Does anyone have any tips please for perhaps getting some extra leverage out of my kickstarter. My 52 B33 is new to me and tinkering with it before the riding season arrives. Theh bike will start on first kick but because I am only 135lbs in weight I can not consistently give it a good kick every time. Shown in photo the lenght of the kickstarter is 7" center to center. Pretty sure this is a stock lever..... Lots of ideas come to mind for making the start up procedure easier but not sure what may be the route to go...
1. My shop is on top of a hill I can always jump it but just not sure if this is hard on the drive train?
2. I could put 20lbs of something in my back pack to help me into the 150 club but not carrying that around all day long.
3. I run straight 50 weight oil in the motor and primary and gearbox, any chance a light weight of oil will help the cranking over? (I do drain my sump before starting which of course helps)
4. What I would really like to do is find or modify my existing kickstart to a longer length. Does anyone know please if an extra 1" in length - perhaps of a different model will fit my bike and will the extra length make it easier to turn over, I think it will?
Also I am guessing because its cold out now that that stiffens up the motion of the motor for start up but not sure on this. Any idea much appreciated, and I can not gain weight if I tried and at 65 years old now I am only going to get skinnier YIKES. ......wayne
I'm sure a lot of the charm of these B33s is that little start lever sticking out there all the time. On the 53 B33 I'm doing now, though, I just didn't want it. I have a number of used A65 levers and was pleased to find they slip right on the shaft. It's a lot more substantial lever. I weigh about 150 pounds, even with all my money in my pockets. Rolling it down hill ain't gonna hurt.........but then wherever you go, might have to park on a hill.
Thanks Leon Bee, good info on the A65 lever. I see one one ebay https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Kick-Start-Lever-Triumph-BSA-500-650-A50-A65-T120R-TR6-Daytona-T100R-T100C/333692055230?hash=item4db198aebe:g:FM0AAOSw9vBfOuks for 20 bucks, a little rough but may be worth taking a chance on. I see it will be a good 20% longer in effective length so this may do the trick for me. I also would prefer actually if the lever folds so this may be a good purchase. Does your swap out lever clear your exhaust pipe with out rubbing? My stock one actually scrapes the muffler a tiny bit so this is why I ask? Also do you think my existing pin & nut to hold the lever on will be compatable as the offer on ebay does not come with a pin c/w nut? Sounds like yours just bolted on and you were good to go?...... thanks again wayne
Yes, I actually just pulled the cotter out of my old one and it slipped in the new. I have to tell you, though, those 650 levers aren't quite all the same. Especially if not sure whether they are Beezer or Triumph. They're not identical. All the old ones in my pile are known to come off of 60s A65 bikes. And also, the new replacement ones you see for sale sometimes, some of those don't fit well. So a used one of ebay is kind of a rubbish shoot, but not a real expensive one.
And...........I don't have the pipe on this project yet so I can't say for sure. But the A65 lever seems to be a little farther out in the wind than the original.
I was going to say, check the clearance to the silencer (muffler). You may need to put a slight bend in the kickstart lever or "ding" the silencer so it works.
I will measure the length of the kick start lever on my 55 B33 and also my 49 M33 both have folding levers.
Both my B33 and my M33 the shaft measures 8 1/2 " from centre of shaft to the lever where your foot goes. I might add that my M33 when I got it had a lever only 7" long, but like you I felt it needed more leverage so changed it to one I got from Kempton.
I'd be pleased with 7 inches!
I am not sure where you are in the world but in the Uk straight 50 oil shoild only be used in summer, amd even then 40 might be better. The grade of oil will make a huge difference to how easy it is to kick the bike over in winter.
For example I run 40 in summer and 30 in winter in UK. I have been caught out with an early frost an found the A10 engine lvirtually locked solid on 40.
I'd suggets you go cheap ealy and pop some lighter oil in before doing anything else.
I don't really think your bike should need anything as heavy as 50 grade even in summer.
Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it........wayne
Persevere with it. You'll find the key. It took me about 12 months to learn how to start my B44 without tiring myself out but I can usually get to kick-up first, or second time now. Keep it original. That's the way BSA intended it.
AdrianS "I'd be pleased with 7 inches!"
Yes, but only in the cold surely.
😁😁😁
I have found a nice used one from John at "Motorparts Inc" the lever is a folder with a around 15% extra effective length so this will be worth giving a try I figure. I actually will prefer a folder anyways and I dont really see the point of the shorter arm myself.
One option this gives me is if the replacement lever fits OK but its still a little too hard to kick over I may take my original stubby and cut the foot arm off of it. Just kind of leave it as a 6" long stub and then use a 20" length of tubing to fit over to be kind of used as a hand crank. My Dad used to start his old Aircoupe by hand cranking the propeller to start it so this has got me to thinking maybe I can't hand crank my B33 as well. If it kicks back it could be nasty but still not a dangerous as staring an airplane by hand I figure. It will be a shorter turn over of the motor as the lever will bottom out when it hits the floor but should be very easy to turn over and also easy to get the motor revs up to starting speed. I also normally carry a pack back on my person so a length of tubing for this job is not a big deal. I will update when the new kickstarter arrives until then I wish I was fatter :(
Hi Wayne,
Just be careful with that tubing in a back pack. Great until you end up falling on it. I know of someone who had a spark plug in his pocket and was caught a glancing blow by a field bike. It took surgery to remove it from his thigh as only the small threaded bit was sticking out of his leg.
Your choice but ideally do not wear a back pack. They can do funny things to your spine if you land on them.
Dave.
For the record, my kickstart lever (M33) is 7" centre to centre. I find I need to stand on the right of the bike when it's on the centre stand to start it either from cold, or if it's been standing a while. I find that easier than being astride the machine with the stand up, but I suspect it's a matter of technique; more practise required.
Reminds me of when I was a lad, going fishing. I had a Vespa 125 scooter, then a Starfire. On my back would have been a big fishing basket, rod holdall, etc. Seems a bit mad now. Of course roads, esp country lanes, were very quiet and I was not exactly hooning it.
Good points Dave regarding falling on something sharp. I do however have a Boblebee pack back that is actually rated as class 2 back protection. Its a hard shell pack that is supposed to be a saftey feature for back protection in the event of a crash. I know these packs are popular with the skiing and dirt bike crowd. Pricey but nice packs so not worried about the contents of the pack at all.
Hi Wayne,
Just had a look at the back pack and it looks like a good product.
Dave.