XR600 Kick starter, what's the trick?

[micknmeld]

Springs and I have never seemed to get along. The recoil spring in my brothers XR snapped and we have replaced the spring but now the bike is back together the kick starter doesn't return to the right place once you have depressed it. You can turn the engine over with it no worries and it will return to the right place two or three times then all of a sudden the pedal wants to return past the clutch housing, so when it does that,we remove the pedal and turn it back(anti clockwise) one spline and it seems to want to repeat the procedure. Does the lugg on part #3 need to be engaged between the bolts in part #4 before the clutch housing is put on? If that is the case what is the trick to getting it in there then getting the hook on the spring into the right place? Or was not marking the kicker pedal's location on the shaft prior to disassembly our mistake?

[Horri]

Dunno...Do you have the manual...If not I'll copy down it's instructions.

I smashed two clutch cases before giving up on this problem myself and getting an expert to do it.He removed the Auto Decompressor from down there.Whether it was the problem or not I don't know/

[micknmeld]

Dunno...Do you have the manual...If not I'll copy down it's instructions.

I smashed two clutch cases before giving up on this problem myself and getting an expert to do it.He removed the Auto Decompressor from down there.Whether it was the problem or not I don't know/

Yeah I have the manual,although it isn't very concise as it says, to install the bits, do it in reverse to how you got it out. Only problem is, because the recoil spring was broken, as soon as I took the clutch case off, all the bits just fell out. I am sure that the mechanism is put together right, so I am hoping that there is some trick that loads the spring with more pressure as the kick pedal isn't returning with the same pressure as my 1999 XR600's.

This bike has a manual decomp so that isn't an issue with this.

Also when I get every thing back in the case, the ratchet seems to always be engaged, because if you turn the engine over with the crank shaft there is a constant click click click from the ratchet, which I presume would be a growl if the engine was actually running.

[Horri]

Sounds like you have a manual equally as useless as the one I have..I won't mention it's name for fear of offending the maker and the advertiser of said manual..however I also have the Honda service manual for the 88-92 xr600 and its a lot better than the other.So once you have all the bits on the shaft and the marks lined up it states...

INSTALLATION..(1) Hook the return spring to the hook of the right crankcase.

(2) Temporarily install the kickstarter lever onto the shaft

(3)Rotate the kickstarter counterclockwise until the Ratchet tab is clear of the ratchet guide.

(4)At this position push the Kickstarter assembly into the crankcase,then return the kickstarter.

(5)Remove the Kickstarter lever

(6)Install the Thrustwasher.

After that you install all the other bits to do with the idler gear etc .

Hope thats of some assistance.

[micknmeld]

Thanks Hori,even though this bike is a 94 model I will give that a go as it isn't something that I have tried yet.

Yeah the manual is a bit suspect at times,in the pics the dudes still have lamb chop sideburns and bell bottom pants.That has got to be a worry in itself! LOL

I have cheated a bit as the idler gear is still in the bike as I didn't want to pull the clutch out. Maybe that is something to try this afternoon after work.

This has been bothering me that much I started work on it again this morning at 4am.?

[Horri]

Guessed you must have been up early as its only 9.30am over here in Kiwi land..Make sure you get it right or you will bust the case as I did twice,,Expensive lesson, lucky I had a couple of spares and I have learnt the buggered ones can be repaired so it wasn't a total loss.

[micknmeld]

Thanks Horri, I got it all back together and working like a treat. I had to take the clutch out and remove the kickstart idler gear, then follow the instructions you posted. I was right that there is a trick to getting it all back together.

Once I got the spring pressure loaded up the ratchet pawl went "click" into place and the kickstarter shaft just popped in and all was good.Now the kickstarter is like new, all for the want of a $8.00 spring.

[EarlT]

Quote"

Sounds like you have a manual

equally as useless as the one I have.

.I won't mention it's name

for fear of offending the maker

and the advertiser of said manual.."

Tell us the name of the Manual.

If/when someone from That company

reads the comments

they may decide to RePublish the manual

using Better mechanics and More useful info,

otherwise they may end up like,

Montgomery Wards, Woolworths,Winchells Donuts, and Sears.

Oh Sorry ,

customers havent,

yet,

firgured out they are selling alot of Junk.

[trackhead]

I'm having the same issue now, and despite reading this post, I'm feeling dumb.

So is the goal to get the tab on part #3 into the slot of part #4?

[amitx]

part #3 and the shaft #6 should have dots that need to be aline,

at least in the cr it's like that.

form what i understand the spring and the limiter are not synchronized.

[bork]

OIY , is it a mater of time before everyones spring breaks? including mine?

[HeadTrauma]

I have an XL600 engine on a workbench with a loose side cover(from replacing the kickstart shaft a long time ago). If I have time tomorrow between social obligations, I'll pop the clutch cover off and take a photo.

OIY , is it a mater of time before everyones spring breaks? including mine?

No. It's not a common problem, but sometimes springs do just break for various reasons.

[no66]

Back again after not rebuilding my engine... Been too busy with other projects.

Anyway, having a bit of a problem with the kickstart mech.

If I align the dot on the shaft and ratchet, the hook and the ratchet pawl line nearly up. See picture:

With it set up like this the shaft slots right in as the pawl is clearing the plate and has no function.

I see on the old manual that the pawl and hook on the spring are nearly 180 degrees apart.

If I mis-aglin the dots I can get it to work like this, but don't really want to put it together like this.

It looks like my spring is worn out??

[Horri]

I wouldn't rely on a picture to tell you the correct orientation of a spring,,Did you follow the instructions posted to insert the spring into the hole in the casing with the rotation of the kickstarter,,I can't recall how it all works at the moment but I can have a look at my spare kick mechanisms tomorrow if you like,,21.10 here at the moment so I'm not going back down the garage to study bits now,,Dangerman's also on the box and I'm practising a bit of guitar,,All along the Watchtower..,difficult to play.,ala Hendrix,,The man was a genius.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Horri

[Alex DeFreitas]

Having trouble getting this kickstarter set up in my XRL...

[elsalvadorXR6]

alex!

part number 3 is the nylon bushing

read the part on your thread where I explained why you sometimes cannot get the shaft in all the way

your answer is there

cheers dudes

[Alex DeFreitas]

haha i did!!

my bushing is correct I believe. It was that "return spring preload" referenced by ThumpNRed on the pinned kickstart thread at the top. Page 5 or 6. The dumbash manual doesn't say jackshiat about it.

[Alex DeFreitas]

The issue No 66 was having was that he wasn't rotating the assembly 360degrees to preload that return spring. Took me a long ass time to find that info

Edited May 11, 2012 by Alex DeFreitas

[elsalvadorXR6]

yeah its a long "kick" to wind it, makes you cringe the first time you do it jajaja

later dudes

cheers

[pete guenole]

got the same kick start issues, brought the old girl like it, so next few days will have a crack at rectifiiying , thanks for sharing info - we gotta keep these old XRs flyin