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kickstart

By yall,
in DRZ400/E/S/SM

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yall

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I wanna put a kickstart kit on my bike. I have done some looking around and I have seen some pics of some people doing it. I am not the most handy guy around, but I did rejet my carb. That is about as far as I have been in the doing things like this. Now I want to put a kickstart on my machine. How have yall TT'ers done this. Do you any suggestions for me? Is it worth it? Things like that. Muchas Gracias :D

CER

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BikeRider

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I just installed the kit. There is a website with step by step instructions. Do a search on kick start kit. My laptop bit the dust and is being repaired by Toshiba, so all my favorites are saved to a CD and I don't have the link on this machine. There are a couple of gotchas. I had to remove my engine side cover a second time to correct a spring tension and install a retainer plate that were not clear in the Suzuki instructions that come with the kit.

You will be removing the right side cover of the motor. Also, removing the clutch (and replacing it) should be done by someone that has some mechanical experience. Then again, by the time you finish you WILL have experience. I used an impact wrench to remove the clutch nut. There are some other things during the operation that having experience will help with, but it is not rocket science. But, if you screw up, you can tear up some expensive parts.

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Grand Master

Noble

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The install is very straight forward to someone with experience and gets it right. But a lot of people do have trouble with the install and wind up damaging expensive parts. Part of the trick is Suzuki instructions say install in reverse of removal. So you have to have both the removal and install instructions and pix to have the complete procedure. Plus the Suzuki procedure was never intended to be "cook-book" for the first time mechanic. I can't say how good the on line instructions are. In any step by step procedure there is always something missing.

I do not have a kick start kit. I wished I had it twice but have never really needed it in 4 years.

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BikeRider

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yall, I wasn't trying to scare you off of doing your own install, but would hate to see you damage your bike. You'll be taking off the side engine cover and clutch, you got to get them back just right. I'll be honest, I installed the kit about a week ago and haven't even kick started the bike but once, which was right after I got the kit installed correctly. I always hit that starter button. But I figure one day I'll need it. It is quite hard to kick it over, mainly due to not knowing the technique yet I guess, based on other poster's comments here. Also, the kit was heavy. It added a few pounds to the bike. But I also was removing the passenger pegs (cut the right side one so the muffler mount is still there), so I traded some weight. I am thinking about attempting to add the manual compression release to my head, but I own a mill, lathe and such and am a hobbiest machinist. I think I can tackle the job. Hopefully then the engine will kick over easier.

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pjfry

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1. You'll need a GOOD hand impact driver to get some of the screws loose. Snap-On, Lisle, etc. not Craftsman.

2. The microfiche at RonAyers.com for the DR-Z400 (no suffix = kicker) has a good sketch of the parts arrangement.

3. Kickstarting procedure w/o manual compression release: Click into second gear and pull the bike backwards until it stops. Then put it in neutral and kick. This puts the piston on the power stroke and gives you 1-1/2 engine revs to put your weight into your kick before the engine fires. Make sure you don't open the throttle or pump it.

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pjfry

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The excellent photos and description of the the K/S kit installation is here:

Kickstart Installation Photos :D

NOTE: In the photo 9 description, the "kick start stopper" is not actually visible in the photo. It's behind the "kick start guide" which is the part you do see, and it's held on by the same bolt. The kit's directions are pretty good on this part. The guide's flange points outwards, and the stopper's flange points inwards.

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BikeRider

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Yeah, where I screwed up was when I put the kick start gear in, with the spring. You can just slip the gear in place and the spring end slips into the hole, or you can do it the correct way, which is slip the gear in place, but spin the spring clockwise until the kick gear hits that stopper, THEN put the spring end into the hole. Ends up you twist that spring about 2/3 turn or so clockwise. Would be nice if the Suzuki instructions mentioned that. And the other thing I left off was the gear retainer. I had to go back in to twist the spring and install the retainer, which meant taking out the clutch and putting it back. ugh. At least I didn't break anything.

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BikeRider

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Took me about five hours, but I screwed up and that time includes doing it twice after finding the link posted by pjfry. Still, give yourself at least three hours from start to cleanup. It is much quicker the second time for sure.

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  • 3 years later...
Experienced

trailrider72

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There is actually a way to ruin your case if not done correctly and unfortunatly suzuki's instructions don't address it directly. I was fortunate that before I did mine someone was VERY adamint about that.

Here is an excellent write up on how to do it.

very helpfull.. I was going to let the shop do it. but I think im better off doing it myself.. they dont Love my DRZ like I do !!

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trailrider72

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There is actually a way to ruin your case if not done correctly and unfortunatly suzuki's instructions don't address it directly. I was fortunate that before I did mine someone was VERY adamint about that.

Here is an excellent write up on how to do it.

A+ these instructions are alot better than the ones in the kit. If your going to do this mod.. you should definetly chek it out.. I took my time, no problems 5 hours or so..

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Cuchara Red

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...I am thinking about attempting to add the manual compression release to my head, but I own a mill, lathe and such and am a hobbiest machinist. I think I can tackle the job. Hopefully then the engine will kick over easier.

I wasn't too successful kickstarting mine until I added the compression release. Works MUCH easier now. It was all I needed. I left off the cable and handlebar stuff - just made a small extension to let me use the comp release. I've got pix in a thread on here somewhere, but here it is again...

decompresslever.jpg

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Grand Master

fttam

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I wasn't too successful kickstarting mine until I added the compression release. Works MUCH easier now. It was all I needed. I left off the cable and handlebar stuff - just made a small extension to let me use the comp release. I've got pix in a thread on here somewhere, but here it is again...

decompresslever.jpg

Did it make that much of a difference? I had a kicker on my last DRZ-S (previous owner installed it) and it kicked like a dream, with no compression release. Stock compression. I never bothered to install the decomp because it turned over so early.

Just curious, as I'm thinking about doing a kicker on my current Deezer

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Cuchara Red

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Did it make that much of a difference? I had a kicker on my last DRZ-S (previous owner installed it) and it kicked like a dream, with no compression release. Stock compression. I never bothered to install the decomp because it turned over so early.

Just curious, as I'm thinking about doing a kicker on my current Deezer

It made a TON of difference for me. I could get it going before adding the CR but I wasn't real successful in getting the crank into the proper position for an easy start. With the CR it's a no-duh.

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