'77 with kickstart!

[kerryb]

I have a guy's bike on my lift to fix a compression issue, hope it's just a valve with carbon on it. It's a '77 w/ 45k miles on it, build date of 7/76. As I looked it over and prepared to set up for leakdown testing, there's this "thing" in the way of the alternator bolt cover. I had never seen a kickstart socket, I thought they were only on 75 & 76. Engine number is Gl1-600405. Frame number Gl1 3001376. Maybe they were using up leftover parts. Combined with the Lester wheels and overall good condition, I'm going to tell this guy to call me first if he ever wants to part with it.

 

[ckahleer]

My 77 also had a kick start.

 

[desertrefugee]

78 was the first without it.

 

[GTC@MSAC]

I used the kicker on my '75, just for demo purposes (just for kicks, haha)

 

[mistermo]

My original 78 didn’t have kick start, but if the battery wasn’t strong enough to turn over engine you couldn’t get enough spark to push start it. So kick start wouled have been useless.

I bought a basket case 78 few years back. Some PO must have replaced rear case. It had the kick adapter and separate kick pedal on it. Can’t remember where that was stored. At that time I never knew that was a thing. Maybe I had a one of a kind unique collectible!!!

 

[GTC@MSAC]

My '75 had an electronic ignition upgrade to replace the points, so it wasn't all that difficult to kickstart. I once had a Harley-D XLCH that was 1000cc Kickstart-Only, and that was a hateful machine to start, lol!