FINALLY GOT THE HANG OF KICKSTARTING MY XBR500

[xbally]

After 3 XBR500s in the last 6 years i have finally worked out how to reliably kick start my bike!Had bikes since i was 15 and am now 57 and i finally understand the term "easing it over compression".In my defence quite a few of my bikes have been two strokes and many (like the XBR) have had an electric starter but I finally feel like i've come of age!

[CrazyFrog]

Right, now you've got the hang of that, what you want for a real challenge is a bike with the kick start on the left, like an MZ or Armstrong 500.

If this isn't enough of a challenge, then how about a Jawa with a left hand kick start which doubles as the gear lever? 

[xbally]

Ive had an MZ ETZ250 which i managed to injure myself trying to kick over in traffic once when it stalled .Couldn't walk properly for a month!Also had a Suzuki GT250 which if i remember had the k/s on the left but i was only 17 and didn't know any different.

[blew]

Try kickstarting a 600 xbr with a silly compression ratio.I can't bump start it unless it's in fourth downhill.(The back wheel locks in third downhill).And the electric start won't work either.Oh joy........

[SteveC#222]

....try kickstarting a Panther without knowing about the half compression lever!.....UK's first attempt to put a man in orbit!!

[JOOLZ]

There is a knack to starting mine, ignition off choke on, then 2 kicks, choke off ignition on and she usually fires up ok, any other method is futile unless you like the exercise

[xbally]

I'm on a roll now as I can also start my Enfield EFI Bullet on the kicker!

[blew]

I find the xbr kickstart a bit of a pain.The lever swings out to clear the footrest,which prevents me giving it a proper kick.I have to ease it over TDC on the decompressor before kicking.Otherwise if I put my full weight on the kickstart the bike simply tilts sideways.

[timbo]

Never had problems with XBRs, but im with Blew here, as Alisons high comp XBR 600 is a bugger. Also the electric start has a hard time, but usually catches in the end 
And before I get any smart comments, yes, I can kickstart my enfield every time now. (Well I could until I made the previous statement, obviously)   

[SteveC#222]

I use to be able to start my old 650 Ural on the kickstarter by hand!!...nice little party piece at the local bike night!

 Most tricky was the SP370 as it had no decompressor and if you didn't get it set just right when you leapt in the kickstart nothing moved and you ended in a heap on the floor!

[Smithy]

As a young man all of my bikes were kickstart models as I couldn't afford anything with an electric start. After about 20 years when I finally got an electric start bike I couldn't work out how to get my foot up to the button..........

[squirrelciv]

As a young man all of my bikes were kickstart models as I couldn't afford anything with an electric start. After about 20 years when I finally got an electric start bike I couldn't work out how to get my foot up to the button..........

  Made me laugh, that one.

[guest564]

Never had problems with XBRs, but im with Blew here, as Alisons high comp XBR 600 is a bugger. Also the electric start has a hard time, but usually catches in the end 

I used a car battery and some jump leads to assist with the electric starter, though it usually only needed that first thing in the morning. I didn't have the de-compressor fitted but with the (fixed) footrests on axle stands I could just about force the kickstarter round past compression and then a big kick and it would usually start. When I first started racing it races were a jump start so I got used to that, second gear was sufficient but again the bike needed to be pushed backwards in gear to get up to compression before attempting a start. If I was racing at Brands then I got there early so I could park at the top of the paddock.

[SHimmer45]

took me a while to learn to kick my 500RS.
i have to concentrate, "turn it over to the bottom of the stroke" then bring the lever in line with the foot peg and just lean on it till you feel it "give" a little and that usually does the trick.