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Thread: Kickstarter Abuse

  1. #1
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    Kickstarter Abuse

    I'm not talking about vaporware on the Kickstarter website.

    This is about those people who jump on those poor, defenseless, motorcycle and ATV kicstarters like it was their milkman daddy who disappeared, then shown up drunk one day, after they were grown, wanting to make it all better.

    What got me to thinking about this; you ask (you didn't but I'll tell you anyway).

    I watched a video on YouTube of a guy, kickstarting a trike. He was supper happy to have a new to him trike, but it was exceptionally cringeworthy to watch him start it. No, it wasn't a 200X, it was something even harder to come by.

    He wasn't taking any of the slack out or fully engaging it before giving it the business.

    How many people are kicking these things to death and wearing themselves out?

    Kicking them like that actually makes them harder to start because they aren't full, complete, kicks and it's all herky-jerky. They're not even looking for TDC either. A lot of the broken kicker parts and even engine cases/clutch covers can be attributed to a poor starting method.


    Have you found some videos of good or bad examples? Post them up, hopefully it'll edumacate some people and save some trikes.

    Here's one that isn't a complete fail, it's just the type of bike he was trying to start doesn't like ANY throttle when kicking. What happens is pretty typical with those bikes if not experienced with them and still happens to experienced people who get sloppy.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA5ldT3KUSY

    And that's how to knee yourself in the chin while kickstarting a motorcycle.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  2. #2
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    I know exactly the type of abuse you describe, seen it many times. I also knew exactly which video that was going to be, lol. I have a buddy who I see occasionally, he came by one day and I let him try my RL250 trials bike. He did just that, mashed my kickstarter with no finesse, no finding tdc, no taking up the free play. I cringed and thought to myself, "never again."
    1985 Tri-Z 250
    1985 ATC250R

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    There’s a lot of people who have it in their minds that kickstarter assemblies are indestructible. Case in point my ex-buddy David who decided it would be a good plan to start my bike on a hill side while facing the rear of the bike standing next to it holding the throttle with his right hand while kicking it wildly with his left foot. Looked like Chuck Norris trying to knock down a wall, I thought he was going to snap the lever off at the shaft.

    So depending on circumstances I can be the soft spoken teacher, or the somewhat high strung prick. I chose the latter to address him given we were 30 or so miles from a truck. Same guy trashed his kids dirt bike assembly starter twice in as many years.

    I wonder how many Tri-Z covers cracked prematurely over side loaded kicks?

    Here’s a video of our famous host firing up his Rotax hybrid. He let me take it for a quick rip in 2016 at TF, it took some finesse to kick it over with that stovepipe in front of my boot.

    https://youtu.be/QjsOX1bKM1Q
    Last edited by El Camexican; 01-17-2021 at 07:02 PM.

  4. #4
    fabiodriven's Avatar
    fabiodriven is offline Aspiring romance novel cover model, and the Official 3WW slayer of thieves and swindlers. Catch me if you can
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    It's the Banshee kick. Short fast burts, not much follow through. Works fine for Banshees and small bikes but that's it.
    85 Tri-Zinger 60
    85 ATC250SX
    86 ATC250SX
    87 ATC250SX
    02 XR650L conversion
    84 ATC 480R

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Camexican View Post
    Here’s a video of our famous host firing up his Rotax hybrid. He let me take it for a quick rip in 2016 at TF, it took some finesse to kick it over with that stovepipe in front of my boot.

    https://youtu.be/QjsOX1bKM1Q

    Too much muffin top!
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  6. #6
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    I certainly stopped offering the 'If you can start it, you can ride it' opportunity.




    If it's that much of a challenge for someone to start the machine, then they shouldn't be on it to begin with. Like people who see me riding the unicycle around and want to try it. Nope, it doesn't work like that and they'll end up bashing my uni on the ground while hurting themselves.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by ATC King View Post
    If it's that much of a challenge for someone to start the machine, then they shouldn't be on it to begin with. Like people who see me riding the unicycle around and want to try it. Nope, it doesn't work like that and they'll end up bashing my uni on the ground while hurting themselves.
    You guys should start a club. You are now the 4th trike guy I know that rides Unicycle.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by keister View Post
    You guys should start a club. You are now the 4th trike guy I know that rides Unicycle.
    Good to see someone found a use for that extra wheel.

    Always wanted to try a unicycle, but never had a chance and at this point I don't see a scenario where I don't end up with a broken something.

    There was an older kid from Italy that lived a few miles away who had one. I remember him riding it down the bumpy gravel road past us once while peeling and eating an orange and pretending not to notice the little snot nosed punks starring at him with our chins on the ground in awe having never seen anyone from Italy before.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Camexican View Post
    Always wanted to try a unicycle, but never had a chance and at this point I don't see a scenario where I don't end up with a broken something.

    I didn't use shin guards when I was first learning it. That was a mistake I bled for, multiple times.

    I had some pretty good tumbles in public too, which no doubt entertained some people.

    It's actually pretty easy to do stuff with your free hands. The hardest part is getting on it an going without leaning against something. Free mounting is where a new rider will most likely become injured, depending on wheel size and speed.

    Broken wrists are a common injury. There are protective glove for that though. Tuck and roll.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

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