NOT yet ready to trash my kick-starter!

[oldchopperguy]

Well Rebs and Rebettes,

I know how much disdane we all have for those "wonky" kick starters on our GY-6 150's. True, they stick down, they have little "feel" and you have trouble getting them against compression, etc. After initially trying mine out the first day of ownership, I felt the same, and haven't used it since... Until today!

I got hurt a while back, and the scooter has sat un-ridden for over 2 months (much of that time below 30 degrees). I felt I had to get it going before the gas in the float bowl dried up, etc.

I uncovered "Lil' Bubba" and checked the oil and tires, and tried starting it. The battery was too dead to turn it over. Before taking off the floorboards and such, to get to the well-buried battery, I tried the kick starter. Of course, my RIGHT leg is what I hurt, so awkwardly I used my left foot, and after about 15 good kicks, Bubba started right up! I WAS AMAZED! The kicker seems so poor on these that I expected no results at all on a dead, cold engine. I was a happy camper!

I put on 15 fast miles, and all is well... (WHEW, do these scooters LOVE cold air in the engine and tranny!) Doggone thing ran almost like a 250! Apparently, while the kicker seems feeble, and awkward, it really CAN be a life-saver with a dead battery. After all, you CAN'T push-start these!

I'm going to mod the belt cover in spring to open the clutch area. However, after this, I'll be sure to leave enough "meat" there to support that much maligned little kicker!

Ride safe, and stay warm!

Leo in Texas

[Rebel]

Back up systems are never a bad idea. I have had to push start a lot of my old rides that had a manual tranny, being able to pop a clutch and get the motor to turn over was a lifesaver, even on my Hondas that had dead batteries and I couldn't get to kick start.

[shiftless]

As crappy as the kick start is on these engines...... it's a lifesaver when necessary
I took em off before and regretted it when the button failed me

[fourtwentyism]

at least YOU HAVE ONE. .!! I'd say keep it----there's no worse feeling then when my electric starter fails, & I'm 10+ miles from home