H2 kick start lever needed

[Bic_Bicknell]

I've got a kick start lever that apparently is made form cheese. It keeps on bending and when I straighten it it just bends again.

This doesn't happen when the engine is warm and is a very easy kick-start. But often when starting from cold the engine kicks back a bit and this is enough to just make the rubber section of the lever bend down. This gets progressively worse until it makes it virtually impossible to use because your foot slips off the rubber.


Anyone got any tips for a remedy?

These are my options I think:

A: Has anyone got a spare lever they want to sell? Only really need the lever bit, not the whole assembly but would buy the lot.
B: On eBay there are a few in the States but not good condition and very expensive (plus import tax issues)
C. Can someone clarify what the alternative replacement is that offers more clearance for silencers?
(I think it is either a KZ750 but I've also been told a Z750 twin)
D. Is there a heat treatment that I could use to reset my lever and then make it hard (like cherry red and then quench - will this make it too brittle or completely discolour the chrome?)

Thanks in advance.
bic

[SAM]

I know Z900 kicker fits!

[Nigel S]

Why not ask Richard Young to fix the one you have ?

[Bic_Bicknell]

Hi,

Thanks.

I don't know Richard, or what he does. Does he a metal worker who could reshape and anneal my lever?

How would I find I'm on the forum?

[g6mow]

Cheap and cheerful replacement.
http://www.kawasakitripleparts.com/inde ... uct_id=394

[Mitsui Spy]

I take it it's a US bike. Their kickstarts were made from that shitty canned cheese they put on burgers. Try a lever from a genuine UK bike as they're made from extra mature Cheddar (and a handful from Caerphilly unfortunately). Don't get one from a Dutch bike though for obvious reasons.

That apart, low carbon steel cannot be through hardened.

And annealing is a process for fully softening metal; tempering is the process for removing brittleness, but yes, even if feasible it would shag your chrome.

[Bic_Bicknell]

Thanks for the advice and info. I thought as much. If it keeps on bending I will go for the Triple Parts one - looks OK to me - like a Z900 one. I did look on there originally but the search engine didn't come up with anything. I just tried again and see that you have to put the word kickstart in as two separate words and it comes up. Doh.

[Malcolm]

The usual reason they bend like that is that when they are chromed the plater is a bit over enthusiastic in the sanding and polishing and removes too much metal.

[Neil the Don]

The usual reason they bend like that is that when they are chromed the plater is a bit over enthusiastic in the sanding and polishing and removes too much metal.

??? They all seem to have bent from new. Never mind a rechromed one.

I reckon most triple kickstarts start to bend within 3-4k miles from new.

Just as the swivel pin on them also "goes wobbly ". And just as the gear linkages wear and go sloppy quickly too.

Fact is , they were cheaply made , and not tintended to last too long !!

[Bic_Bicknell]

OK. You now opened up a can of worms

I hate the 'slop' I'm the gear change. I've got a period set of Dunstal rear sets and there is a lot of movement before the gear change selects (compared to modern bikes with ball type linkages. Back in the day, when I was a teenager, I used to get my dad to take the linkages to his work (at GEC in Preston) and the engineering dept. would hone out my linkages and make me a new set of pins so that they were all nice and tight again. This would last a good year or two and I had the best 'no slop' gear change compared with all the mates that rode triples.

If I do the same now, does anyone know the correct tolerances I should be trying for if I find a local engineering company who will do the job?

Or is there some new magic trick?

The H2 gearbox is actually nice and slick, but the tolerance stack on the linkage is shit and I want a sweet gear change.

[Hal]

Have a measure up of where your rear set peg sits and maybe put a lever directly on the spline facing backwards. This will remove the chance of any slop at all while retaining the same shift pattern. It will require hunting for one that fits of course, or just get one made up.

[Mitsui Spy]

I renovate the linkages from time to time by drilling the linkages to 9mm and then bushing them back to size with bronze and fitting new stainless pins. It's a very fiddly job though and they're soon destroyed again by the vibration but it keeps it original looking and the bushes can be replaced.

If you want to get an engineering place to fit you some oversize pins then they would most likely just crack on with it without worrying about tolerances (knowing the application). If you really want to specify them then I'd go for an H7/g6 fit but they might give you a strange look or just go "huh?"

Best of all if you're not bothered about the look is to fit some proprietary rod end bearings (like rose joints) and bolt them on.

Or do what Hal said.

[fieldsheer]

Cheap and cheerful replacement.
http://www.kawasakitripleparts.com/inde ... uct_id=394

thread hijack

do they also fit KH500's?

[Hal]

thread hijack

do they also fit KH500's?

No. The splined shaft is a larger diameter for just the H2. The H1 and S series shafts are a smaller diameter, but common to one another.

[g6mow]

thread hijack

do they also fit KH500's?

No. The splined shaft is a larger diameter for just the H2. The H1 and S series shafts are a smaller diameter, but common to one another.

What he said

[Tartan Triple]

OK. You now opened up a can of worms

I hate the 'slop' I'm the gear change. I've got a period set of Dunstal rear sets and there is a lot of movement before the gear change selects (compared to modern bikes with ball type linkages. Back in the day, when I was a teenager, I used to get my dad to take the linkages to his work (at GEC in Preston) and the engineering dept. would hone out my linkages and make me a new set of pins so that they were all nice and tight again. This would last a good year or two and I had the best 'no slop' gear change compared with all the mates that rode triples.

If I do the same now, does anyone know the correct tolerances I should be trying for if I find a local engineering company who will do the job?

Or is there some new magic trick?

The H2 gearbox is actually nice and slick, but the tolerance stack on the linkage is shit and I want a sweet gear change.

you can buy new repro linkages from Patrick Bras ebay.fr

[Nick64]

you can buy new repro linkages from Patrick Bras ebay.fr

http://stores.ebay.fr/patrickbras

Links in English on the left of the page

[fieldsheer]

thread hijack

do they also fit KH500's?

No. The splined shaft is a larger diameter for just the H2. The H1 and S series shafts are a smaller diameter, but common to one another.

What he said

[Tartan Triple]

you can buy new repro linkages from Patrick Bras ebay.fr

http://stores.ebay.fr/patrickbras

Links in English on the left of the page

cheers nick