edited December 8, 2015 by papa al

[ClareQuilty]

no compression

No, no you didn't understand - it "connects" quite normally when it does connect, plus the engine runs very strongly & like new (it only has ~8,000 kilometers in it). What happens is the kickstart just swings completely free about half the time, doesn't move the engine at all.

[ClareQuilty]

Consult with that mechanic who didn't rip you off before, ya.

prolly $10 to fix.

pic?

I'm going to purchase the bike tomorrow, will take a photo. I discussed it with my mechanic already, he said its 1,000-1,300 by his best guess.

[thaiguzzi]

Yeah, buy it. Its something minor, and will definetely be cheap to fix. Either a sloppy k/start quadrant gear, the circlips that locate it, or a spring that returns it or pushes it out to engage. I doubt it will run to 1000 baht inclusive of parts and labour.

[ktm jeff]

Could just be the external splines on the KS shaft / lever. Although this is a CQ thread.

[ClareQuilty]

Bought it today, the kick start works about 80% so no worries. Here is a pic:

[ClareQuilty]

Hmm here's a better one:

[ktm jeff]

Another bargain bike for the collection. Looks in very good origonal condition. What did you pay , and have you checked the kickstart lever / shaft splines yet.

[ClareQuilty]

Another bargain bike for the collection. Looks in very good origonal condition. What did you pay , and have you checked the kickstart lever / shaft splines yet.

Yeah it drives and runs quite well. Has a near new 'feel', and less than 8,000 kilometers on it - was apparently owned by one very elderly lady from new till less than a year ago, who drove it hardly at all (the intervening owner, a foreigner, had to fix a number of things which failed due to sitting, including installing a new carburetor). I paid a little bit more than my usual 5,000, but well under ten.

About the kick-start splines, I tried it all day and it worked about 80%, so I think maybe its good enough to leave as it is for now. Or is it one of those thing which might damage/wear other parts if not replaced?

[ktm jeff]

If you look at the lower end of the kickstart , it bolts onto a shaft that protrudes from the engine. Both the kickstart and the shaft are splined ( grooved ) together. If those splines are worn , the kickstart will spin / slip around the shaft. If these are fine , then its internal , and may not be worth repairing. No problem then just to leave it.

[ClareQuilty]

Got the bike all fixed up - that is, put on new mirrors & fixed fuel gauge, nothing else needed. However, the mechanic said he couldn't fix the nonfunctional speedometer/odometer, saying this "could not be done because it is a Kawasaki".

[ClareQuilty]

Finally got the speedometer fixed in this one, but it was really too expensive to be worth doing: about 1,000 baht. It involved a brand new front wheel hub thing.